| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1785.
Congress assembled. Present, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia; and from New Hampshire, Mr. [Abiel] Foster; from Rhode Island, Mr. [William] Ellery, and from North Carolina, Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Rufus] King, Mr. [David] Howell and Mr. [Charles] Pinckney,
Resolved, That the board of treasury be, and hereby are authorized and directed to sell for specie or public securities, at public or private sale, the frigate Alliance, with her tackle and appurtenances, (excepting her guns and other military appointments, which the Secretary at War is hereby directed to receive into his custody) the board of treasury giving previous notice of the sale in the news papers of such states as they may judge proper.
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Charles] Pinckney,
Page 423 | Page image
{table}
So it was resolved in the affirmative.
A motion having been made by Mr. [Charles] Pinckney, seconded by Mr. [John] Lawrance,
That a copy of the treaty entered into by the Commissioners of the United States, with the Sachems and Warriors of the Six Nations of Indians, at fort Stanwix, on the 22 day of October, 1784, in the words following:
"Articles of a treaty concluded at fort Stanwix, on the twenty-second day of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty four, between Oliver Wolcott, Richart Butler and Arthur Lee, Commissioners plenipotentiary from the United States in Congress assembled, on the one part, and the Sachems and Warriors of the Six Nations on the other. The United States of America give peace to the Senecas, Mohawks, Onondagas and Cayugas, and receive them into their protection upon the following Conditions: Article 1st. Six Hostages shall be immediately delivered to the commissioners by the said Nations, to remain in possession of the United States, till all the prisoners, white and black, which were taken by the said Senecas, Mohawks, Onondagas and Cayugas, or by any of them in the late war, from among the people of the United States, shall be delivered up. Art. 2d. The Oneida and Tuscarora Nations shall be secured in the possession
Page 424 | Page image
of the lands on which they are settled. Art. 3d. A line shall be drawn, beginning at the mouth of a creek about 4 miles east of Niagara, called Oyonwayea or Johnson's landing place, upon the lake named by the Indians Oswego, and by us Ontario, from thence southerly in a direction always four miles east of the carrying path, between lake Erie and Ontario, to the mouth of Tehoseroron or Buffaloe creek on lake Erie, thence south to the north boundary of the State of Pennsylvania, thence west to the end of the said north boundary, thence south along the west boundary of the said State, to the River Ohio, the said line from the mouth of the Oyonwayea to the Ohio, shall be the western boundary of the lands of the Six Nations, so that the Six Nations shall and do yield to the United States all claims to the country west of the said boundary, and then they shall be secured in the peaceful possession of the lands they inhabit east and north of the same, reserving only six miles square round the fort of Oswego, to the United States, for the support of the same. Art. 4th. The Commissioners of the United States, in consideration of the present circumstances of the Six Nations, and in execution of the humane and liberal views of the United States upon the signing of the above articles, will order goods to be delivered to the said Six Nations for their use and comfort."
And a copy of the treaty entered into by the said Commissioners with the Sachems and Warriors of the Wyandot, Delaware, Chippawas, and Ottawas Indians at fort McIntosh, on the 21st day of January, 1785, in the words following:
Articles of a treaty concluded at fort Mcintosh, the 21st day of January, 1785, between the Commissioners plenipotentiary of the United States of America, of the one part, and Sachems and Warriors of the Wiandot, Delaware, Chippawa and Ottawa Nations, of the other. The Commissioners plenipotentiary of the United States in Congress assembled, give peace to the Wiandot, Delaware, Chippawa and Ottawa Nations of Indians, on the following conditions; Article 1st. Three chiefs, one from among the Wiandot, and two [from among the Delaware, Nations, shall be delivered up to the Commissioners of the United States, to be by them retained till all the prisoners, white and black, taken by the said nations or any of them, shall be restored. Article 2d. The said Indian Nations do acknowledge themselves and all their tribes to be under the protection of the United
Page 425 | Page image
States, and of no other Sovereign whatsoever. Article 3d. The boundary line between the United States and the Wiandot and Delaware Nations, shall begin at the mouth of the river Cayahoga, and run thence up the said river to the portage, between that and the Tuscarawas branch of Meskingum; then down the said branch to the forks at the crossing place above fort Lawrence; then westerly to the portage of the Big Miame, which runs into the Ohio, at the mouth of which branch the fort stood, which was taken by the French in 1752, then along the said portage to the Great Miame, or Ome river, and down the southeast side of the same to its mouth, thence along the south shore of lake Erie, to the mouth of Cayahoga where it began. Article 4th. The United States allot all the lands contained within the said lines to the Wiandot and Delaware Nations, to live and to hunt on, and to such of the Ottawa Nation as now live thereon; saving and reserving for the establishment of trading posts, six miles square at the mouth of Miame or Ome river, and the same at the portage on that branch of the Big Miame, which runs into the Ohio, and the same on the lake of Sanduske, where the fort formerly stood, and also two miles square on each side of the lower rapids of Sanduske river, which posts and the lands annexed to them, shall be to the use and under the government of the United States. Article 5th. If any citizen of the United States or other person not being an Indian, shall attempt to settle on any of the lands allotted to the Wiandot and Delaware Nations in this treaty, except on the lands reserved to the United States in the preceding Article, such person shall forfeit the protection of the United States, and the Indians may punish him as they please. Article 6th. The Indians, who sign this treaty, as well in behalf of all their tribes as of themselves, do acknowledge the lands East, South and West of the lines described in the third article, so far as the said Indians formerly claimed the same, to belong to the United States; and none of their tribes shall presume to settle upon the same, or any part of it. Article 7th. The post of Detroit, with a district beginning at the mouth of the river Rosine, on the west end of lake Erie, and running west six miles up the southern bank of the said river, thence northerly and always six miles west of the strait, till it strikes the lake St. Clair, shall be also reserved to the sole use of the United States. Article 8th. In the same manner the post of Michillimackinac with its dependencies, and 12 miles square about the same, shall be reserved to the use of the United States. Article 9th. If any Indian or Indians, shall commit a
Page 426 | Page image
robbery or murder on any citizen of the United States, the tribe to which such offenders may belong, shall be bound to deliver them up at the nearest post, to be punished according to the ordinances of the United States. Article 10th. The Commissioners of the United States in pursuance of the humane and liberal views of Congress, upon this treaty's being signed, will direct goods to be distributed among the different tribes for their use and comfort. Separate Article. It is agreed that the Delaware chiefs Kelelamand or Colonel Henry, Hengue, Pushees, or the Big Cat, Wicocalind, or Captain White Eyes, who took up the hatchet for the United States, and their families, shall be received into the Delaware nation, in the same situation and rank as before the war, and enjoy their due portions of the lands given to the Wiandot and Delaware Nations, in this treaty, as fully as if they had not taken part with America, or as any other person or persons in the said Nations;"
Be published and transmitted to the executives of the several states; and that it be declared, [that no purchases, which have been or hereafter may be made from the Indians, at any treaties held or to be held with them, of their right to soil within the limits of any state, can, ought or shall be considered as interfering with the right of any such state to the jurisdiction or soil].1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Charles Pinckney, with the words bracketed in the writing of Melancton Smith, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 1. The indorsement states: "Motion of Mr. [Charles] Pinckney and Mr. [Abiel] Foster and of Mr. [John] Lawrence and Mr. [Melancton] Smith consolidated by consent. Mr. [Charles] Pinckney and Mr. [John] Lawrance consenting to stand movers of the consolidated Motion which was moved by Mr. [William] Houstoun to be committed June 3, 1785."]
A motion was made by Mr. [William] Houstoun, seconded by Mr. [William] Ellery, that the foregoing motion be committed; and when the question was about to be put, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Charles] Pinckney, the determination thereof was postponed to next day by the State of Georgia.
Board of Treasury, June 3d. 1785.
Sir: We do ourselves the honor of transmitting to Congress a letter received by yesterdays Post, from the Treasurer of the United
Page 427 | Page image
States at Phila.--We are constrained to observe, that this Board cannot comply with the ordinance of Congress relative to the Payment of Public monies, whilst the Treasurer is at Phila. From unavoidable necessity we have hitherto been obliged to enter into the detail of payments and do the duty of the Treasurer.--We therefore must request Congress to relieve us from a situation disagreable to ourselves and incompatible with the nature of our Office, by appointing some proper character to do the duty of the Treasurer's Department till he can remove his office from Philadelphia to this City.--1
[Note 1: 1 This letter, signed by Samuel Osgood and Walter Livingston, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 140, II, folio 5, According to the indorsement it was read this day and referred to Mr. [Charles] Pettit, Mr. [Samuel] Holten and Mr. [Rufus] King.
On this day, according to indorsement, was read a report from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, pointing out the mode of delivering a letter from the King of Prance, by the Chargé d'Affaires of that Nation. It was referred back to the Secretary to take order. Jay's letter is in No. 80, I, folio 209, and was entered, with the order referring it back to him, in Resolve Book No. 123, by Benjamin Bankson.
Also, on this day, according to Committee Book No. 191, the committee report on the petition of Thomas Walcott was recommitted. Committee Book No. 190 gives this committee of recommitment as Mr. [John] Lawrance, Mr. [William] Ellery and Mr. [Abiel] Foster and shows that the report on Henry Purcell's memorial was also referred to this committee. See ante, June 1, and post, July 8.
Also, according to Committee Book No. 190, Seth John Cuthbert was nominated by Mr. [William] Houstoun for Commissioner of the Board of Treasury.]
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |