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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, APRIL 2, 1787.
Congress assembled present Massachusetts Connecticut New York Pensylvania Delaware Virginia North Carolina and Georgia and from Rhode island Mr [James Mitchel] Varnum.
[Letter of Board of Treasury transmitting estimate2]
[Note 2: 2 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 140, II, pp. 399--401. The estimates are in Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 141, II, as follows: Estimate of monies requisite for the Services of the Year 1787, signed by Samuel Osgood and Waiter Livingston, April 2, 1787, pp. 161--162; with the accompanying statements: No. 1, Estimate of the Expenditure of the Civil Departments of the United States for the Year 1787, signed by Joseph Nourse, Registrar, March 31, 1787, pp. 165--167; no. 2, General Estimate of Monies requisite for the War department.....1787, signed by H. Knox, February 17, 1787, pp. 175--178; no. 3, Expenditures under the General Head of Contingencies.....1786 signed by Joseph Nourse, January 1, 1787, pp. 183--185; no. 4, Estimate of the Expences of the Geographers Department for the Year 1787, signed by Thos. Hutchins, March 14, 1787, p. 179; and no. 5, Statement of the Liquidated and Loan Office Debt of the United States to 31st. December 1786, signed by Joseph Nourse, March 31, 1787, pp. 186--187. There is another Estimate of the Expenditures of the United States for the Civil Departments for the Year 1787, dated February 27, 1787, on pp. 169--174. See May 3 and July 14, 1787.]
Board of Treasury
April 2d. 1787.
Sir: In obedience to the Act of Congress of the 5th. February last, We have the Honor of transmitting to Your Excellency, the Estimate of the present Year. The Expences of the Civil List are (as nearly as can be ascertained) reduced in conformity to the Act of Congress of the 23d. March last.
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Your Excellency will be pleased to observe that the Interest and Installments of the Principal which will be due on the Foreign Debt, for the Year 1788, are included in the Estimate; though the Resolve of Congress directing the Estimate, appears to have only in view, so much of the Interest and Principal of the Foreign Debt, as will be actually payable in the present Year. The Sums necessary for this object were called for by the Requisition of the 2d. August 1786; and for the reasons at that time stated, we have included in the present Estimate what would be requisite for the Year 1788. Should it be the intention of Congress not to require any part of the Interest or Principal of the Foreign Debt, in the present Requisition (the actual Sum payable in this Year having been already called for) the Quota of Specie required by the enclosed Estimate will be diminished 880,322. 87/90 Dollars.
This Estimate though formed with attention is not yet as complete as we could wish, from the impracticability of ascertaining with any degree of precision, the amount of the Annual Pensions which will become due to Invalids, in pursuance of the Act1 of Congress of the 7th. June 1785. No State has hitherto settled any Accounts at the Treasury under that head, except the State of Pennsylvania; and from the mode of their Statement, the Officers of the Treasury have Reported, that they do not shew the Annual amount of the Invalid Pensions paid by that State.
[Note 1: 1 Journals, vol. XXVIII, pp. 435--437.]
It appears however by a Report of the Comptroller of the State of Pennsylvania to a Committee of the Legislature that, he supposes the Annual Amount of Invalid Pensions to be paid by Pennsylvania will be £4,700. that Currency, equal to 12,533 30/90ths. Dollars; On this datum (the only one within our power) we have Estimated the aggregate Sum necessary for that object, at Eighty eight thousand Dollars.
We have the honor to be, etc.,
Samuel Osgood
Walter Livingston2
[Note 2: 2 April 2, 1787. According to indorsement was read a memorial of William Mumford and Joshua Dawson, March 26, 1787. praying for reimbursement for travelling expenses. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, p. 485. See April 3, 1787.]
His Excelly.
The President Of Congress.
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