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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 --MONDAY, JULY 11, 1785.
Congress assembled. Present, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia; and from the State of Connecticut, Mr. [William Samuel] Johnson; from New York, Mr. [John] Lansing; from New Jersey, Mr. [Samuel] Dick; from Delaware, Mr. [John] Vining, and from Maryland, Mr. [William] Hindman.
On motion of the delegates for Rhode Island,
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The Delegates of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, beg leave to represent to Congress, that the said State in General Assembly June Session A. D. 1785 came to the following resolution
"Whereas there is a large account between Thomas Greene Esqr. late deputy Quarter Master General and Commissary of Military Stores and the United States which cannot be settled by the Commissioner of Accounts appointed for this State for want of the proper vouchers; and as it is well known that the said accounts were examined by a Committee appointed by General Gates, at which tune the vouchers belonging to said accounts were exhibited but cannot be now found, whereby many of the inhabitants of this State are kept out of their just dues.
Wherefore it is voted and resolved that the Honorable William Ellery and David Howell Esqrs. make immediate application to the Honorable the Continental Congress requesting that a special resolution be passed empowering the aforesaid Commissioner to settle the said accounts on the best evidence that can now be obtained."
And in obeydience to said instruction the Delegates of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations submit the following motion.
Resolved, That the Commissioner, for settling the accounts of the United States with the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, be directed to settle the accounts of Thomas Greene, esqr. late deputy quarter master general and commissary of military stores, with the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of a clerk, which is indorsed "A Copy from the Original which is sent to the Board of Treasury," is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 57.]
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [William] Ellery, Mr. [James] Monroe, Mr. [Jacob] Read and Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight, to whom was referred the last paragraph of a report on Canadian applicants, touching the continuance of Rations,
Resolved, That the subsistence continued by the resolution of the 9th of August, 1783, to the officers of the Regiment lately commanded by brigadier general Hazen, be discontinued to those above the grade of Captain; that it be continued
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to those of and below that grade, who were inhabitants of Canada at the commencement of the late war; and that rations be continued to all Canadian refugees, men, women and children, to the first day of June next, and no longer.1
[Note 1: 1 See ante, May 2 and June 7.
On this day, according to indorsements, were read two letters of July 4 from Roger Alden accepting the appointment of Deputy Secretary to Congress. They are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, I, folios 465 and 469.
On this day, according to indorsement, was read the report of the Grand Committee on the requisition for 1785 and Monday, July 18, assigned for its consideration. It is spread upon the Journal on that date. The report read this day was, apparently, the report on the recommitted (June 13) report of April 14 and is in the form of a printed broadside in No. 31, folio 255. indorsed by Thomson, but with manuscript notations thereon by Rufus King.]
Office For Foreign Affairs,
July 8th. 1785.
The Secretary of the United States for the Department of foreign affairs to whom was referred a Motion of the Honorable Mr. Williamson of 9th. February last, that your Secretary should enquire into a Report concerning the commercial Agent at the Havanna being concerned in Attempts to smuggle Goods into that Port--Reports.
That not being sooner able to obtain authentic Information on the Subject, he found it necessary to postpone making a Report on that Motion till now.
That on applying for Intelligence respecting this Matter to the Spanish Encargado de Negocios, he says--that he has no official Information about it but that it was said at the Havanna that--on unloading a Cargo said to be Flour, from a Vessel in which the Agent either came himself as Supercargo, or which was consigned to him--the Casks were place on the Wharf and that on removing them from thence to a Store-House, one of the Casks giving way it appeared to contain contraband Goods. That this Circumstance made much Noise and that the Intendant was obliged to take Notice of it. Whether the Agent was privy to that Attempt to smuggle Goods into that Port; is a Question not decided.
Your Secretary further Reports that he has seen the Agent, and conversed with him on the Subject of the Motion in Question. He possitively denies the Charge and in Proof of his Innocence produced two original Papers from General Galvez with Translations of them
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by Peter Stephen du Ponceau a Notary Public at Philadelphia and certified under his notarial Seal the 17th. June last--of both these Papers and their Translations Copies are hereunto subjoined--one of them is a Letter from the General to his Uncle the Minister dated 30 April 1785 introducing and recommending Mr. Pollock to him--the other is a Certificate of the good Conduct of Mr. Pollock, signed by the General, and dated the 1st. May last.
All which is submitted to the Wisdom of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 81, I, folio 309. Copies of the enclosures are on folios 312--316. According to indorsement, the report and its accompanying papers were read July 11.
July 11: The following committees were appointed:
Of the Week. Mr. [Abraham] Baldwin, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry and Mr. [Pierse] Long.
Mr. [David] Howell, Mr. [Pierse] Long and Mr. [Charles] Pettit, Mr. [Rufus] King and Mr. [James] Monroe "To revise the regulations of the treasury department and report an Ordinance for its future regulation." A report was rendered August 29. See ante, May 30.
Committee Book No. 190.]
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