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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 --2WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1788.
[Note 2: 2 Charles Thomson resumes the entry.]
Congress assembled. Present as yesterday.
On Motion3 of Mr [Abraham] Clarke seconded by Mr [Hugh] Williamson
[Note 3: 3 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, p. 685, in the writing of Mr. Abraham Clark.]
Resolved That the board of treasury be and they hereby are directed no longer to delay taking measures for immediately cancelling all the public securities now in the treasury paid in discharge of debts due to the United States by causing a part
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of the same to be cut out and destroyed in such a manner as to leave the number, amount and names of the person signing the same and the person to whom given and in like manner from time to time to cancel all others when paid into the treasury in Order that such securities may be inspected by and finally destroyed in the presence of a committee of Congress to be appointed for that purpose at such time as Congress shall direct; and also that the said board take immediate measures for cancelling all the certificates liquidated and taken up by the commissioners in the several states or in any of the public offices so as to prevent their being fraudulently put in circulation preserving the last mentioned certificates to be charged in account against the respective officers who issued the same.
On the report1 of a comee . consisting of Mr [Edward] Carrington Mr [Hugh] Williamson and Mr [Abraham] Clarke to whom was referred a report2 of the board of treasury on the accounts of Mr Caron de Beaumarchais
[Note 1: 1 According to the Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 207, this report was rendered September 30, 1788. It does not appear among the Papers of the Continental Congress.]
[Note 2: 2 See September 25, 1788. See also October 10, 1787 and June 20, 1788.]
Resolved That the settlement of the accounts of Mr Caron de Beaumarchais said to have been made by Mr Silas Deane at Paris in the month of April 1781 cannot be deemed binding on the United States the said Mr Deane not being vested with any authority to make such settlement.
[Report of Secretary of Congress on memorial of W. Bedlow3]
[Note 3: 3 Reports of Secretary of Congress, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 180, p. 80. According to the Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 208, the petition was referred in conformity with the report. See September 25, 1788.]
Sept. 26, 1788.
On the memorial of William Bedlow post master of the city of New York stating his difficulties in settling for the postage of letters
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addressed to the treasurer of the United States and praying that the post master general may be directed to credit his account with the postage of the said letters or that Congress would be pleased to direct any other mode of settlement they may think proper.
The Secy of Congress reports
That the Meml . of William Bedlow post master for New York be referred to a commee .
Referred to the post master gen1 to give the creditOctr 1 prayed for.
[Report of committee on the petition of J. Reed1]
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, V, pp. 239--240, in the writing of Mr. Nicholas Gilman. A copy of the report is on p. 243. Read October 1 and passed October 2, 1788. See September 30, 1788.]
The Committee [consisting of Mr. Nicholas Gilman, Mr. games R. Reid and Mr. Edward Carrington] to whom was referred the petition of Brigadier General James Reed Report
That the petitioner sets forth as a cause of complaint his having been paid five years and two months half pay on account of his pension as an Invalid; in New Hampshire State Notes which had depreciated to a very low rate, and that, although he complied with the requisition of the Committee appointed by said State in June 1786 to ascertain the pensions to which Invalids are entitled, and procured the Certificates (required by the Resolve2 of Congress of the 12th July 1787) of the Commissioner of Army Accounts, yet he can obtain no further relief from the State of New Hampshire on account of his name not being seasonably entered on the Invalid list.
[Note 2: 2 Journals, vol. XXXII, p. 332.]
The Committee therefore beg leave to submit the following resolution, vizt .
Resolved That it be and hereby is recommended to the State of New Hampshire to take into consideration the peculiar situation and sufferings of Brigadier General James Reed and, on his producing proper evidence to substantiate his claim to the pension of an invalid, to make provision for payment thereof out of the Specie requisitions agreeably to the resolutions of Congress of the 1lth of June last.
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[Report of committee on repairs on the house where Congress meets1]
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, I, p. 320, in the writing of Mr. Thomas Tudor Tucker. Read October i and passed October 2, 1788. A first form of the report, also in the writing of Mr. Tucker, which is crossed off, appears on the reverse (p. 319), as follows: "The Comme . consisting ofto whom was referr'd a Letter from the Corporation of the City of New York to the Delegates of the State of New York, report
That it appears from the Letter referr'd to them that it is not convenient to the Corporation that Congress shou'd continue Business in the Building in which they at present assemble; and that therefore it will be necessary to provide some other place for their Accommodation. The Committee, having made Enquiry, find no place more proper for this purpose than the [2 apartments now appropriated for the office of foreign affairs] and therefore recommend that the said Building [apartments] be immediately engaged for the Accommodation of Congress. [Papers of the said Office be for the present removed to a smaller vacant Apartment Room in the same Building, and that the beforemention'd Apartments be immediately put into prepared for the Reception of Congress and of the Papers of the Secretary, of and that Congress do henceforth do meet assemble therein.]" See September 30, 1788.]
The Comme . consisting of [Mr. Thomas Tudor Tucker, Mr. John Parker and Mr. Abraham Clark] to whom was referr'd a Letter from the Mayor of the City of New York to the Delegates of the State of New York report,
That it appears from the Letter referr'd to them, that the Repairs and Alterations intended to be made in the Building in which Congress at present assemble, will render it highly inconvenient for them to continue Business therein; and that it will therefore be necessary to provide some other place for their accommodation. The Committee having made Enquiry find no place more proper for this purpose than the two apartments now appropriated for the Office of foreign Affairs; and they therefore recommend that the said Apartments be immediately prepared for the Reception of Congress and the Papers of the Secretary.
[Report of Board of Treasury on memorial of E. Williams2]
[Note 2: 2 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 138, II, pp. 535--537, read October 1, 1788. See September 16, 1788.]
The Board of Treasury to whom was refered the Memorial of Ezekial Williams, late a Deputy Commissary of Prisoners, in the State of Connecticut,
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Beg leave to Report to Congress,
That the balance stated to be due to the Memorialist, is for Services performed and expences accrued previous to the 1st . of January 1782; and of course liable to the same general mode of payment, as has taken place in the settlement of the Accounts of other Officers in the Commissary Gen1 of Prisoners Department, for expenditures matte during the same period, that is to say, by a Certificate issued by the Register of the Treasury; for the balance found due on their respective disbursements.
That to deviate from this rule, in the case of the Memorialist, would not only place him on a different footing from the other creditors of the Union, whose claims originated during a Similar Period; but necessarily diminish by the Amount of the balance found due to him, the Appropriations made by former Specie Requisitions for different purposes; the unpaid balance of the One Million of Dollars included in the Estimate of the 27th . April 1784, for debts contracted and still unpaid for 1782 and 1783 having by subsequent Acts of Congress, been diverted to other objects.
Under the above circumstances, the Board submit to the consideration of Congress the following Resolve:
That the balance found due to Ezekial Williams late a Deputy Commissary of Prisoners in the State of Connecticut on the settlement of his Accounts at the Treasury, being for Services and Expenditures previous to the 1st . Jany . 1782, be discharged in the Usual Mode.
All which is humbly submitted.
Samuel Osgood
Arthur Lee1
[Note 1: 1 October 1, 1788. According to indorsement and the Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 208, following committee was appointed:
Mr. Pierpont Edwards, Mr. Jonathan Dayton and Mr. James R. Reid on the memorial of Levi Pease, read October 1, 1788, respecting transportation of mail by stages. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VIII, pp. 254--255. Report rendered October 2, 1788.]
September 30th . 1788.
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