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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 17, 1787.
Congress assembled. Present Massachusetts, New York New Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report1 of the comee on the meml of Samuel Holden Parsons, and the following paragraph being under debate viz
[Note 1: 1 See July 14 and 20, 1787.]
The stipulated price to be not less than one dollar per acre for all the land contained in the tract excepting the reservations and gifts aforesaid payable in specie loan Office certificates reduced to specie value or certificates of liquidated debts of the United States, liable to reduction by an allowance for bad land and all incidental charges and circumstances whatever; provided that such allowance shall not exceed in the whole one third of a dollar per acre.
A motion was made by Mr [Nathan] Dane seconded by Mr [Richard Henry] Lee to amend by inserting after "United States" [adding] the words following viz
And in making payment the principal only of the said certificates shall be admitted, and the board of treasury for such interest as may be due on the certificates rendered in payment as aforesaid prior to Jany 1, 1786, shall issue indents for interest to the possessor which shall be receivable in payment as other indents for interest of the existing requisitions of Congress; And for such interest as may be due on the said certificates between that period and the period of payment the said board shall issue indents the payment of which shall [to] be provided for in future requisitions or otherwise.
A division being called for, On the question to agree to the first part "And in the making" &c to "requisitions of Congress" inclusive, the yeas and nays being required by Mr R[ichard] H[enry] Lee,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The second part was agreed to without division.
[Report of Board of Treasury on memorial of Townsend, Underhilland Butler1]
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 138, II, pp. 447--450, read July 17, 1787. Passed October 26, 1787. See April 18, 1787.]
The Board of Treasury to whom was referred a Memorial of Silvanus Townsend, Amos Underhill and John Butler,
Beg leave to Report,
That the Memorialists state, that in the Year One thousand seven hundred and seventy six, they supplied Daniel Gray, then a purchasing Commissary under the late Commissary General Trumbull, with a quantity of Flour for the Use of the United States.
That soon after that period, and before a Settlement could be made with the said Daniel Gray, the Evacuation of Long Island (at which place the Flour was delivered) took place, and that from a subsequent accident to the papers of the said Daniel Gray they are prevented from obtaining a Settlement of their Accounts, according to the rules for such purpose established.
On the above Memorial the Board beg leave to observe, that it appears from the Books of the Commissioner for Settling the Accounts
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of the late Commissary Generals Department, that the said Daniel Gray stands charged with the Sum of ££69,500. lawful Money of Connecticut received by him from the Commissary General from the Month of April 1776, to the Month of April 1777.
That he produces several Receipts, signed by William Hoskins and Richard Phillips, Assistants in the Commissary Generals Office, for Accounts and Vouchers delivered into the Office for examination in the Years 1777 and 1778; each receipt specifying the amount of the Account summed up by Mr Gray and amounting in the whole to £73,961:5:11. Connecticut Curry. leaving a Balance of £4461:2/11. in his favor.
That it appears to this Board from a Report of the Commissioner for Settling the Accounts of the Commissary Generals Department, that the Accounts of Mr Gray cannot now be found amongst the papers of the late Commisary General Trumbull; so that it is not practicable to determine with absolute certainty, whether the flour, for which the Memorialists claims payment was included in the Sum abovementioned. The presumption however is strong that this was the case. The present Commissioner for Settling the Accounts of the Commissary Generals Department having declared to this Board, that he had seen in the possession of the said Daniel Gray, an account of several Articles of Provisions charged in the Accounts delivered into Mr Commissary General Trumbull's Office.
That this Account amounting to £1700 Connecticut Currency is said to be without Vouchers, though Sworn to by the said Daniel Gray; and that it contains a large quantity of Flour, although the Names of the Persons of whom the same is purchased is not specified.
Under the above circumstances the Board are of Opinion, that the Memorialists have an equitable Claim against the United States, and that the same ought to be paid on their making Oath to their Account; as in such cases usual; And that the amount so paid ought to be charged against the said Daniel Gray, who by his Certificate given to the Memorialists is properly accountable for the same. For this purpose they submit to the consideration of Congress, the following Resolve, viz
That the Commissioner for Settling the Accounts of the Commissary Generals Department, be authorised and directed to liquidate the Claim of Sylvanus Townsend, Amos Underhill and John Butler against the United States, for a quantity of Flour by them sold and delivered to Daniel Gray, late a purchasing Commissary in the Service
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of the United States in the Year 1776, the Claimants attesting to the same in the manner in such cases usual; and to issue his Certificate for the same; And that the amount of the Sum so liquidated be charged to the said Daniel Gray.
All which is humbly Submitted
Samuel Osgood
Arthur Lee1
[Note 1: 1 July 17, 1787. According to indorsement the following letter was read:
Letter of Samuel Huntington to President of Congress, June 14, 1787, enclosing a copy of the Act of Connecticut repealing laws repugnant to the treaty of peace with England. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 66, II, pp. 360--362. The attested copy of the Act is on pp. 324--325.]
July 14th 1787.
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