A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1784.
Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
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Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1784.
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Link to date-related documents.The Committee of the States assembled: Present, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
The Committee, consisting of Mr. [Edward] Hand, Mr. [Jacob] Read, Mr. [Francis] Dana, Mr. [Jeremiah Townley] Chase and Mr. [William] Houstoun, appointed to prepare and lay before the Committee of the States, a draft of such rules as may be necessary for the government and more conveniently conducting business in the Committee of the States, reported rules, which being amended, were agreed to, and are as follows:
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1. As soon as the chairman assumes the chair, the members shall take their seats.
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2. The minutes of the preceding day shall then be read; and after that, the public letters, petitions and memorials, if any have been received or presented, in the order mentioned.
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3. Every letter, petition, or memorial read, on which no order is moved, shall of course be considered as ordered to lie on the table, and may be taken up at any future time.
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4. After the public despatches, &c. the reports of committees, which may have been delivered by them to the secretary, shall, for the information of the Committee, be read, in the order in which they were delivered; and if it is judged proper, a time be assigned for considering them: But no report shall be taken into consideration the day on which it is first read, without general consent.
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5. After the public letters, &c. are read, and orders given concerning them, the reports of the Board of Treasury, and of the Board of War, if any, shall be taken into consideration.
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6. When a report which has been read and lies for consideration, is called for, it shall immediately be taken up. If two or more are called1
[Note 1: 1 From this point the proceedings are in the writing of John Kilty, Jr.]
for, the titles of the several reports shall be read, and then the chairman shall put the question in the order they have been called for, upon which there shall be no debate; and the vote of the Committee of the States shall determine which is to be taken up.
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7. When a report is brought forward for consideration, it shall first be read over, and then debated by paragraphs, and each paragraph shah be subject to amendments. If it relates only to one subject, being in the nature of an Ordinance, it shall be subject to such additions as may be judged proper to render it compleat; and then it shall be read over as it stands amended, and a question taken upon the whole. But if it comprehends different subjects, independent one of another, in the form of distinct acts or resolutions, a question shall be taken on each.
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8. When any Ordinance is introduced by report or otherwise, it shah be read a first time for the information of the Committee, without debate. The chairman shall then put the following question, "Shall this Ordinance be read a second time?" If it passes in the affirmative, then a time shall be appointed for that purpose, when it shall be read and debated by paragraphs; and when gone through, the question shall be, "Shall this Ordinance be read a third time?" If agreed to, and a time appointed, it shall be accordingly read by paragraphs, and, if necessary, debated; and when gone through, the question shall be, "Shall this Ordinance pass?" If the vote is in the affirmative, a fair
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copy shall then be made out, signed by the chairman, and attested by the secretary in the Committee of the States, and recorded in the Secretary's Office.
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9. Each member by his own motion may bring any matter before the Committee of the States for their consideration.
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9. Any member by instructions from his State, or claiming it in right of his State, may bring any matter before the Committee of the States for their consideration.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph, as an amendment, is in the writing of Jacob Read. It is pasted on the report.]
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10. When a motion is made and seconded, except where a second is unnecessary from the preceding rule, it shall be repeated by the chairman, or being in writing, it shall be delivered to the chairman, and read aloud at the table before it shall be debated.
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11. Every motion shah be reduced to writing, if required by the chairman or any member.
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12. After a motion is repeated by the chairman, or read at the table, it shall then be in the possession of the Committee; but may at any time before decision, be withdrawn.
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13. No member shall speak twice in any debate, until every member who chooses, shah have spoken once on the same subject.
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14. When a question is before the Committee and under debate, no motion shah be received unless for amending it, for the previous question, or to postpone the consideration of the main question, or to commit it.
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15. No new motion or proposition shah be admitted under colour of amendment, as a substitute for the question or proposition under debate, until it is postponed or disagreed to.
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16. The previous question (which is always to be understood in this sense, that the main question be not now put) shall only be admitted when in the judgement of two members at least, the subject moved is in its nature, or from the
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circumstances of time or place, improper to be debated or decided, and shah therefore preclude all amendments and further debates on the subject, until it is decided.
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17. A motion for commitment shah also have preference, and preclude all amendments and debates on the subject, until it shall be decided.
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18. On motions for the previous question, or for postponing, no member shall speak more than once.
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19. The members shall ballot for committees; but if upon counting the ballots, the number required shah not have been elected, the chairman shall name the members who have been balloted for, and the Committee of the States shall, by a vote or votes, determine the committee, unless a new ballot be called for.
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20. If a question under debate contains several points, any member may have it divided.
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21. When a question is about to be put, it shall be in the power of any one of the members to postpone the determination thereof until the next day; and in such case, unless it shall be further postponed by order of the Committee, the question shall the next day, immediately after reading the public despatches, &c. and before the Committee go upon other business, be put without any debate, provided there be a sufficient number of members present to determine it. If that should not be the case, it shall be put without debate, as soon as a sufficient number shall have assembled.
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22. If any member chuses to have the yeas and nays taken, upon any question, he shall move for the same, previous to the chairman's putting the question; and in such case, every member present shall openly and without debate, declare by ay or no, his assent or dissent to the question.
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23. Every member, when he chuses to speak, shah rise and address the chairman. When two members chance to rise at the same time, the chairman shall name the person
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who is to speak first. Every member, both in debate, and while the Committee of the States are assembled, shall conduct himself with the utmost decency and decorum. If any member shall transgress, the chairman shall call to order. In case the disorder be continued or repeated, the chairman may name the person transgressing. Any member may call to order.
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24. When a member is called to order, he shall immediately sit down. If he has been named as a transgressor, his conduct shall be enquired into, and he shall be liable to a censure.
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25. When a question of order is moved, the chairman, if he is in doubt, may call for the judgement of the Committee: otherwise he shall, in the first instance, give a decision, and an appeal shall lie to the Committee; but there shall be no debate on questions of order, except that a member called to order for irregular or unbecoming conduct, or for improper expressions, may be allowed to explain.
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26. A motion to adjourn may be made at any time, and shall always be in order, and the question thereon, shah always be put without any debate.
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27. On every Monday, after reading and taking order on the public despatches, a committee of three shall be appointed, who shall every morning during the week, report to the Committee of the States, the orders necessary to be made on such despatches as may be received, during the adjournment or sitting of the Committee of the States, upon which no order shall have been made.
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28. Whensoever a motion is made for striking out one or more words, in order that something may be inserted instead thereof, the debate shall turn upon the propriety of the proposed insertion, and the question shall be, "Shall the proposed amendment be made?" Whensoever a motion is made for striking out one or more words, but no proposition
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is made to insert any thing else, the question shall be upon the words proposed to be struck out, in the following manner, "Shall these words stand?"
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29. Whenever the chairman for the time being shall be prevented by sickness or otherwise from attending the Committee of the States, one of the members present shall be chosen by ballot, to act during his absence, and the member so chosen shall be authorized to sign and authenticate all official papers while he acts as chairman1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Edward Hand, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folios 15--20.
A copy of the twenty-eight rules adopted, in the writing of a clerk, is in No. 23, folio 205.]
2On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Jacob] Read, Mr. [Francis] Dana and Mr. [Jeremiah Townley] Chase, to whom was referred an application of Christopher Champlin, stating, that a ship called the Hydra, will shortly sail from Newport in Rhode Island, for Bengal, in India, and from thence to the port of Canton, in China, under the command of John Clark, and requesting sea-letters for said Clark, and William Green, supercargo:
[Note 2: 2 At this point the proceedings are resumed by Benjamin Bankson.]
Resolved, That sea-letters be granted for the Said John Clark and William Green, in the form following:
Most serene, serene, most puissant, puissant, high, illustrious, noble, honorable, venerable, wise and prudent emperors, kings, republics, princes, dukes, earls, barons, lords, burgo-masters, counsellors, as also judges, officers, justiciaries, and regents of all the good cities and places, whether ecclesiastical or secular, who shall see these presents or hear them read:
We the United States of America in a Committee of the States assembled, make known, that John Clark, captain of the ship called the Hydra, and William Green, the supercargo on board her, are citizens of the United States of America, and that the ship which the said John Clark commands, belongs
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to citizens of the said United States, and as we wish to see the said John Clark and William Green prosper in their lawful affairs, our prayer is to all the beforementioned, and to each of them seperately, where the said John Clark and William Green shall arrive with their vessel and cargo, that they may please to receive them with goodness, and treat them in a becoming manner, permitting them upon the usual tolls and expences in passing and repassing, to pass, navigate and frequent their ports, passes and territories, to the end, to transact their business where and in what manner they shall judge proper, whereof we shall be willingly indebted. In testimony whereof, &c.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of a clerk, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folios 11--13.
On this day according to the indorsement, was read a letter of April 26, from Thomas Chittenden, Governor of Vermont, and ordered to lie. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 40, II, folios 463, 465.
Also, probably on this or an approximate date, a memorial of Samuel Tucker was read. It is in No. 41, X, folio 195.
Also, a letter of February 19, 1784, from John Beattie. It was "ordered to lie." It is in No. 78, IV, folio 425.
Also, a letter of 8 April, from David S. Franks. It is in No. 78, VIII, folio 523.
Also, a letter of 20 June, from Isaac Melcher. It was referred to the Committee of the Week and on July 15 ordered to lie for the consideration of Congress. It is in No. 35, folio 109.]
[Motion of Mr. Dana July 8 referred to the Secretary of Congress to take order.]
Ordered, that the Secretary of Congress Mr Charles Thompson fix the Great Seal of the United States to the sea letters granted to John Clark Commander of the Ship Hydra and attest the same and then deliver it to Mr. William Ellery Junr.2
[Note 2: 2 This motion, in the writing of Francis Dana, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 289.
Also, on this or an approximate date, a petition of Judith Warren. It is in No. 36, folio 153.]
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