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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, JUNE 17, 1788.
Congress assembled, present nine states as yesterday and from Connecticut Mr [Pierpont] Edwards from Maryland Mr [Benjamin] Contee and from North Carolina Mr [Hugh] Williamson.
On motion1 of Mr [Abraham] Clarke seconded by Mr [Nathan] Dane
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, p. 675, in the writing of Mr. Abraham Clark.]
Ordered That the Secretary of Congress furnish the board of treasury with a copy of the circular letter2 to the several states from the committee of Congress with the Army dated 2 June 1780,3 in order that the said board may instruct the commissioners in the settlement of the accounts of the states for supplies furnished in consequence of the said letter.
[Note 2: 2 See Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 11, pp. 55--62, for copy of this circular letter.]
[Note 3: 3 At this point in the original motion the phrase "entered on the Secret Journals of Congress" is crossed out.]
On the memorial4 of Isaac Trowbridge stating that in making his contract with the postmaster genl . for the transportation of the mati between the cities of New York and Hartford for the year 1788 he was under a mistake regarding the expences and praying for a further allowance or to be excused from transporting the mail more than twice a week.
[Note 4: 4 See May 2, 6, 13 and 22, 1788.]
Resolved That the prayer of the memorial cannot be granted.
[Report of Secretary of Congress on petition of Loyd Powell 5]
[Note 5: 5 Reports of Secretary of Congress, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 180, p. 77.]
June 17 1788.
On the petition6 of Loyd Powell an invalid late of the Pensylvania line stating that he has never recd . the pension allowed to invalids the
[Note 6: 6 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VI, p. 381, dated June 3, and read June 17, 1788. According to indorsement the petitioner was furnished a copy of the Act of June 11, 1788 and was sent back to Pennsylvania.]
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Secretary of Congress reports that, that Congress by Agreed Secy to take order their Acts of June 7 17851 and of the 11 of the present month have made provision for paying to the invalids the pensions to which they are entitled; and The Secy therefore is of Opinion that Loyd Powell be furnished with a copy of the act of 11th and sent back to the State of Pensylvania.
[Note 1: 1 Journals, vol. XXVIII, pp. 435--437.]
[Report of Board of Treasury on memorial of H. Merlet 2]
[Note 2: 2 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 138, II, pp. 145--147, read June 17, 1788. A letter of H. Knox to the Board of Treasury is on pp. 149--150, and an account of Merlet's pay on p. 153. The covering letter of the Board, also read, is in Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 140, I, p. 543. See June 4, 1788. According to an indorsed receipt the papers accompanying the petition were received by Elizabeth Lacy on June 23, 1789.]
The Board of Treasury to whom was referred the Memorial of Hardovin Merlet,
Beg leave to lay before Congress, a Copy of a communication from the Secretary at War on the case of the Memorialist, from which Congress will judge how far it would be adviseable to make any peculiar provision for his relief.
It is possible that the Memorialist may have suffered in the manner stated in his Memorial by having still on hand the Sum of Five thousand seven hundred and fifty five dollars, said to have been received by him on account of wages, during his service, of this however, no proofs whatsoever are exhibited; and the probability of the circumstance is rendered questionable, not only from the situation of the Memorialist during the War, and the advantageous manner in which these monies might have been employed; but likewise from the length of time which has elapsed, without his giving any public notice of the sum above stated being still in his possession.
With respect to the present situation of the Wife, and Family of the Memorialist; the board beg leave to observe, that if Mr Marlet, instead of remaining so long in Canada, at a distance from his family, had availed himself of the benefit of the lands granted to him in common with the other Canadians, by the State of New York; and of the Rations issued to them by order of Congress, to enable them to commence their settlements, the situation of his family could not have been such as to render a pension necessary for their subsistence.
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Under the above circumstances the Board submit to the consideration of Congress the following resolve,
That the application of Hardovin Merlet late of the Province of Canada for a Pension cannot be complied with.
All which is humbly submitted.
Walter Livingston
Arthur Lee
June 16th . 1788.
[Letter of Secretary at War on troops in service 1]
[Note 1: 1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 150, III, pp. 241--246, read June 17, 1788. The enclosed statement of the troops in service is on p. 239.]
War-Office, June 16th . 1788.
Sir: I have the honor to submit to Congress a statement of the troops in the service of the United States, and of the measures adopted to replace a proportion of those serving on the frontiers whose times of service will expire in the course of the present year.
Five hundred and thirty two non-commissioned officers and privates, being the total amount of the return, three hundred and fifty eight of them will be entitled to be discharged during the present, and one hundred and seventy-four previously to the month of July of the succeeding year.
Of those entitled to be discharged in the present year, it is most probable that one hundred and fifty have re-engaged, or will reengage on the frontiers.
The States of Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, having complied with the requisitions2 of Congress for troops, of the 3'rd of October last, and having re-appointed the commissioned officers to their respective quotas accordingly, the recruiting service has commenced in the said States, with the prospect of obtaining the best recruits, and completing the numbers directed in a short time.
[Note 2: 2 Journals, vol. XXXIII, p. 603.]
The numbers to be recruited at present in the said States respectively are as follows,
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The number in Pennsylvania will probably be completed and marched for Fort Pitt about the 1st . of July. The New Jersey and one company consisting of seventy non commissioned and privates of the Connecticut recruits, about the 12'th or 15th of the same month, and the remainder of the Connecticut recruits by the 15'th of August.
The recruits who have probably been reengaged on the frontiers, together with those which will be marched from the before recited States, will amount to four hundred non-commissioned officers and privates. The troops having to serve during part of the next year are to be added to this number, so that in September, there will most probably be on the frontiers five hundred and seventy four non commissioned officers and privates.
I conceive this number adequate to the public demands according to present appearances on the frontiers. In case of an Indian War the establishment voted on the 3'rd of October last must probably be encreased.
Measures may be taken early in the next year, to replace the troops whose services will expire previously to July, and also to complete fully the establishment, if circumstances shall render it necessary.
The two companies of artillery retained in service out of the troops raised in Massachusetts, by virtue of the resolve1 of Congress of the 20'th of October 1786, are much reduced by desertion. One of the companies amounting to Thirty-six, non-commissioned and privates are stationed at Springfield, for the protection of the arsenal of the United States at that place, and the other amounting to, Forty-three is stationed at West Point.
[Note 1: 1 Journals, vol. XXXI, pp. 892--893.]
The Legislature of New York not having passed any laws complying with the requisitions of Congress of the 3'rd of October last for replacing the troops on the frontiers, the recruiting service could not be commenced within this State. It appears by conversations with His Excellency Governor Clinton, that he communicated the acts of Congress on this subject, with other public papers, to the Legislature early in their last session, but that the business was entirely omitted. That in his opinion the omission did not arise from any disinclination to the requisitions, but was occasioned probably by a misapprehension of the subject, or a supposition, that no legislative act was required on the case, and that he had no doubt that the Legislature would in next session pass the necessary laws for this purpose. The
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officers of the quota of this State on the frontiers presuming on a compliance with the resolve of Congress, and their own reappointment, have re-engaged a number of their men for three years; and several recruiting officers and a party of men arrived here from Fort Harmar for the purpose of completing the quota of this State. But as the case was circumstanced, they have been marched back again.
The Legislature not having passed any Laws on the subject, has created some embarrassments with respect to the commissioned officers, and the non-commissioned and privates, whose tunes will soon expire, and those who have again re-engaged on the frontiers. But, as the services of all the quota of New York will not expire until after the next meeting of the Legislature, I conceive that the commissioned officers may with propriety be retained until that time. The soldiers who have re-engaged being mostly foreigners, and having voluntarily continued in the service of the United States, without any regard to the quota of any particular State, they may also be retained.
Should however the Legislature at their next session, still omit to pass the laws to enable the Governor to reappoint the officers, I conceive they must be discharged. The non-commissioned and privates who have re-engaged amount probably to sixty, the whole quota of New York being one hundred and sixty-five.
I have the honor to be, etc.,
H Knox1
[Note 1: 1 June 17, 1788. According to indorsement and the Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 195, the following were referred:
Petition of Archibald Steel, dated and read June 17, 1788, regarding the settlement of his accounts. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VII, pp. 309--310. Referred to the Commissioner for Settling the Accounts of the Quartermaster and Commissary Departments to report. Report rendered June 23, 1788.
According to indorsement was read:
Letter of Thomas Hutchins to President of Congress, June 16, 1788, relative to running the line directed by the Act of Congress of June 6, 1788, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 60, p. 335. The enclosure, a letter of Hutchins to Lord Dorchester, June 16, 1788, is on p. 331.]
His Excellency
the President of Congress.
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