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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, AUGUST 14, 1786.
Congress assembled. Present, as before.
A motion was made by Mr. [William] Houstoun, seconded by Mr. [Edward] Carrington, to consider the resolution of the 11th "That an application be made immediately to the legislature of Pennsylvania, by a committee to attend and confer with the said Legislature:" And on the question to reconsider, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Houstoun,
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So it passed in the negative.
Resolved, That the committee to attend and confer with the legislature of Pennsylvania, consist of two members.
Mr. [Rufus] King and Mr. [James] Monroe were appointed.
A motion was made by Mr. [Melancton] Smith, seconded by Mr. [William] Houstoun,
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That a committee be appointed to repair to the legislatures of Connecticut, New Jersey and North Carolina, who have not passed Acts in compliance with the requisition of Congress of the 27 September, 1785," to explain to them more fully the embarrassed state of the public finances, to urge upon them the necessity of a full and immediate compliance with the said requisition, and that a committee be appointed, to prepare an Address to the states of New Hampshire and Maryland, who have passed Acts complying with the said requisition only in part, enforcing the necessity of a full and immediate compliance therewith."
On this the previous question was moved by the State of Massachusetts, seconded by the State of North Carolina: And on the question to agree to the previous question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Melancton] Smith,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative, and the main question was set aside.1
[Note 1: 1 See post, September 25.]
Congress proceeded to the election of a Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern district, and, the ballots being taking, Mr. Richard Butler was elected, having been previously nominated by Mr. [Charles] Pinckney.
[Motion of Mr. Pinckney]
Whereas the U. S. in Congress assembled on the 18th April, 1783, recommended to the several states as indispensably necessary to the restoration of public credit and to the honourable and punctual discharge of the public debts to invest the U. S. in Congress assembled with a power to levy for the use of the U.S. certain duties upon goods imported into the said states from any foreign port island or plantation; and farther recommended to the said states to establish for a term limited to twenty-five years and to appropriate to the discharge of the principil and interest of the debts contracted on the faith of the U.S. for supporting the war substantial and effectual revenues of such nature for supplying their respective proportions of 1,500,000 ds. annually, exclusive of the above duties, which proportion shall be fixed and equalised from time to time, according to the rule which is or may be prescribed by the articles of confederation; and in case the revenues established by a state shall at any time yield a sum exceeding its actual proportion, the excess shall be refunded to it; and in case the revenues of any state shall be found to be deficient, the immediate deficiency shall be made up by such state as soon as possible and a future deficiency guarded against by an enlargement of the revenues established: provided that until the rule of the confederation can be carried into practice, the proportions of the said 1,500,000 dollars be as follows:
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The said last mentioned revenue to be collected by persons appointed under the authority of the several states and amenable to and removeable only by the U.S. in Congress assembled, but to be carried to the seperate credit of the several states in which they shall be collected.
And Whereas only the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina have complied with that part of the system which proposes the establishment of funds supplementary to and in aid of the general impost, and it being indispensably necessary to the restoration of public credit and the honourable and punctual discharge of the debts of the U.S. that this recommendation should be complied with as soon as may be by all the members of the confederacy
Resolved, That it be again earnestly recommended to the legislatures of the states of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia, which have not yet passed acts in compliance with the same completely to adopt it at their session next succeeding the date of these resolutions.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Charles Pinckney, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 613. According to indorsement it was made August 14 and referred to Mr. [William Samuel] Johnson, Mr. [Charles] Pinckney and Mr. [Charles] Pettit. According to Committee Book No. 190, a report was rendered August 16.
August 14: The following committee was appointed: Mr. [James] McHenry, Mr. [Rufus] King and Mr. [Lambert] Cadwallader, on the "Report of the board of treasy. relative to issuing Indents to State of Pennsylvania." Report was rendered August 16.]
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