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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 --WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1784.
Congress assembled: Present, eleven states as yesterday.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [John] Beatty, Mr. [Edward] Hand and Mr. [William] Ellery, to whom was referred an account of Captain Gassaway,
That considering the nature of the services, he has been employed in and the very great expence he was at in travelling and horse hire,
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your Committee are of opinion the sum charged is not too great; they therefore submit the following resolution:
Resolved, That six dollars per day be allowed to Captain John Gassaway, for thirty days, the time he was employed in carrying public dispatches to Virginia, in full for his services, horse hire and other expences, and that the amount thereof be charged on the revenue of the post office.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Beatty, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 383.]
The delegates for the State of Pensylvania laid before Congress, an act passed pursuant to the act of Congress of the 18 April, 1783, by the legislature of that State, on the 23 September, 1783, entitled "An act for levying a duty on certain enumerated articles, and an impost of five per cent. ad valorem on all other goods, wares and merchandise, imported into this State, and a tax upon real and personal property, for the discharge of the debts of the United States of America, agreeable to acts of Congress therein recited, and for other purposes therein mentioned."
The delegates of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, having informed Congress, that the legislature of said State, at their session in February last, passed the following resolutions, to wit:
"Resolved, That the delegates of this State be, and they are hereby instructed to use their influence to obtain a recess of Congress, as soon as the national business will possibly admit.
It is further voted, that the delegates of this State request that honorable body to adjourn and convene at Rhode Island in the course of the next year, or as soon as may be convenient; and that Congress be informed, that if the aforesaid request shall be acceded to, this State will prepare suitable buildings for their accommodation."
And thereupon moved, That on the fifteenth twenty sixth day of May next, the President adjourn this Congress until the 26 day of October next, then to meet at Newport, in the
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State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and if a sufficient number of members to form a house should not then meet, that all the business before this Congress unfinished at the time of said adjournment, be referred to the United States in Congress, who shall be assembled at said Newport, on the first Monday in November next.1
[Note 1: 1 The motion, in the writing of William Ellery, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 567. The word lined out so appears in the report and not in the Journal.]
A motion was made by Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, to strike out the words "then to meet at Newport, in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations," and afterwards the words "at said Newport": And on the question, shall those words stand the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [David] Howell,
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So it passed in the negative, and the words were struck out.
A motion was then made by Mr. [John] Montgomery, seconded by Mr. [Edward] Hand, in lieu of the words
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struck out, to insert "to meet at Philadelphia:" And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Edward] Hand,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [James] Monroe, seconded by Mr. [James] McHenry, to postpone the further consideration of the motion under debate, in order to take up the following:
That the states of Maryland and Virginia be informed, that provided they will advance the United Statespounds, for the erecting the necessary buildings for the reception of Congress at or near Georgetown, at the falls of Potomac, it shall be allowed them in the requisitions made on them for the yearby the United States in Congress assembled.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of James Monroe, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 571. In the draft the amount of the advance is given as 4000£.]
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And on the question to postpone for the purpose above mentioned, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Monroe,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, seconded by Mr. [James] Monroe, in lieu of the words struck out, to insert "Alexandria:" And on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Monroe,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was made by Mr. [John] Beatty, seconded by Mr. [Roger] Sherman, in lieu of the words struck out, to insert "to meet at Trenton, in the State of New Jersey, agreeably to their act of the 21 of October last:" And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Beatty,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
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A motion was then made by Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, for a further amendment, by adding immediately after the words inserted, these words, to wit, "provided a committee of the states shall have been previously constituted." On this amendment the previous question was moved by the State of Massachusetts, seconded by the State of New Jersey: and on the question to agree to the previous question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight,
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So the question was lost.1
[Note 1: 1 On this day, as the indorsement states, was read a petition of Thomas Russell and other officers and mariners of the armed schooner Franklin. It was referred to the Superintendent of Finance, as agent of marine, to report. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VI, folio 93.
Also, a petition dated Boston, March 26, 1784, from Timothy Green. It is in No. 59, III, folio 219.
Also, a letter of March 9 from Major General Nathanael Greene. It is in No. 155, II, folio 692.]
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