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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 --[April 8.]

Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
[April 8.]

Office of Secy. of Congress,
April 8, 1786.

The memorial of Jonathan Burrel, Jos. Bindon, and Edward Fox after stating that they have been employed as commissioners for settling the Accounts of three of the late staff departments and made such progress therein as to flatter themselves they should soon bring

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that weighty and intricate business to such a close as would ensure them the Approbation of Congress, proceeds to represent in substance--

• First. That numberless difficulties, inconveniences and delay in the settlement of the Accounts will be the consequence of a change that it will be 12 or 18 Months before any person taking charge of the office of either of them can start from the part of the business where the Memorialists severally are; that even then he will not be so well qualified to proceed therein as the memorialists who have a kind of professional acquaintance with their duty, are conversant with the numerous resolutions of Congress, how long in force, when repealed and how altered and who have in memory many elucidations and have fixed principles with a view to the adjustment, which as well from their nature as from an expectation that they would finally close the Accounts they have not committed to writing.
• Second. That several of the States have passed laws in Conformity to the resolution of Congress of feby. 27, 1782, all which must be repealed and new Acts made in conformity to the new plan; that some of these Acts have been put in execution and the proceedings upon them are not finished.

With regard to the first the Secretary of Congress reports, That the United States in Congress assembled have come to a decision in their act of the 24 March last. With regard to the second as it may possibly be necessary for the board of treasury to take Order for obviating the inconvenience therein mentioned or at least to inquire into this matter, the Secretary of Congress reports,

That the memorial of Jonathan Burrel, Jos. Bindon, and Edward Fox so far as it relates to laws passed by the States in conformity to the recommendation of the 27 feby. 1782, and the proceedings thereon be referred to the Board of treasury.¹

[Note 1: 1 This proceeding, in the writing of Charles Thomson, is in Reports of the Secretary of Congress, No. 180. See post, April 12.]

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