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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, MARCH 29, 1786.
Congress assembled. Present, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina.
On a report of the board of treasury, to whom was referred a memorial of John Clarke, late an Auditor in the main army,
Resolved, That the claim of John Clarke, late an Auditor in the main army, for a further compensation for his services, whilst acting in that Office, is inadmissible.
On a report of the board of treasury, to whom was referred a Memorial of Giles Wolcott, praying payment of a certain sum, said to be received by him for the recruiting service, on the 3 January, 1777, and lost on the evacuation of Ticonderoga,
Resolved, That the matters stated in the memorial of Giles Wolcott, not being supported by proper evidence, the said memorial be dismissed.
[Motion of James Monroe]
Ordered, That the late dispatches from the Hnble Mr. Adams be referr'd to the Secretary for foreign affairs to report, and that he be instructed to report particularly upon the propriety of instructions to the sd. minister, to protract his negotiations with the court of G. Britain respecting the posts which shod. have been before this surrender'd to the U.S. by the late treaty, and other infractions of the sd. treaty by that power, so as to avoid demanding a catagorical answer respecting the same until the further order of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of James Monroe, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 81, II, folio 83. Thomson has dated it and written the word "Ordered" in front of Monroe's text. It is entered, by Roger Alden, in Secret Journal, Foreign and Domestic, No. 4, and by Benjamin Bankson in Secret Journal, Foreign, No. 5. A copy, signed by Thomson, is in Secret Journal, No. 6. See post, March 31.]
Office for Foreign Affairs,
29th March, 1786.
The Secretary of the United States for the Department of foreign Affairs to whom was referred his Report of 21st: February last on the
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proposed Convention between the Post Offices of the United States and France, Reports:
That in his Opinion the following Form of such a Convention would be proper vizt.
Plan of a Convention between the Post Office of France and that of the United States of America for regulating their mutual Intercourse and correspondence.
His most Christian Majesty having authorizedthe Director of the Post Office of France, and the United States having authorized Ebenezer Hazard Esquire their Post Master General, to form and conclude such Convention, they have accordingly agreed upon the following Articles viz:--
1.
There shall be maintained on both sides a good, constant and mutual correspondence for the Transmission, Reception, and Distribution of Letters, Dispatches and Packets.
2.
All Imposts, Postage, and Charges which may be due on Letters passing from the Post Offices of France to those of the United States, shall be paid in France. And on the other hand, all Letters passing from the Post Offices of the United States to those of France, shall be paid in the United States. That is to say, no french or other Postage due on Letters coming from that Kingdom to the United States shall be demanded or received in the United States, nor any american Postage due on Letters going from the United States to France shall there be demanded or received. The Packet, Postage on Letters passing by Packets to or from France and the United States to belong to the Sovereign whose Packet shall carry such Letters.
3.
And as his most Christian Majesty has, in order to promote and facilitate the Intercourse and Correspondence between the two Countries, been pleased to establish Packets at L'Orient which sad once a Month from that Place to New York. It is agreed that all Letters intended to be transmitted from L'Orient to New York by the said Packets, shall be put into a Mail by the Post Office at L'Orient, which Mail sealed with the known and acknowledged Seal of that Post
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Office and directed to the Post Office at New York, shall on its Arrival at New York, be immediately delivered to the said Post Office, where the same shall be opened by the Post Master, in the Presence of the Consul or Vice Consul of France there residing, or of the french Agent for the said Packets, and all such Letters as may be found therein franked by the french Ministers of either of the great Departments shall be immediately delivered to the said Consul, Vice Consul or Agent, to be forwarded and transmitted in such Manner as he or they may think proper. And further, that whenever and as often as the Post Master at New York shall receive from a Captain of one of the said Packets a Mail so put up and directed, and being in good Order, he shall give to the said Captain a Receipt for the same mentioning therein the Name of the Captain and Packet who brought it, the Time when received and that the same was in good Order.
4.
That all Letters intended to be transmitted from New York by one of the said Packets to L'Orient shall be put into a Mail by the Post Office at New York, which mail sealed with the known and acknowledged Seal of the said Office and directed to the Post Office at L'Orient shall at the Stated Times appointed for the sailing of a Packet, be delivered by the said Post Master to the Captain thereof who shall thereupon give him a Receipt for the same specifying when he received it and that it was in good Order.
5.
That whenever one of the said Mails shall arrive at L'Orient and be delivered to the Post Office there it shall be opened in the Presence of the Consul, Vice Consul or Agent of the United States there residing, to whom all such Letters found therein as may be franked by the President of Congress or either of the Ministers of the great Departments shall be immediately delivered, and they shall be forwarded and transmitted in any Manner that the said Consul, Vice Consul or Agent may think proper; but they or such one of them to whom the said Letters shall be so delivered shall without Delay give a proper Receipt for the same to the Post Office.
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6
The Director of the Post Office at L'Orient and the Post Master at New York, shall with every Mail send to each other a Letter of Advice specifying the Number of Letters enclosed in it; which said Letters shall be counted on the opening of the Mail to determine whether the Number received be the same with the Number sent.
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, II, folio 73. According to indorsement it was read this day.
March 29: The following committees were appointed:
Mr. [James] Monroe, Mr. [William Samuel] Johnson, Mr. [Rufus] King, Mr. [John] Kean and Mr. [Charles] Pinckney, on "letter 1 feb.y., 1786, from R. Butler & S. H. Parsons and a treaty they have made with the Shawanese." A report was rendered May 16, 1786. The letter is in No. 56, folio 377; the treaty bearing date of January 31, 1786, is spread on the Journal of April 17, 1786.
Mr. [William Samuel] Johnson, Mr. [James] Monroe, Mr. [Charles] Pinckney, Mr. [John] Kean and Mr. [Nathan] Dane, on "Report of the Secy. for foreign Affairs respectg. Algiers." Report was rendered April 5. See ante, October 13, 1785.
Also a memorial from "Tristram Coffin relative to a schooner" was referred to the Board of Treasury to report and a report rendered April 4. The memorial is in No. 41, II, folio 301, the schooner's name was Vigilent.
Also the letters from John Adams, dated 1785, December 2, 6, 9, 12, and 15, and 1786, January 4, forwarded by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs in a letter of March 27, were referred back to said Secretary to report, which he did March 30 and his report read March 31. Jay's letter is in No. 80, II, folio 179; Adams' are in No. 84, VI, folios 1--71.
The names of Joseph Pennell and John Pierce were this day withdrawn from nomination as Commissioner to settle accounts of the five great departments. See ante, March 24.
Committee Book No, 190.]
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