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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 --THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1788.
Congress assembled. Present New hampshire Massachusetts Rhode island Connecticut New York New Jersey Pensylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina South Carolina and Georgia.
[Report of committee on motion of delegates of Pennsylvania1]
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, pp. 187--188, in the writing of Mr. Abraham Clark. Read July 24, and acted on July 25, 1788. See July 22, 1788.]
The Committee consisting of [Mr. Abraham Clark, Mr. Pierpont Edwards and Mr. William Irvine] to whom was referred a Motion of the Hon. the Delegates of Pennsylvania pursuant to instructions by them recd . from the Executive Council of said State to apply to Congress, that if it should be found necessary by that State Government, the Continental Troops under Marching orders from Connecticut and New Jersey to the Westward by the rout of Easton in Pennsylvania, may be ordered to proceed from thence to Luzerne County and remain there untill the disturbances now existing in that County are Settled.
Your Come . having enquired into the grounds on which the motion to them referred is founded, find, that a number of the Inhabitants of the County of Luzerne, contrary to their Allegiance to, and in defiance of the authority of the State, have Assembled in Arms and Committed An Act of Outrage upon an Officer of the State residing in that county. The reasons inducing those rioters to this violation of the Laws are unknown to your committee; be these what they may, [But whatever they may be] as the number of the rioters does not appear to be great, or their power any way formidable beyond the power of the State [such as State are incompetent] to Suppress in a constitutional way by calling out a small part of their [its] Militia, the interference of the United States cannot with propriety be requested. Notwithstanding which, as a body of Continental Troops are soon to March to the Westward by the way of Easton, and as the State of Pennsylvania have not at present any troops in readiness to Suppress the riots in Luzerne, it may not be improper for the said Continental troops to halt a Short time at Easton to be employed if necessary in quelling the disturbances in Luzerne untill the State can provide troops for that purpose.
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Whereupon the following resolution is Submitted.
That the Secretary at War direct the detachment of Troops marching to the Westward to Rendevous at Easton in Pennsylva . and from thence march into the County of Luzerne for quieting quelling the disturbances in that county, provided the Executive Council of Pennsylva . shall find the assistance of those troops necessary; provided also that the said troops shall not be delayed in their march to the Ohio more than two weeks.
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