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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, OCTOBER 9, 1786.
Congress assembled. Present, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia; and from Rhode Island, Mr. [Nathan] Miller, and from Pennsylvania, Mr. [Charles] Pettit.
When the conduct of those unto whom the people within their respective States have committed their powers, hath endangered their welfare, either from not enacting such laws as are necessary and proper to the well being of the federal government or when enacted from not having them executed with due energy and promptitude, it becomes our business as guardians of the Confederacy to awaken them to a sense of their duty, to urge the adoption of such measures as may avert the threatened Calamity.
Impressed with a sense of this high Obligation and an anxious and affectionate concern for the interest, honor and safety of the Union, We now call your most serious attention to the situation of the federal
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finances, deranged from a non performance on your part of that duty which your Constitutions and the Confederation imposes upon you.
We shall not carry you back to those requisitions which were made during the first part of the war, as the distresses of some of the States may serve as an excuse for their Non compliance; but confine ourselves to those which have been made since the peace those with which they were immediately connected.
We shall adopt the requisition of 1781, as a beginning, because this was the first made upon you wholly for Specie.
1781, October 30th.: You were called upon to furnish the Federal Treasury for the service of the year 1782 and prosecuting the war, 8,000,000 Dollars.
1782, October 16th.: For the service of the year 1783 and prosecuting the war the sum of 6 M was thought necessary but only 2 M were called for, as loans were then expected to be made in Europe.
These requisitions being very partially complied with the monies borrowed were in a great degree our support. On the first day of January 1784, the whole sum paid on these requisitions was 1,486,511.71 dollars.
On the 27th. April, 1784, Congress taking into consideration the distressed situation of the States, suspended the operation of the last requisition for 2 M dollars, and also one-half of the first for 8 M dollars only calling on the States to make good what sums they were deficient to compleat the half of the 8 M which was not suspended, which sum amounted to 2,670,987.89 Dollars.
Of this sum to the first of January, 1786, a space of two years there was paid only 971,475.44 dollars altho' the States had the indulgence of paying one fourth part of it in Certificates of Interest due from the United States to individuals.
On the 27th. September, 1785, the States were called on to pay into the federal Treasury by the 1st. of May, 1780, their respective quotas of 3 M dollars being a part of the remaining 4 M suspended in its operation by requisition of 27th. April, 1784.
On this requisition there has not been paid in actual specie more than 100,000 dollars nor have many of the States fully complied with it. But eight States have passed any Acts relative to it, and in most of these it is found that the monies intended for the purposes of the Union and those of the State are blendid in the same collection;
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that scarcely in any State funds are pointed out by law for providing its quota; and that in several a paper Currency is made receivable as specie in all payments whatsoever.
Having detailed to you simply and clearly the deficiencies that have arisen on the several requisitions from the 30th. October, 1781, which amount to the sum of 4,442,012.65 dollars, we shall point out the reasons which we suppose to have occasioned them.
In whatever form we view the matter the result is that our difficulties have been occasioned by your misconduct, which leaves us a sure and certain hope that when you shall have impartially considered the facts we have stated to you, and their causes they will Operate a change of Measures, and leave us no cause in future to complain of deficient payments to the federal Treasury.
But that the present Requisition, which we make on you by Virtue of the powers of the Confederation may not be defeated we shall point out and most seriously recommend to you to enact what we conceive absolutely necessary to ensure a strict and prompt compliance with it; upon which your present well being in a great degree depends.
And if no general revenue system is to be adopted, which in our Opinion would be more for the honor and true interest of the Union, and we are still to depend on the present Constitutional mode of supplying the federal Treasury by Requisitions, we would recommend
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to you immediately to enact your tax laws for raising a sum which may be equal to your supposed quotas of the next Requisition, so that when it shall be made you may have no more to do but to apply the necessary sum, for on the present system of not providing the funds until the requisition is made it must most clearly appear that allowing the taxes to be collected within the time called for by the States, the United States must always be in arrear and making Anticipations on the revenue--a system destructive of public Credit.
An attention to these principles with public and private frugality and Oeconomy would undoubtedly relieve us from the distresses under which we now labour, and leave us no longer room to complain of a Civil list and military establishment greatly in arrear, a foreign and domestic interest unpaid, and of consequence a ruined Credit, which brings with it a charge of want of justice and good faith, the foundation and pillars of a free Government, and without which it cannot exist.
You will observe that in the present Requisition, no less than 1,723,626.47 ought to be forthwith raised in specie for the express purpose of paying the Interest and certain installments of the principal of the foreign Debt, which will become due in the present, and the course of the ensuing year.
Such is the accumulation of debt, which has been brought on the people for want of an early adoption of the Resolves of the 18th. of April, 1783. The probable amount of the impost part of which would have been near 4,000,000 Dollars, and which would have left a balance of upwards of 2 M dollars to have been applied to the extinguishment of the domestic debt.
It is painful to bring to view advantages which are lost, but as this is not gone for ever we think it our duty to truly state what might have been done, and what may still be done by proper exertions on your part.
The purposes to which the monies are to be applied are fairly stated--the evils that will attend a noncompliance are too evident to need recapitulation. The delinquent states must be responsible for all those Calamities.
We appeal to your reason, to your justice, and to interests of the people you represent; we conjure you no longer indolently to Neglect those things which ought to be done, but while you yet have it in your power; and before you are forced by some fatal disaster, or
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driven by inevitable necessity into measures destructive of that confederacy to which you have all pledged yourselves sacredly to adhere, that you will exert yourselves efficaciously for the support of the general government of the United States.
But whatever may be the fate of those measures on which you have a right to deliberate and determine, We, the United States in Congress Assembled by Virtue of the powers Vested in us by the Confederation do call on you as members of the Confederacy to pay into the general Treasury at the time stipulated your respective Quotas of the present Requisition for the support of the general Government.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Henry Remsen, jr., is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 24, folio 363. It is indorsed by Roger Alden: "Report: Address to the several Legislatures to accompany the requisition of 1786." In this form it was apparently carried over to the final action thereon, October 17.]
The Committee [consisting of Mr. Arthur St. Clair, Mr. Jonathan Sturges and Mr. Edward Carrington] to whom was referred the Report of the Commissioner of the Hospital Accounts upon the Petition of the Exrs. of John Berrian beg leave to report:
That upon considering the Resolutions of Congress of the 8th. of April, 1777, the 6th. of Feby., 1778, and the 16th. Jany., 1782, and the Duty of Assistant Deputy Director and Commissary of Hospitals, they have been induced to form an Opinion different from that of the Commissioner.
On the 8th. of April, 1777, the daily pay of these Officers was fixed at two Dollars, and on the 6th. of Feby., 1778, was raised to four Dollars. The Committee cannot imagine that these four Dollars were ever intended to be specie, nor is there any probability that some of the lowest Hospital Officers would be put upon a footing, with respect to pay, nearly equal to the Brigadiers and far superior to all the Field Officers of the Army.
The Sense of Congress seems to have been fully expressed upon this Subject in the Resolution of Jany. 15th., 1782, and the Commissioner ought to have been guided by that resolution in settling the Accounts of the Hospital and Medical Departments, and considered the specie pay of the Assistant Deputy Directors and Commissarys as fixed at two Dollars. The four Dollars granted afterwards were, clearly intended as an equivalent, but as the four Dollars are, by the Scale of Depreciation, worth something more than two Dollars in Specie, the Difference may have been designed as an addition to the pay of those Officers they therefore submit the following Resolution:
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That the Commissioner of Hospital Accounts in adjusting the accounts of the A.D. Directors and Commissaries of the Hospital consider the Pay granted to said Officers from April 8th., 1777, to feby. 6th., 1778, as specie, and from and after the 6th. of feby., 1778, their daily pay in Specie be ascertained by reducing the four Dollars then granted them to specie value according to the Scale of depreciation and be the Rule from that time forward.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Arthur St. Clair, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 309. According to indorsement it was read October 9.]
I Certify that during the confinement of the American Prisoners in South Carolina, under the Capitulation of Charleston, the State of the American Hospital was such as not to afford Bark, Wine, Sugar, Vinegar, or any other article of that kind for the use of the sick Officers upon Haddrills Point, nor could I after repeated applications, obtain any of the Said articles from the Director of the British Hospitals. Indeed I can with truth say, that the sufferings of the sick (and much sickness prevailed) amongst the whole of the Prisoners for want of almost every necessary, far exceeded belief and the feelings of human nature. And I recollect that during the time that the officers were on Haddrills Point, I heard from good authority of a large quantity of Bark and other necessaries being procured for them by some private means. As Witness my hand this 7th. day of October, 1786.
David Olyphant,2
late Dr. Hl. So. Dpt.
[Note 2: 2 This certificate is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 138, II, folio 307. According to indorsement it was read October 9 and "Referred with the report of the bd. of treasy. on pet: Genl. C. Scott and the papers accompanying to the said board to report." Committee Book No. 190 states that a report was rendered October 16.]
New York, Octr. 5th., 1786.
Sir: Previous to the departure of the Cornplanter a chief of the Six nations from this city last June, I directed him to communicate every matter which he might learn respecting the conduct of the British in a treaty then said to be holding with the Indians at Niagara, with all other useful information to Col. William Butler at Fort Pitt, in case I should not be there in time, and I requested Col. Butler to receive and transmit it to me. I therefore, agreeable to an Ordinance of Congress of the 7th. Augst., 1786, for the regulation of Indian Affairs which directs the communications of that department to be made to
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Congress through the Secretary at War, do myself the honor to enclose a speech delivered by the Corn-planter the 11th. of Septr. at Fort Pitt to Colonel Butler, and request you will be pleased to lay the same before Congress for their information, as I am of opinion it may be depended on.
I have the honor to be etc.
Richard Butler.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 150, II, folio 1. According to indorsement it was read October 9; a copy of Cornplanter's speech is in No. 150, II, folio 9.
October 9: The following committee was appointed: Mr. [Melancton] Smith, Mr. [Charles] Pinckney and Mr. [Jonathan] Sturges, on "Letter 6 Oct. 1786 R. Butler" and "Motion of delegates of Georgia." A report was rendered on part October 10 and on the remainder October 11.
Also, the "Letter 8 Oct. A. St. Clair respecting his ration accot" was referred to the Commissioner of Army Accounts to report and a report rendered October 10.
Also, a memorial of David Oliphant, praying the settlement of his status in the hospital department, so that he can obtain his pay, was referred to the Commissioner of Hospital Accounts to report. According to indorsement, a report was rendered October 16 and referred to a committee the same day. A further indorsement is: "See Act Aug. 25, 1788." Oliphant's memorial is in No. 41, VII, folio 330. Committee Book No. 190.]
To The Honble. Major Gen. Knox,
Secretary at War.
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