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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, JUNE 2, 1788.
Congress assembled present New hampshire, Massachusetts Rhode island New York, New Jersey Pensylvania, Delaware Virginia, North carolina South Carolina and Georgia and from New Jersey Mr [Abraham] Clarke.
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Mr Jonathan Hazard a delegate from Rhode island attended and produced the credentials of his appointment.
[Credentials of Jonathan Hazard, Rhode Island 1]
[Note 1: 1 Original credentials, indorsed as read June 2, 1788, in Papers of the Continental Congress, Rhode Island Credentials. Copied in Record of Credentials, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 179, I, p. 259.]
By His Excellency John Collins, Esquire, Governor, Captain-General, and Commander in Chief, of the State of Rhode-Island and Providence-Plantations.
To Jonathan Hazard Esqr . Greeting.
You the said Jonathan Hazard being, at the General Election held at Newport, on the First Wednesday in May instant, chosen one of the Delegates to represent this State in the Congress of the United States of America, for One Year from the First Day of November next, and until another shall be appointed to take your Place, are hereby authorized and empowered to represent this State in the said Congress, during the Time aforesaid, agreeably to your said Appointment.
Given under my Hand, at Newport, and the Seal of the said State, this Seventh Day of May A. D. 1787, and in the Eleventh Year of (Seal) Independence.
John Collins
By His Excellency's Command
Henry Ward Secry
On a report2 of a comee . consisting of Mr [Nathan] Dane Mr [Abraham] Clarke and Mr [Alexander] Hamilton to whom was referred a report of the board of treasury relative to the debt due to the United States from De la Lande and Fynje
[Note 2: 2 The original report, in the writing of Mr. Nathan Dane, is in Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, p. 405, read June 2, 1788. See May 15 and 30, 1788.]
Resolved That the board of treasury be and they are hereby authorised to negociate and settle with De la Lande and Fynje or any person appearing to negotiate and settle the same, the claims and demands which the United States have
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against the said De la Lande and Fynje and to compound and settle the same on such terms as they may judge most for the interest of the said states taking into consideration all the circumstances relative to the said debt.
According to order the house was resolved into a comee . of the whole and after some time the president resumed the chair and Mr [Samuel Allyne] Otis reported that the Comee . of the whole had taken into Consideration the subject referred to them and agreed thereon to report1
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, p. 335. See February 29, March 4, May 30, June 3, July 2 and 3, 1788.]
"That in their opinion it is expedient that the district of Kentucky be erected into an independent state and therefore they submit the following resolution, That the address and resolutions from the district of Kentucky2 with the acts of the legislature of Virginia therein specified be referred to a committee consisting of a member from each state, to prepare and report an act3 for acceding to the independence of the said district of Kentucky and for receiving the same into the Union as a member thereof, in a mode conformable to4 the Articles of Confederation.
[Note 2: 2 The phrase "in the state of Virginia" was struck out from the original.]
[Note 3: 3 The original reads "a proper act" instead of "an act".]
[Note 4: 4 "Conformable to" was substituted for "consistent with" in the original.]
5On a report6 of the Secretary to the United States for the department of foreign Affairs to whom were referred two letters from his Most Christian Majesty dated the 30th September 1787
[Note 5: 5 From this point to the end of the day the entries were made by John Fisher and attested by Charles Thomson, in Secret Journal Foreign, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 6, III, pp. 415--418. They were also entered by Charles Thomson in Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 5, III, pp. 1682--1683.]
[Note 6: 6 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 81, III, pp. 71--73, read June 2, 1788. See February 5 and 27, 1788.]
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Resolved That the following Answers be returned,
Great and beloved friend and Ally
The conduct of your Majestys Minister the Chevalier de la Luzerne during his residence with us, was commendable and satisfactory, and it gives us pleasure to Assure you that we entertain a high opinion of his Merits. The manner in which, by your Majestys Order he has taken leave of us Manifests his attention to your dignity and interests, and affords Strong evidence of his attachment to the prosperity and happiness of these States. We pray God to have you, our great and beloved friend in his holy keeping. Written at New York the second day of June 1788. By your good friends the United States of America in Congress Assembled.A
Chas Thomson Secy .
Great and beloved Friend and Ally
The choice you have been pleased to make of the Count de Moustier to succeed the Chevalier de la Luzerne is perfectly agreeable to us. We flatter ourselves
A The translation of the letter,1 to which the above is an Answer is as follows,
[Note 1: 1 See February 5, 26 and 27, 1788.]
Very Dear Great Friends and Allies. The Chevalier de la Luzerne having terminated the time which we had fixed for his residence with you in quality of our Minister plenipotentiary, we have ordered him to take leave of you by writing. The prudent and enlightened conduct which he constantly observed during the course of his Mission add to the proofs which he had before given of his zeal for our service. We are persuaded he will equally to our entire satisfaction acquit himself of the order which we have given him, to assure you in terms the most expressive of our Affection and of our sincere friendship for you. He cannot too strongly paint to you the lively interest which we take in the prosperity of the United States in general, and in that of each of them in particular. On this we pray God that he will have you very dear great friends and Allies in his holy keeping. Done &ca.
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that he will with equal zeal and ability with his predecessor, endeavor to promote and reconcile the essential interests of both Countries, and Study to preserve and encrease the mutual attachment and intercourse which happily subsists between them.
We receive with great pleasure the kind and explicit assurances of friendship contained in both of your Majesty's letters of the 30th of September last; a long series of important good Offices have afforded us ample proof of it, and we cannot omit this occasion of conveying to you our sincere acknowledgements for the recent marks exhibited in the Commercial favors you have lately been pleased to confer on the United States. We pray God to have you our great and beloved friend and Ally in his holy keeping. written at New York the second day of June 1788, By your good friends, the United States of America in Congress Assembled.B
Chas Thomson Secy.
B The translation of the letter1 to which the above is an Answer is as follows,
[Note 1: 1 See February 5, 26 and 27, 1788.]
Very Dear great Friends and Allies. Particular reasons relative to the good of our service have determined us to appoint a successor to the Chevalier de la Luzerne our Minister plenipotentiary with you. We have chosen the Count de Moustier to take his place in the same quality. The marks of zeal which he has hitherto given us, persuade us that on this New Occasion he will conduct himself in such a manner as to render himself agreeable to you, and more and more worthy of our good will. We pray you to give full faith to whatever he may say to you on our part, particularly when he shall assure you of the sincerity of our wishes for your prosperity, as well as of the constant affection and friendship which we bear to the United States in general and to each of them in particular. We pray God, that he will have you, very dear great friends and Allies in his holy keeping. Written at Versailles the 30th September 1787, Your good friend and Ally,
(Signed) Louis
CT . de Montmorin
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[Report of Secretary of Congress on letter of T. Barclay 1]
[Note 1: 1 Reports of Secretary of Congress, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 180, p. 77.]
June 2, 1788
On the letter2 of 27 May from Mr T. Barclay containing an extract of a letter from Mr J Chiappi the American Agent at Mogadore: As the said extract contains an Account of orders given by the Emperor of Morocco that American vessels arriving in his ports with merchandize shall only pay a duty of 5 percent on the value of the goods imported which is but one half the duty formerly paid; and as it is part of the duty of the Secy for foreign Affairs to "correspond with the governors or presidents of all or any of the United States affording them such information from his department as may be useful to their States or to the United States"
[Note 2: 2 See May 30, 1788.]
The Secy of Congress reports
That the letter of 27 May from Mr T. Barclay agd .be referred 3 to the Secretary for foreign Affairs.4
[Note 3: 3 According to indorsement the letter was referred, on June 2, 1788, to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs in accordance with the report. The Committee Book dates the reference June 3, 1788. The Secretary reported September 12, 1788.]
[Note 4: 4 June 2, 1788. According to indorsement and the Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 193, the following committees were appointed:
Mr. Abraham Baldwin, Mr. Paine Wingate and Mr. Hugh Williamson on a letter of Jonathan Burrall to the President of Congress, May 31, 1788, respecting postage on accounts of R. Wylly. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, IV, p. 573, read June 2, 1788. The committee reported June 9 and action was taken June 11, 1788.
Mr. Nathan Dane, Mr. Alexander Hamilton and Mr. John Brown on the petition of John Buchanan, Robert Harris, Sam Jones and Daniel Baldwin, June 2, 1788, respecting their pensions. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, I, p. 435, read June 2, 1788. The committee also considered the invalid establishment. Report rendered June 6 and acted on June 11, 1788.]
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