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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, JULY 12, 1785.
Congress assembled. Present, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia; and from Connecticut, Mr. [William Samuel] Johnson; from New Jersey, Mr. [Samuel] Dick, and from Delaware, Mr. [John] Vining.
A motion was made by Mr. [Rufus] King, seconded by Mr. [James] Monroe,
That the resolution passed yesterday, empowering the Commissioner for settling the Accounts of the State of Rhode Island with the United States, to settle the accounts of Thomas Greene, be repealed.
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And On the question for repealing, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [David] Howell,
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So it was resolved that the resolution be repealed.
On motion of
Ordered That the board of treasury revise the system adopted for the settlement of the Accounts of the five great to be transferred to the Comee. book department and report such alterations therein or such other mode in their Opinion may be more conducive to a speedy and just settlement of the said Accounts and that the motion of the delegates for the State of Rhode island respecting the settlement of T. Greene's accounts be referred to the board of treasury.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph is entered, verbatim, by Thomson, in Committee Book No. 190, which notes that the report on the settlement of accounts was rendered January 17, 1786. See post, January 13, 1786.]
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In pursuance of the order of the 30 of June, the Postmaster general reported the terms on which Contracts will be entered into, for the transportation of the mails in stage carriages.
Office For Foreign Affairs,
8th. July, 1785.
The Secretary of the United States for the Department of foreign Affairs to whom was referred the Letter of 27th. September last from the King of Spain, Reports--
That in his Opinion an answer of the following Tenor should be written to his Catholic Majesty and sent to the American Chargé des Affaires at his Court to be delivered, Vizt.
Great and well beloved Friend:
With great Satisfaction we recd your Majesty's letter of the 27th. September last which was presented to us by Don Diego de Gardoqui your Encargado de Negocios on the 2d July.
We consider his Arrival here in that Character as a Proof of your Majestys friendly Disposition towards us; and we received him in a Manner which was dictated by the same Disposition in us towards your Majesty.
Permit us to assure you that we entertain the most sincere Wishes for your Majesty's Health and Happiness, and that our best Endeavours shall not be wanting to ensure and perpetuate to both Countries the Blessings of Concord, mutual Friendship and good Neighbourhood.
We pray God! great and well beloved Friend to preserve you in his holy keeping.
By us the United States in Congress Assembled at the City of New York the 15 Augt. one thousand seven hundred and eighty five. Your Majesty's good Friends.
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 305. According to indorsement it was read July 12, and on August 15 referred back to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs to take order.]
General Post Office,
New York, July 9th. 1785.
Sir: In Obedience to the Act of Congress dated June 30th. 1785, I have made the Enquiry therein directed; and having received the Proposals from the Proprietors of the Stages, now beg Leave to lay them before the United States in Congress assembled.
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Knowing that there was a Competition between the Stages on the Road from this City to Philadelphia, I hoped to take the Advantage of that Circumstance, and get the Business done upon much lower Terms; and for this Purpose sent the letter No. 1 to the Proprietors of each; but, it seems, a Coalition has been formed, whereby this Intention is frustrated.
No. 2 contains the Proposals for carrying the Mail between Boston, Albany, and this City;--No. 3, between this City and Philadelphia, and No. 4 between Philadelphia and Petersburg, or Norfolk, in Virginia; beyond which I do not find that any Stages are established. As these are the only Proposals which have been received, or may be expected, they contain "the best Terms upon which Contracts may be entered into for the Transportation of the several Mails in the Stage Carriages;" and, therefore, though they contain also the worst, it has become my Duty to report them.
I have the Honor to be, very respectfully Your Excellency's most obedient and very humble Servant.
Eben. Hazard.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 61, folio 357. According to indorsement it was read this day and Friday 15th assigned; debated on 15th and Tuesday 19th assigned. See post, September 7.]
General Post Office, July 11th. 1785.
Sir, Since I had the honor of addressing to your Excellency the Report which accompanies this, it has occurred to me that Congress will be unable to determine upon the Expediency or Inexpediency of sending the Mails by Stage for want of that Information which an intimate Acquaintance with Post Office Business alone can furnish and therefore shall take the Liberty of making some Remarks upon the Proposals handed in.
Considering that the Proprietors of the Stages will be put to no additional Expence, or at most a very trifling one, their Demands appears to me to be exorbitant, although, in some Instances, they will carry the Mails for less than it now costs.
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Pr. Ann. nor would the Mail be carried more expeditiously than it now is.
His Proposal for the Transportation of the Mails from this City to Albany is worthy of Attention as we shall both save Money by it, and receive Mails from that Quarter more frequently than at present if he can accomplish his Plan, which, he will engage to do.
Between Philadelphia and this City Money will be saved in the Carriage of the Mail, and we shall receive as many Mails in the Week upon Mr. Ogdens' Plan (No. 3) as we now do; but the letters will be longer on the Road, even in Summer; and much longer in the Winter; which may be very prejudicial to the mercantile Interest, from whence the Post Office Establishment derives its principal Support. Should a Change upon this part of the Road be adopted, all the Hurry of the Business at Philadelphia, and Part of that at New York, the chief Offices in the States, must be at Night; which will be extremely inconvenient; for, as all the Counting houses and Stores will then be shut, the Merchants will have no Opportunity of transacting the Business which their Letters may render necessary, so as [to] answer their Correspondents by Return of Stage, but must wait for the next, which will, in many Cases very materially injure them. The People in the Post Offices, fatigued with the Confinement and Business of the day will be very apt to make Mistakes, however careful and attentive they may be; and the Confinement will be so constant that no Constitution will be able to bear it.
It is true this might be guarded against by allowing them additional Assistance; but then this will encrease the Expence to the Public; and the Expence of extraordinary Firewood and Candles must be superadded; so that I think it will be doubtful, whether, upon the whole, there would be any Thing saved by sending the Mail by Stage on this Road, and the Inconvenience to the Merchants arising from the unsuitable Time of the Mail's Arrival and Departure as well as its being longer on the Road will be certain and inevitable. I am therefore of Opinion that it will be both inexpedient and impolitic to make a Change here, more especially as the present Arrangement is universally satisfactory.
Upon Mr. Twining's plan (No. 4) we shall have two mails from Petersburgh, and one from Baltimore weekly, more than we have at present, and the Expence will be upwards of Four hundred Pounds Pr. Annum more than it now is; this will, probably, be counterbalanced
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by the additional Number of Letters thrown into the Office, which are now carried by Mr. Twining's Stage, and for Pay too, but in such a way as to elude the Ordinance of Congress, and guard against the Consequences of a Prosecution. It must be remarked here, that if Mr. Twining's Proposals are agreed to, a cross Post must be maintained between Baltimore and Annapolis or the Capital of Maryland will be left out of the Line of Communication. The Expence of this Post cannot be very great, and as Mr. Twining does not appear to insist upon the Stages arriving at any capital Office at Night, the Inconvenience arising from transacting Business at unseasonable Hours may be avoided.
Mr. Twining has just handed me another Proposal (No. 5.) for carrying the Mail from Petersburg to Savanna; but it seems to me to be done more for the Sake of proposing than any Thing else.
Upon the whole, Sir, I am of Opinion that if the Stages can perform according to the Contracts proposed, they may be advantageously employed on the Roads from New York to Albany, and from Philadelphia to Petersburg, but on no other. And here I beg Leave to submit it to your Excellency whether it may not be expedient, and indeed necessary for Congress to recommend to the several States to pass Laws absolutely prohibiting the Carriage of any Letters by Stages on any Post Road now or hereafter to be established, unless such Stages shall be in the service of the General Post Office; and also, refusing to admit to an Entry at the Custom House, any Vessel which may bring letters--either from beyond Sea, or Coastwise, unless the Master or some person for him, shall produce a Certificate from the Post Master General's Deputy at the Port of Arrival (if a Post Office is established at such Port) that the Letters brought by such Vessel have been delivered into the Post Office.
A Communication, by Post, with the Province of Quebec, has been some time in Contemplation; and the British Postmaster General there is ready to concur in such an Establishment. It appears to be an important Object on Account of the Furr Trade and the Letters which pass to and from Europe by the Packets; but as the Ordinance for regulating the Post Office now stands the Postmaster General is not at Liberty to agree to it. I beg Leave to recommend it to the Attention of Congress; and, at the same Time to submit to their Consideration the Terms of a Contract (No. 6) for conveying the Mail
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from Albany to St. John's, proposed by Col. Udny Hay, the Proprietor of the Ferries upon the Lakes, and the carrying Place between them, of whose Attention to Business and Punctuality and Dispatch in executing it, I have had flattering Accounts.
A Post to Fort Pitt is also wanted; and although the Postage would not, perhaps for some Time, defray the Expence necessarily attending the Establishment, Advantages, too obvious to need a Recital, would more than counterbalance the Deficiency.
The Feelings of Humanity concur with the Dictates of Justice in urging me to request that the Case of the Postriders on the Roads where the Stages may be employed, who will be deranged thereby, may not be forgotten. It has always been customary, except in Cases of very singular Misconduct, to give the Riders three Months' Notice of an intended Discharge, that they might have an Opportunity of providing some other Employment; those now in the service have a Claim to Attention, as poor honest Men, who have faithfully done their Duty; if Stages are immediately employed, these Men will not experience as much Lenity as those who are thought unworthy to be continued in the Service; but will be suddenly discharged, and besides being thrown out of Business will be encumbered with the Maintenance of their Horses, or must sell them at a considerable Loss. I have the Honor to be, Your Excellency's most obedient and very humble Servant.
Eben. Hazard.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 61, folio 361. According to indorsement it was read this day. See post, September 7.]
[Motion of Mr David Howell]
That the Board of Treasury be and they are hereby authorized and directed to give orders to the Commissioners for settling the accounts of the great departments to remove their offices from time to time to such places in the several States as in their opinion may be most convenient for settling the accounts of each of their respective departments the resolution of the day notwithstanding, and that they require from them monthly returns of the certificates issued by them and their other proceedings respectively. That the Board of Treasury be directed to revise the System adopted for the settlement of the accounts of the 5 great departments and to report such alterations
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therein or such other mode as in their opinion may be more conducive to a speedy and just settlement of said accounts.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of David Howell, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 59. The indorsement states that it was passed this day. According to Despatch Book No. 185, the Board of Treasury reported January 13, 1786.]
Board of Treasury,
New York, July 11th., 1785.
The Board of Treasury to whom was referred the petition of Jacobus Van Schoonhoven beg leave to report.
That Congress by their resolves of the 10th. May, 1780, have made effectual provision for remedying the loss of certificates destroyed by accident.
That it does not appear by the certificate of the Loan Officers of the State of New York that the Memorialist has complied with those stipulations which by the aforesaid Act of Congress are necessary to be performed before the Board of Treasury can take cognizance of the premises.
The Board therefore submit to the consideration of Congress the following resolve
That whenever Jacobus Van Schoonhoven shall produce to the Board of Treasury the proofs required by the resolves of Congress of the 10th. May, 1780, in the case of Loan Office Certificates destroyed by accident he will be entitled to the remedy provided in the aforesaid resolve.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, signed by Samuel Osgood and Walter Livingston, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 138, II, folio 301. According to the indorsement it was read this day and on August 19 ordered to be filed. Schoonhoven's petition dated June 26 is in No. 42, VIII, 89.]
The committee [Mr. Rufus King, Mr. William Samuel Johnson and Mr. John Beatty] to whom was referred a letter from Mr. S. Sayre of the 16th of May together with a report of the secretary of foreign affairs report.
That they have conferred with Mr Sayre, and are entirely satisfied with the report of the secretary of foreign affairs on this subject. Mr Sayre stated to the committee the q of obtaining any information from the commissioners concerning the fact alluded to in the report of the secretary, and relies upon the justice of Congress for an immediate reimbursement of his expences and a reasonable compensation for his services for the five months during which he
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remained at Berlin after Mr A. Lee left that court for the purposes of such reimbursement and compensation, the committee submit the following Resolution.
Resolved, That the board of Treasury take order to pay to Mr Stephen Sayredollars in full for his services and expences during his residence at Berlin after the departure of A. Lee, esquire.
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Rufus King, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, V, folio 291. The indorsement states that it was read on this day. Committee Book No. 191 states that the report was filed. See ante, May 17.]
The Committee of the week [Mr. James Wilson, Mr. David Howell and Mr. Charles Pinckney] to whom was referred a letter signed L'Eglize offering information touching the claims of Canadian refugees report that said letter be referred to the commissioner for settling the accounts of the State of New York.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of David Howell, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, III, folio 61. The indorsement states that it was passed this day. Committee Book No. 190 notes that the New York Commissioner was directed to examine the claims of Canadians.
On this day, as the indorsement indicates, was read a memorial of William Thompson on the obstructions in the way of prosecuting Roger Wolcott who was concerned in counterfeit certificates. It was referred to the Board of Treasury to ascertain the facts and report thereon. It is in No. 41, X, folio 209. Committee Book No. 190 says a report was made August 25 and Committee Book No. 191 says the report was transferred.
Also a petition of John Taylor Gilman, praying compensation to his father, Loan Officer in New Hampshire, which was referred to the Board of Treasury to report. It is in No. 42, III, folio 268, Committee Book No. 191 says that the report was made August 16 and filed.]
The Committee consisting of Mr [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [William] Ellery and Mr. [James] Wilson, to whom was referred a petition and sundry papers of Mr Oliver Pollock, late agent of the United States at the Havannah, submit the following report:
That by a certificate from the register's office, and by the translation of a letter of the 27th. of April, 1785, from General Galvez, to Mr. Pollock, it appears that there is due to the latter, seventy four thousand and eighty seven dollars, which General Galvez, formerly
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Governor of the Havannah, and now viceroy of Mexico, understands to be a debt contracted by the United States; and there is also due to Mr Pollock, the further sum of nine thousand six hundred and six 55/90 dollars, for interest of the said debt.
That by the translation of a certificate from Don Lewis Serrano, notary, &c of his Catholic Majesty, in the Havannah, it appears that Mr. Pollock has bound himself to pay the aforesaid sum of 74,087 dollars to seignior commissario ordinador Don Diego Gardoqui, plenipotentiary of his Catholic Majesty to the United States, on his arrival in America, together with other additional sums, to a considerable amount, whereupon
Resolved, That the debt of 74,087. dollars, due to Mr. Oliver Pollock, be discharged as soon as the State of the treasury will admit thereof; and that Mr. Pollock be required previously to produce from Don Diego Gardoqui a certificate indemnifying the United States from any future demands on account of the said debt.
Resolved, That the Board of treasury be directed to pay the interest of the said debt, amounting to 9,606 55/90 Dollars, to Mr. Pollock without delay.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, V, folio 199; a printed copy is in No. 50, folio 15. The indorsement states that it was read this day and Tuesday July 19 assigned for its consideration. Committee Book No. 191 states that the report was transferred.
Also, according to the indorsement, was read a letter from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs on a letter from Mr. Thomas Barclay of April 17 requesting permission to return to America and also reminding Congress of a similar request from Mr. John M. Pintard, February 25. The matter was referred back to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs to report, which he did, according to Committee Book No. 190, on July 13. Jay's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 80, I, folio 293. See post, July 14.
Also, according to Committee Book No. 190, the committee of July 5 on the letter of Hawkins, Pickens and Martin were this day discharged.]
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