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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1784.
Mr. Ephraim Paine, a delegate for the State of New York, attended, and produced credentials under the seal of the State, by which it appears, that on the third day of February,
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1784, the honorable Alexander McDougall, Charles De Witt, John Lansingh, jun., Ephraim Paine and Walter Livingston, were, by the Senate and Assembly of the said State, nominated and appointed delegates to represent said State in the United States in Congress assembled for the ensuing year.
The people of the State of New-York, By the Grace of God, Free and Independent: To all to whom these Presents shall come, send Greeting: Know ye, that we, having inspected the Records remaining in the Secretary's Office of Our said State, do find there a certain Commission in the Words following, to wit, "The People of the State "of New-York, by the Grace of God, Free and Independent, to all "to whom these Presents shall come, send Greeting: Whereas our "Senate and Assembly have, on the third Day of February instant, "Nominated and Appointed, the Honorable Alexander McDougall, "Charles DeWitt, John Lansingh Junior, Ephraim Paine and Walter "Livingston Esquires, Delegates to represent our said State in the "United States of America in Congress assembled for the ensuing "Year: Now therefore know ye, that in Pursuance of the said Nomination "and Appointment, we have, by these Presents, commissioned "the said Alexander McDougall, Charles DeWitt, John Lansing "Junior, Ephraim Paine, and Walter Livingston with full Power and "Authority to them the said Alexander McDougall, Charles DeWitt, "John Lansing Junior, Ephraim Paine and Walter Livingston to "represent our said State in the said Congress accordingly. In "Testimony whereof, we have caused these our Letters to be made "Patent, and the Great Seal of our said State to be hereunto affixed. "Witness our trusty and well-beloved George Clinton Esquire, "Governor of our said State, General and Commander in Chief of "all the Militia, and Admiral of the navy of the same, at our City "of New York in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred "and eighty four, and of our Independence the eighth" ALL WHICH we have caused to be exemplified by these Presents. In testimony whereof, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent, and the Great Seal of Our said State to be hereunto affixed. Witness our Trusty and Well-beloved George Clinton Esquire, Governor of our said State, General and Commander in Chief of all the Militia, and Admiral of the Navy of the same, at our City of New-York the
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said third Day of February in the Year of our LORD, One Thousand seven Hundred and Eighty four and of our Independence, the Eighth.
Geo: Clinton
with the Great Seal appendant.
Passed the Secretary's Office
the 4th. Feby. 1784.
Robt. Harpur D. Secrty.1
[Note 1: 1 This commission was entered in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 179, Record of Credentials, and not in the Journal. There are two of the original commissions in the New York Credentials of Delegates; one issued to Ephraim Paine and read March 25, 1784, as shown by the indorsement, the other to "Col. DeWitt," read March 27, 1784.]
Congress assembled: Present, New Hamshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina; and from the State of New York, Mr. [Ephraim] Paine, and from Maryland, Mr. [Jeremiah Townley] Chase.
On motion of Mr. [Jonathan] Blanchard, seconded by Mr. [Roger] Sherman,
Resolved, That the report of the Tuesday next be assigned for a further consideration of the report of the committee, on the letter of the 6 November, 1783, from the legislature of New York Hampshire, touching the proceedings and sentence of the court of appeals in cases of capture, on the case of the brig Lusanna.
The Committee consisting of Mr [Roger] Sherman, Mr [David] Howell, and Mr [Richard Dobbs] Spaight to whom was referred Mr Arthur Lee's letter of the 10th of March, 1784, requesting a compensation for his services and expenses as corresponding agent in London &c. beg leave to report,
That Mr Lee being Agent for one or more of the colonies at the court of Great Britain, the Congress held in the year 1774 employed him with the other colony agents to transact their affairs in England, and to transmit intelligence of the conduct and designs of the british Ministry and Parliament; That about November 1775 he was by a committee of Congress for foreign correspondence appointed a corresponding agent in London, that he faithfully executed that trust
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and from time to time, both before and after that appointment, gave early and authentic accounts of the designs and plans of the British administration against these States, at considerable risque of his personal safety, and rendered them other essential services, well known to those who were then of the secret Committee in Congress. That he continued in that office until he was appointed by Congress, one of the Ministers of the United States to the Court of France in December Oct. 1776. That the said Committee engaged to make him compensation for his services and expenses, and advanced to him two hundred pounds sterling on that account.
That he has exhibited an account of extra expenses amounting to£145.0.0 Sterling Which the Committee are of opinion should be allowed. And that he be allowed for his services and ordinary expenses the sum of -- And that deducting the sum paid by the Committee there remains due to Mr Lee the sum of £.--Sterling.
Whereupon the Committee submit the following resolution,
Resolved, That the Honorable Arthur Lee Esqr be allowed the sum ofdollars in addition to the sum of two hundred pounds sterling, which he received of the Committee for foreign correspondence in full compensation for his services and expenses as corresponding agent for the United States in London previous to his being appointed their Commissioner to the Court of France in October 1776.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Roger Sherman, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 517. The indorsement shows that it was read on this day and on February 25 [1785] was recommitted to Mr. [David] Howell, Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight and Mr. R[obert] R. Livingston. Lee's letter is in No. 78, XIV, folio 567.]
The Committee, consisting of Mr. [David] Howell, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry and Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, appointed to consider and report what is the present State of the department of Inspector General to the Troops of the U. S. beg leave to report the State of the department herewith presented under the hand of the Inspector General.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of David Howell, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, V, folio 529. According to the indorsement and the record in Committee Books 186 and 191, this Committee was appointed March 22, and delivered on this day their report, which was filed.]
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