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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 --TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1785.
Congress assembled. Present as yesterday.
A motion being before the house, That the Salary of the Secretary for the war department shall be 3000 dollars per Annum.
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Charles] Pinckney,
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So the question was lost.
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It was then moved, that the Salary of the Secretary at war be two thousand five hundred dollars per Annum.
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Holten,
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So the question was lost.
Congress proceeded to the election of a Secretary to the legation to the court of Great Britain, and, the ballots being taken, Col. William Smith was elected, having been previously nominated by Mr. [James] McHenry.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph was also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs: and in Secret Journal No. 4, A copy is in Secret Journal No, 6, Vol. III.]
On the report of a comee., consisting of Mr. [Jacob] Read, Mr. [Hugh] Williamson and Mr. [Samuel] Holten, to whom was referred a Memorial and petition of Henry Laurens, Esqr. in behalf of Frances Eleanor Laurens, the orphan daughter of John Laurens, esqr. deceased, late a lieut: col. in the army of the United States, and sometime since commissioned by Congress special Minister to the Court of France;
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Resolved, That the accounts of the late lieut. colonel John Laurens, be settled according to the rank he held in the army of the United States, to the time of his death.
Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is recommended to the State of South Carolina, to allow the half pay of a lieut. col., to the orphan child of the late lieut: colonel J. Laurens, for the term of seven years, and pass the same to the account of the United States, according to the act of the 24 August, 1780.
Resolved, That in settling the accounts of the late lieut. col. J. Laurens, as special Minister to the court of Versailles, he be allowed the same pay that was given at that period to the Ministers plenipotentiary of the United States at foreign courts, from the time of his appointment to that Embassy, until his return, and that the balance remaining due for his services as Minister, be paid to his representatives.1
[Note 1: 1 On this day, according to Committee Book No. 190, Col. William S. Smith was elected a commissioner to repair to Kaskaskies and Illinois. See ante, February 28.
On this day, as the indorsement states, was read a memorial of Thomas Wylie and John Jordan and referred to the Commissioners for settling the accounts of the army to report. On August 9, 1785, the report of the commissioners was referred to Mr. [William] Grayson, Mr. [Samuel] Hardy and Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry. The memorial is in No. 41, X, folio 669. Committee Book No. 190 shows that the report of the committee was filed.
Also a petition of Ephraim Darby, for appointment as surveyor, which is in No, 42, II, folio 317,]
The Committee [consisting of Mr. David Howell, Mr. Richard Dobbs Spaight and Mr. R. R. Livingston] to whom was recommitted a report on a Letter from Mrr. Arthur Lee dated March 10, 1784, requesting compensation for his services and expences, as corresponding Agent in London, beg leave to submit the following report.
Your Committee find that Mr Arthur Lee being Agent for one or more of the Colonies at the Court of G. 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 Nov., 1775, he was by a Committee of Congress for Foreign Correspondence appointed a corresponding Agent in London, that he faithfully executed that trust, 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,
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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 U. States at the Court of France in October, 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, and that he has exhibited to your Committee an account of extra expenses amounting to one hundred and forty-five pounds Sterling, £145..0..0 Stg. which your Committee are of opinion should be allowed, and that he be allowed for his services and ordinary expenses as corresponding Agent from Nov., 1775, to Octo. 1776, the Sum ofand that deducting the Sum of two hundred pounds paid by the Committee there remains due to Mr Lee the Sum of
Whereupon your Committee recommend to Congress the following resolution,
Resolved, That the Hon. Arthur Lee Esquire be allowed the Sum of £445 Sterling in addition to the Sum of two hundred pounds Sterling which he received of the Committee of Foreign correspondence in full compensation for his services and expences as corresponding Agent in London for the U. States previous to his appointment as one of their commissioners at the Court of Versailles in October, 1776.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of David Howell, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 515. According to Committee Book No. 191 it was acted on March 4.
March 1: The following committees were appointed:
Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, Mr. [John] Beatty and Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, on a report on a letter from Mr. R. R. Livingston as to money in his hands and expenses in his office. Report was rendered March 7.
Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [James] Monroe and Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, on a motion made this day for transmitting to Loan Officers lists of the final settlements of the army "to detect frauds in the negotiation of the certificates"; and that the Loan Officers pay the interest. Report was rendered March 4.
Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight, Mr. [James] Monroe and Mr. [Rufus] King, on the petition of Col. Silas Talbot for half pay or commutation. Report was rendered March 7. Talbot's petition is in 42, VII, folio 467.
Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, Mr. [Jacob] Read and Mr. R. R. Livingston, on "Motions for adjourning from tuesday to thursday and for assigning particular days to part. subjects." The committee was discharged August 8.
Committee Book No. 190.
Also, John Adams' letter of June 22, 1784, respecting a circular letter to the sovereigns of Europe, was this day referred to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, who reported March 4.]
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