thier-general; one, dated Dec. 19th, for 24,000 dollars, in favor of John Tracey; one, dated Dec. 22d, in favor of Alexander Rose, for 40,000 dollars; one, dated Dec. 22d, in favor of Alexander Rose, for 10,000 dollars; one, dated Dec. 25th, in favor of Jonathan Jackson, for 23,333 30-90 dollars; and one, in favor of Isaac Sears, for 13,333 30-90 dollars, amounting in the whole to 110,666 2-3 dollars, being for the payment of clothing, purchased in the state of Massachusetts-Bay, by the said Otis, for the use of the army; the clothier-general to be accountable, viz. One on the treasurer for 50,666 60-90 dollars; one on the commissioner of the continental loan-office in the state of South-Carolina, for 25,000 dollars; and one on the commissioner of the continental loan-office in the state of Virginia, for 35,000 dollars. Ordered, That 180 dollars be advanced to col. Kermovan, engineer, on his pay; for which he is to be accountable. A letter, of the 24th, from major-general Gates, president of the board of war; one, of Dec. 20th, from John Langdon, esq. at Portsmouth, directed to the marine committee, with a bill of exchange enclosed; one, of the 15th of Dec. and one of the 10th inst. from Jonathan Trumbull, jun. pay-master in the northern department, were read: Ordered, That the two last be referred to the board of treasury. A letter, of this day, from W. Buchanan, commissary-general of purchases; one, of the 16th, from gov. Trumbull, by chevalier de Gracey; one of the 5th, from gov. Cook; and one, of the 13th, from gov. Trumbull, were read : Ordered, That they be referred to the board of treasury. Resolved, That Congress highly approve the conduct of the governor and council of safety of Connecticut, in the appointment of Mr. Champion, and their other measures for providing public stores and provisions; and depend upon their constant attention to this important object. A letter, of the 16th, from governor Trumbull, was read: THREE O'CLOCK, P. M., A letter, of the 22d, from col. de la Balme, was read: A letter, of the 25th, from Dr. Rush, was read. Resolved, That Mr. Witherspoon and Mr. Roberdeau be added to the committee on the commissary's department. Congress took into consideration the letter from major-gen. Gates, president of the board of war; Whereupon, Ordered, That 10,000 dollars be advanced to the board of war, for contingent expenses; the said board to be accountable. The committee appointed to enquire into the causes of the evacuation of Ticonderoga, &c. report, that they are not yet ready. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. TUESDAY, January 27, 1778. On a representation from the committee appointed to enquire into the causes of the evacuation of Ticonderoga, &c. Resolved, That Mr. James Smith be added to that committee. A letter, of the 13th, from col. la Radiere, at Fish-Kill, was read: A letter, of the 31st of Dec. from Egbert Benson, esq. was read, repre senting, that, for sundry reasons, he cannot attend the enquiry into the causes of the failure of the late intended expedition against Rhode-Island, A letter from Mon. la Neuville; one, of the 23d, froin gen. Washington; and one, of the 26th, from major-general Conway, in recommendation of Mons. la Neuville, were read : Ordered, That they lie until the committee, sent to camp, shall return, and make report. A letter, of the 26th, from gen. Gates, president of the board of war, was read : Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury. A letter from Dr. Shipppen, director gen. and one from Dr. Brown, both directed to the medical committee, were laid before Congress, and read : Ordered, That the same, together with the letters some time since received from Dr. Shippen and Dr. Rush, and from gov. Livingston, relative to the hospital department, be referred to a committee of five, and that the committee be instructed to send for Dr. Shippen and Dr. Rush, and to hear them, and to report specially: the members chosen, Mr. Witherspoon, Mr. Penn, Mr. Lovell, Mr. Gerry and Mr. Roberdeau. THREE O'CLOCK, P. M. Resolved, That to-morrow be assigned for the appointment of a general officer to relieve major-general Spencer, in his command, at Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations. The committee on the treasury, brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That a warrant issue on John Lawrence, esq. commissioner of the continental loan-office in the state of Connecticut, in favor of his excellency the governor and council of safety of the said state, for 200,000 dollars to be by them appropriated for the purchase of provisions for the use of the continental army; the said governor and council to be accountable: That 12,000 dollars be advanced to the marine-committee, to discharge a bill, dated the 20th of Dec. last, drawn by John Langdon, continental agent at Portsmouth, in New-Hampshire, on the said committee, in favor of Stephen Hooper, esq. for that sum; the said committee to be accountable: That 100,000 dollars be advanced to William Buchanan, commissarygen. of purchases, to be by him transmitted to Mr. Colt, for the purpose of purchasing provisions in the eastern district, for the use of the army; the said commissary-general to be accountable: That 2000 dollars be advanced to the delegates of Massachusetts-Bay, on their application, for which the said state is to be accountable: That 500 dollars be paid to Mr. E. Dyer, delegate from the state of Connecticut, on his application; the said state to be accountable. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, January 28, 1778. A letter, from Jacob Rush, was read, requesting leave to resign his office of deputy-secretary. A letter, of the 26th, from the council of Pennsylvania, and one of the 26th, from Mr. G. Morris, at camp, were read: Ordered, That the two last be referred to the board of war. A letter, of the 23d of Dec. from S. A. Otis, directed to James Mease, clothier-general, enclosing one of the 10th of Dec. from J. Trumbull, was read: Ordered, That the same be referred to the board of treasury. A letter, of the 12th, from Henry Hay, with a return of the cannon found at Ticonderoga, &c. and one from E. Allen, were read: Ordered, That they be referred to the board of war. The committee on the treasury brought in a report, which being read, on motion, Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to take into consideration the state of Georgia. In pursuance of an adjustment by the commissioners of claims, the auditorgeneral reports, That there is due to captain Benjamin Williams, acting as pay-master to the Virginia and North-Carolina troops in this town, by the appointment of the board of treasury, for the balance of pay due to a detachment of the 1st, 2d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th, and 16th regiments of Virginia troops; for an advance to a drill-serjeant, and for his services as pay-master from the 1st to the 27th inst. 80 dollars : Ordered, That the said account be paid. Resolved, That the resignation of J. Rush be accepted. The committee to whom the petition from J. Zane, and others, was referred, reported verbally: Ordered, That the consideration of this matter be postponed till to-morrow. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. THURSDAY, January 29, 1778. A letter, of the 28th, from brigadier de Roche Fermoy, was read: In pursuance of an adjustment by the commissioners of claims, the auditor-general reports, That there is due to brigadier Thompson, for sundry advances made on his credit by Mr. Freeman and Mr. Cord, merchants in Quebec, to sundry officers and wounded soldiers, who were there prisoners, the sum of 2343 33-90 dollars, which sum is to be accounted for as follows, viz. By col. Christopher Green, for himself and officers, 1540 81-90 dollars; by capt. now col. Daniel Morgan, 421 21-90 dollars; by capt. now col. John Lamb, 229 12-90 dollars; by lieut. now major Francis Nichols, 64 53-90 dollars; by captain Moses M'Clane, 34 39-90 dollars; by army, for advances to wounded soldiers, 252 46-90 dollars; add for fractions, 11-90ths of a dollar; making in the whole, 2343 33-90 dollars: To brigadier Thompson, for his pay from the 1st of May to the 31st of Dec. 1777, and for his rations from the 1st of March to the 31st of July, 1164 dollars: Ordered, That the said accounts be paid. The committee on the treasury brought in a report: Whereupon, Ordered, That 1300 dollars be advanced to the delegates of New-York, on the application of Mr. Duer, one of the said delegates, for which sum the said state is to be accountable. A memorial from lieut. col. Thomas Dyer, was read, representing his early and continued services in the army, and his loss of health, for the recovery of which he had obtained from the general, a furlough for six weeks, and praying, as his furlough is near expiring, and state of health is such as renders him utterly unable to bear the fatigues of the service, that he may, for that reason, have leave to resign his commission : Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war. Congress resumed the consideration of the petition of Isaac Zane, &c. Whereupon, Resolved, That the prisoners now at Winchester in the state of Virginia, who have been apprehended by the government of Pennsylvania, in consequence of the resolutions of Congress of the 28th of August, 1777, be discharged from their confinement on their taking and subscribing either the oath or affirmation of allegiance as prescribed by the laws of Pennsylvania, or the following oath or affirmation, at the option of the persons confined, viz. "I, A. B. do swear, or affirm, that I acknowledge myself a subject of the state of Pennsylvania, as a free and independent state, and that I will, in all things, demean myself as a good and faithful subject ought to do." Ordered, That the president write to the governor of Virginia, and inform him of this resolution. Congress took into consideration the report of the committee appointed to devise effectual means to prevent persons disaffected to the interest of the United States, from being employed in any of the important offices thereof, and after debate, Ordered, That it be re-committed. A motion being made for preventing abuses by officers in the civil departments of the army, Ordered, That it be referred to the foregoing committee, THREE O'CLOCK, P. M. A letter, of the 16th, from Messrs. Hewes & Smith, from Edenton, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury. A letter, of the 19th, from F. Hopkinson, one of the commissioners of the navy board, concerning the conduct of capt. Barry, was read: Whereupon, It was moved, that captain Barry be not employed on the expedition assigned to his conduct by the marine committee, with the approbation of Congress, until further orders of Congress: question put, the states were equally divided. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. FRIDAY, January 30, 1778. Mr. Thomas M'Kean, a delegate from the state of Delaware, attended, and produced the credentials of his appointment, which were read as follows: "IN COUNCIL, WEDNESDAY, P. M. December, 17, 1777. "Whereas, Cæsar Rodney, Nicholas Vandyke, and Thomas McKean, esqrs. bave been chosen by joint ballot of the two houses of assembly to represent Delaware state in the Continental Congress: Resolved, That they, or any one or more of them, are hereby fully authorized and empowered, for and in behalf of this state, to concert, agree to and execute any measure which they or he, together with a majority of the Continental Congress, shall judge necessary for the defence, security, interest, and welfare of this state in particular, and America in general; with power to adjourn to such times and places as shall appear most conducive to the public safety and advantage. "Extract from the minutes, "BENJAMIN VINING, Clerk of the Council. "Sent up for concurrence. "IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, EODEM DIE. "Read and concurred in, SAMUEL WEST, Speaker. "I do certify, that the foregoing is a true extract from the minutes of the council. BENJAMIN VINING, Clerk of the Council." The committee of the treasury brought in a report: Whereupon, Ordered, That 20,000 dollars be advanced to Dr. Jonathan Potts, deputy director-general of the hospital in the northern department, for the use of his district; he to be accountable. A letter, of the 30th, from Edward Stevens, was read, desiring leave to resign his commission : Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war. The board of war sent to Congress a letter of the 26th, from gen. Washington to gen. Gates, president of the board, which was read: Ordered, That it be returned to the board of war, and that the board be directed to enquire immediately into the number and rank of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers who have come out of Philadelphia with clothing for the prisoners taken from the enemy, and into the conduct of all the persons who compose the escort, whilst they have been on the route, and that they report specially to Congress the result of their enquiry. THREE O'CLOCK, P. M. A letter, of the 17th, from brigadier Hand, was read: A letter from Dr. Rush was read, requesting leave to resign: A letter, of this day, from brigadier de Roche Fermoy, and one from Mr. Kermovan, were read: Ordered, That they be referred to the board of war. An account of Archibald Steel was presented to Congress : Ordered, That it be re-committed. The board of war brought in a report: Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed. On motion, Ordered, That the quarter-master general immediately prepare and render an account to Congress of all his public expenditures. The committee to whom was referred the report of the committee appointed to consider the proposals contained in a letter to gen. Washington, from the committee lately sent to camp, brought in a report, which was read; after debate, Ordered, That it be re-committed, and that Mr. McKean be added to the committee. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. SATURDAY, January 31, 1778. A letter of the 29th from James Mease, with one enclosed from Sarouel Caldwell, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: the members chosen, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lovell, and Mr. Duer. A letter, of the 28th, from the committee at camp, was read, representing the necessity of appointing, without delay, a quarter-master general. Congress resumed the consideration of the report from the board of war, respecting the quarter-master's department; Whereupon, it was moved, That an officer of rank, activity, and well acquainted by experience with the business of quarter-master general, be immediately appointed to that office, and that he be empowered to arrange the department with the approbation and concurrence of the board of war:" An amendment was moved "immediately to enter upon the execution thereof, under the present regulations, and that the quarter-master be directed, in concurrence with the board of war, to prepare a new arrangement for that department, to be laid before Congress for consideration :" after debate, A motion was made, that the consideration of the subject be postponed till Monday: N-Hampshire, Mr. Frost, Massa'tts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, Lovell, Rhode-Island, Mr. Ellery, Connecticut, Mr. Dyer, N.-Carolina, S.-Carolina, Mr. Penn, no no Mr. Laurens, ay Jay ay Jay * no Delaware, Mr. McKean, no no Mr. Henry, 710 110 ay Yay ay ay |