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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 --FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1785.
Congress assembled. Present, Massachusetts, Rhode land, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia; and from the state of New Hampshire, Mr. [Abiel] Foster; from New Jersey, Mr. [Lambert] Cadwallader, and from Delaware, Mr. [John] Vining.
A motion was made by Mr. [James] McHenry, seconded by Mr. [William] Hindman,
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That where any state has made advances or furnished supplies upon a continental account, said advances or supplies not being settled, liquidated or passed to the credit of the state, nor having been raised under any act of the state, in compliance with requisitions of Congress upon the states, the commissioners for settling accounts between the states and the citizens thereof, and the United States, are hereby authorized and directed, to settle and adjust the sums due for the said supplies or advances, agreeably to the principles established, or that may be established for their government, and thereupon issue a certificate or certificates to such person or persons as may be authorized by the state to receive the same, which certificate or certificates shall be entitled to the same interest and provision as other certificates of liquidated debts, due to individuals by the United States: provided that no part of the interest due thereon, be payable in or entitled to any of the advantages of the requisition that may be made for the year 1785.
A motion was made by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [Rufus] King, to postpone the consideration of the foregoing Motion, in Order to take into Consideration the following:
"That on thethe accounts of the several states with the United States, as far as they may then be liquidated, shall, by the respective Commissioners adjusting the said accounts, be reported to the board of treasury, who, on approbation of any such liquidation, shall order an entry thereof to be made in the books of the treasury, and the balance thereon to be struck, and on the 31 day of December in every succeeding year, the same mode shall be observed until those accounts are finally adjusted. That the balance thus annually ascertained to be due to any state, shall bear an interest of 6 per cent. per annum, which shall be included in the estimate of the next and of each succeeding requisition, and
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be discounted from the quota of such state for the respective year, and if a balance should be due to the United States from any state, it shall be charged with the interest thereof, over and above its quota of the said requisition; provided that nothing herein contained shall affect the resolutions of Congress of the 22d of November, 1777, and 6th of October, 1779, which are hereby confirmed, nor shall any state be allowed compound interest on any such adjustment."1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 89. See post, August 1.]
On the question to postpone for the purpose above mentioned, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Holten,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
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A motion being then made by Mr. [Jacob] Read, seconded by Mr. [Charles] Pinckney, to add a proviso to the motion before the house, as follows:
Provided also, that nothing in this resolve contained, shall be construed to authorize the commissioners for settling the accounts of individual states, or the citizens within any of them against the United States, the board of treasury, or any auditor or other officer of these states, to settle or liquidate any demand against the United States, for any sum or sums of continental bills of credit, emitted prior to the 18th of March, 1780, either in the hands of individual states respectively, or of their citizens, until the United States in Congress assembled, shall have given a particular decision at what rate the same shall be redeemed by the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in Thomson's handwriting, is entered on a separate slip of paper and wafered into the Journal.]
A motion was made by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [Rufus] King, to postpone the proviso moved by Mr. [Jacob] Read, to take up the following:
Provided that claims for continental bills emitted before the 18 March, 1780, other than those for the payments of such bills made on the quotas of any state, pursuant to any resolutions of Congress, shall not come within the purview of this resolution, but such claims shall stand on their present foundation.
A motion was made by Mr. [Charles] Pettit, seconded by Mr. [David] Howell, to strike out the words, "but such claims shall stand on their present foundation."
And on the question, shall those words stand? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Jacob] Read,
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So the question was lost, and the words were struck out.
The members from Massachusetts then withdrew their motion, and the members from South Carolina having adopted and renewed the proviso as amended, on the question to amend the motion before the house, by adding the proviso as amended, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [David] Howell,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The motion being further amended to read as follows:
That on the 31st day of December, 1786, the accounts of the several States with the United States, as far as they may then be liquidated, shall, by the respective Commissioners adjusting the said accounts, be reported to the Board of Treasury, who shall order an entry to be made in the books of the Treasury of such liquidation, and the balance thereon to be struck. And on the 31st day of December in every succeeding Year, the same mode shall be observed until those accounts are finally adjusted. That the balance thus annually ascertained to be due to any State, shall bear an Interest of 6 per Cent. per Annum. Which Interest shall be included in the estimate of the next, and of each succeeding requisition, and be discounted from the quota of such State for the respective Year. And if a balance should be due to the United States from any State, it shall be charged with the Interest thereof, over and above its quota of the said requisition. Provided that nothing herein contained shall affect the resolutions of Congress of the 22d of November, 1777, and the 6th of October, 1779, which are hereby confirmed, nor shall any State be allowed compound Interest on
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any such adjustment. [Provided also, that claims for continental Bills emitted before the 18th of March, 1780, Other than those for the payments made of such bills on the quotas of any State, pursuant to any resolutions of Congress, shall not come within the purview of this resolution.]1
[Note 1: 1 This amendment, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 91. It is entered in the Journal by Roger Alden.]
The determination of the question on this motion was postponed by the state of Massachusetts.2
[Note 2: 2 On this day, as the indorsement states, was read a memorial from Nathaniel Irish requesting certain emoluments due him as a captain of artillery. It was referred to the Secretary at War to report. He reported August 3. The memorial is in No. 41, IV, folio 497.]
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