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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, OCTOBER 12, 1785.
Congress assembled. Present, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia; and from the state of New Hampshire, Mr. [Pierse] Long; from Delaware, Mr. [John] Vining; from Maryland, Mr. [William] Hindman, and from North Carolina, Mr. [William] Cumming.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Rufus] King, Mr. [Jacob] Read and Mr. [David] Howell, to whom was referred a letter of 24 September, from R. Butler, esqr.
Resolved, That the company of infantry, detached by the secretary at war, in pursuance of the resolution of the 29 of June last, to attend the treaty with the western Indians, to be held at the Mouth of the Great Miami, be, from and after the conclusion of the said treaty, subject to the Orders of lieutenant colonel Harmar, who is hereby directed to post the said troops in such situations, as shall best promote the objects of his instructions, any thing in the resolution of the 29 of June to the contrary notwithstanding.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Rufus King, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 479. See ante, October 11.]
The delegates for Massachusetts and Virginia having withdrawn their motion of the 7th instant,
On Motion of the delegates of the said states,
Resolved, That a grand Committee be appointed to report what measures are proper for Congress to adopt, to prevent
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the ill consequences of a particular district in any State, setting up and claiming the right of independent government, without the consent of the said state and of the United States.
Ordered, That the said committee meet in the Congress chamber, on friday next, at 10 o'clock in the Morning.1
[Note 1: 1 According to Committee Book No. 190, the Grand Committee appointed was: Mr. [Pierse] Long, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [Joseph Platt] Cook, Mr. [John] Haring, Mr. [William Churchill] Houston, Mr. [David] Jackson, Mr. [John] Vining, Mr. [William] Hindman, Mr. [William] Grayson, Mr. [William] Cumming, Mr. [Jacob] Read and Mr. [William] Houstoun, and to it was referred the motion as above stated and also a motion of Mr. Howell, of which no record appears to have been retained. See post, October 13. On March 10, 1786, this committee was discharged "and business referred to another G: Comee."]
On motion of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [David] Howell,
Whereas it is indispensibly necessary, for the support of the federal government, that the states should supply their quotas of Money, for the purposes stated in the estimates of the subsisting requisitions of Congress. And whereas [certificates for] the interest arising on loan Office certificates, and other certificates of liquidated debts, previously to the last day of December, 1782, from the deficiencies of some of the states to comply with the requisition of the 4th September, 1782, and 27 and 28 of April, 1784, will, in pursuance of the requisition of the 27th of September, 1785, be issued by the commissioners of the continental loan Offices in such states; And whereas the extra certificates which the said commissioners may issue for the payment of the said interest, should be called in or redeemed by the deficient states, in Order to complete their respective quotas of the interest of the domestic debt, specified in the said requisitions of the 4 September, 1782, and 27 and 28 April, 1784.
Resolved, That the several States be earnestly called on, to compleat without delay, the whole of their quotas of the requisitions last mentioned, and that such of the states as
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may be deficient in paying their respective quotas of the interest of the domestic debt, pursuant to the said requisitions, be required to collect and pay into the public treasury, the amount of such deficiencies, either in certificates to be issued by the commissioners of the continental loan Offices, pursuant to the requisition of the 27th September, 1785, for the payment of the said interest, or in specie, to be applied to the redemption of such certificates; provided that the sum so to be paid into the treasury in interest certificates, as part of the requisition of the 27 and of 28th April, 1784, shall not at any time exceed the proportion of specie facilities to be paid into the treasury, specified agreeably to the requisition last mentioned.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 183. According to indorsement by Thomson it was made October 3, and Thursday, October 7, assigned for consideration. A printed copy is on folio 181 on which Thomson has indorsed: "Monday Oct. 10, 1785, Assigned for Consideration." The words in brackets were inserted by Congress and the words lined out so appear in the original motion and not in the Journal.]
Office For Foreign Affairs,
11th October, 1785.
The Secretary of the United States for the Department of foreign Affairs to whom was referred a Letter of 19th September last from the Honorable Doctr Franklin late Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Versailles, &c., Reports--
That as this Letter announces the Return of this Minister to this Country after a long Absence, during which he was concerned in very important and successful Negotiations, it affords a natural Occasion for Congress to take his Services, and the Manner most proper to express their Sense of them, into Consideration.
The Information that Captain Lamb, who was charged with Dispatches respecting the Morocco Business, and who might long ago have been expected in Europe, had not arrived; renders it expedient to forward Duplicates of those Dispatches without Delay.
The Paragraph which mentions that "the Court of France is concerned to find that our Credit is not better supported Agreed to. in the Payment of the interest Money due on our Loans &c." Should in the Opinion of your Secretary be referred to the Treasury Board.
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As to the Present made to Doctr Franklin by the King of Order taken France, concerning this. See letter of Secy. of Congress 4 March, 1786. France, your Secretary thinks a like Order should be taken in this Case, which was done in a similar one the 1st December, 1780.
The Doctor in a postcript to his Letter mentions his having transmitted all the original Treaties he had been concerned in negotiating that were compleated, by his late Secretary, this Gentleman who has been many years in that Capacity is his Grandson, of whom in his Letter to Congress of 12th. March 1781 and in others, he makes particular and honorable mention. The following is a list of the Papers which he delivered to your Secretary vizt.--
Original Treaties of Alliance, and of Amity and Commerce with his most Christian Majesty, and the Article separate and secret.
Ratifications of the foregoing Treaties, with the Seal of the last enclosed in a silver Box.
Declaration of the Count de Vergennes relative to the 11th) & 12th Articles on the Part of his most Christian Majesty.
Original Contracts of 16th. July, 1782. and 25th February, 1783, with their Ratifications.
Convention respecting Consuls.
Original tobacco Contract with the Farmer's General of France 17th November, 1781.
Powers to Count de Creutz, Ambassador of Sweden to form a Treaty with America.
Original Treaty with Sweden, and the Ratification of it by the King of Sweden, with the Seal enclosed in a silver Box.
Ratification of the provincial Articles by his Britannic Majesty with the Seal enclosed in a silver Box.
Original definitive Treaty (marked Duplicate) with its Ratification. and the Seal enclosed in a silver Box.
All which is Submitted to the Wisdom of Congress.
John Jay.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 81, I, folio 445. According to indorsement it was read this day.
Also, on this day, according to indorsement, was read a letter of October 11 from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs forwarding a copy of a letter from Comte de Vergennes to Benjamin Franklin on the departure of the latter from France. It is in No. 80, II, folio 21; the translation of Vergennes' letter is on folio 26,]
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