Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

and three, from French gentlemen; two from governor Livingston, of NewJersey; one, from general Mifflin; and one from Henry Fisher, at Lewistown, to the council of safety of Pennsylvania; and one, of the 14th, from general Washington, were read:

Ordered, That the same be referred to the board of war.

A memorial from Jonathan Hastings was read:

Ordered, To lie on the table until the report on the post-office is taken into consideration.

A letter, of the 2d and 9th, from colonel Morgan at Fort-Pitt, with sundry papers enclosed, was read:

Ordered, That the same be referred to the committee on Indian affairs. A petition from Thomas Henegan was read:

Ordered, That it be referred to the salt-petre committee.

Resolved, That 100,000 dollars be advanced to the state of New-Jersey ; the said state to be accountable.

Resolved, That 100,000 dollars be advanced to the state of Pennsylvania ; the said state to be accountable.

Ordered, That a committee of three be appointed to enquire into the state of the French officers, and that all applications of foreigners for service in the army be referred to them:

The members chosen, Mr. Lovell, Mr. Heyward, and Mr. Roberdeau.

The board of war reported, "that there should be advanced to colonel William Grayson, 10,000 dollars, according to his request, in his letter of the 7th, to the secretary of the board; and that the same be sent by the hands of Mr. Thompson, as desired in the said letter; colonel Grayson to be accountable :"

Ordered, That the said sum be advanced.

In consequence of a farther report from the board of war,

Resolved, That the baron de Arendt be appointed to the command of the German battalion in the room of colonel Haussegger.

Ordered, That the committee of secret correspondence write a respectful letter to the baron de Kalb, thank him for his obliging offer, and decline accepting it at present.

Resolved, That general lord Stirling be informed, that, as no losses sustained by officers have hitherto been repaired by the public, Congress cannot grant his request, lest a dangerous precedent should be established.

Ordered, That the part of general Schuyler's letter of the 15th of February last, relating to ship-carpenters wanted in the northern department, be referred to the marine committee.

Ordered, That an extract from general Schuyler's letter of the 4th of February, relating to stores wanted from the eastern department, be transmitted to general Washington, and that he be directed to give orders for the supply of such stores as are wanted in the northern department, and which can be procured from the eastward, and are not already appropriated.

Resolved, That John Schrop be appointed second-lieutenant, and Bartholomew Van Herr, adjutant, in the corps commanded by major Ottendorf. A petition from William Garnet, George Patton, and Robert Brown, was read, praying for leave to return to some of the West-India Islands: Ordered, That the prayer of the petition be granted.

Ordered, That Mr. Sergeant be excused from serving on the marine committee, and that Mr. Clark be added to the said committee in his stead.

Ordered, That an extract of Mr. Deane's letter, relative to Dr. Williamson, be referred to a committee of five, and that they be empowered to send for Dr. Williamson and examine him:

The members chosen, Mr. Witherspoon, Mr. Smith, Mr. Clymer, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Heyward.

The several matters to this day referred being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

THURSDAY, March 20, 1777.

A letter, of the 3d, from governor Trumbull, at Lebanon, and two, of the 10th, enclosing an intercepted letter from governor Wentworth; and one from J. Cockran, were read :

Ordered, That the letter from governor Trumbull be referred to the marine committee; and that the intercepted letters be referred to the committee of intelligence.

A letter from Mons. Bordes; one, from general Gates, respecting colonel John Trumbull; and one, of the 17th, from general Putnam, at Princeton, were read:

Ordered, That the letter from Mons. Bordes be referred to the committee on foreign applications.

A letter, of the 18th, from general Washington, brought by general Green, was read:

Ordered, That general Green attend Congress to-morrow, at 11 o'clock. Ordered, That Mr. J. B. Smith be excused from serving as manager of the lottery, he being appointed a member of Congress.

Ordered, That three managers be added to those already appointed, and that to-morrow be assigned for electing them.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

FRIDAY, March 21, 1777.

Resolved, That £625, Pennsylvania currency, equal to 1666 60 dollars, be paid to Gam. Dowdell, and charged to the account of colonel Morgan, of the Virginia forces, the same being in full of colonel Morgan's bill on the president, dated February 24, 1777, in favor of the said Gam. Dowdell, for the pay of the troops under his command.

Ordered, That 1600 dollars be advanced to Thomas Butler, continental armourer; he to be accountable:

That 13 30 dollars be paid to Timothy Shuler.

A petition from Levy Marks, was read:

Ordered, That it be referred to the clothier-general.

A petition from George Folger, Seth Jenkins, and Alexander Coffin, was read, setting forth, that some hard money, and other articles, have been detained from them by the owners of the privateer Congress:

Ordered, That it be dismissed; the matter belonging to the court where the judgment was given.

A letter from colonel Stewart to the committee on the affairs of the northern department, was laid before Congress :

Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war.

Ordered, That the committee appointed on the 13th to confer with general Gates, do also confer with general Green on the several matters given in charge to him by general Washington, and that three members be added to the committee:

The members chosen, Mr. Wilson, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. Witherspoon. The committee on foreign applications, brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon,

Resolved, That a copy of the resolve of the 13th, with a certificate signed by the secretary, setting forth, "That it is wholly and only upon the grounds mentioned in the said resolve, that the bearer is not employed by these United States," be given to the chevalier de Bourneuf, Mons. de Bordes, Mons. de Luce, Mons. de Baury, Mons. Devermond, Mons. de Vernis, the

chevalier de Colerus, and Mons. Faneuil; and that the committee aforesaid be empowered to order a like certificate to such other foreigners applying for rank and service in the army of the United States, as they shall think proper. Resolved, That the count de Mountfort be recommended to general Washington for a brevet of lieutenant.

Ordered, That 300 dollars be paid to Mons. Faneuil, to free him from those embarrassments which he has been brought into by pursuing his own great desire to enter into the service of these United States, in consequence of advice from the assembly of Massachusetts-Bay and general Washington.

Ordered, That 100,000 dollars be advanced to James Mease, clothiergeneral: he to be accountable.

Resolved, That one million of dollars be sent by the treasurer to John Gibson, esq. auditor-general; the said money to be subject to the orders of Congress, and the auditor-general to be accountable.

Ordered, That 50,000 dollars be advanced to Richard Dallam, esq. deputy pay-master general of the flying-camp; he to be accountable.

The board of war brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon,

Ordered, That 500,000 dollars be immediately sent to the pay-master general.

Resolved, That for preventing unnecessary expense, when the militia of any of the states is called to serve in the pay of the United States, no more officers shall be entitled to pay than a proper number in proportion to the privates, viz. for every company consisting of not less than 56 and under 50privates, two commissioned officers; for every company not less than 50 and under 68 privates, three commissioned officers; for every company of 68 or more privates, four commissioned officers; and for every battalion of 500 and more privates, three field officers; for every battalion under 500, and not less than 300, a lieutenant-colonel and major; and for any number of privates above 150 and under 300, one lieutenant-colonel or major.

Ordered, That general Sullivan's letter, relative to Monsieur Vernejoul, be referred to the committee on foreign applications.

Ordered, That general Mifflin's plan, with two letters from general Washington, for regulating the duty of the quarter-master's department, be referred to the committee appointed to confer with general Gates, and general Green. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the board of war of the 12th; Whereupon,

Resolved, That it be recommended to the council of the state of Massachusetts-Bay, to erect, at the expense of the United States, in some convenient place in the county of Worcester, in the said state, barracks, with a stockade or enclosure surrounding the same, capable of containing 1500 prisoners, to be built of wood, as may appear to them most conducive to the public service, and, in the end, least expensive to the public.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

SATURDAY, March 22, 1777.

A letter, signed John Ross, dated New-York, having been intercepted, was read.

The board of war brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon,

Ordered, That 300,000 dollars be advanced to major-general Mifflin, for the use of the quarter-master's department; he to be accountable.

Ordered, That 42 dollars be paid to William Sproat, being a balance due to him for his services as clerk to the board of war.

Ordered, That the petition from Robert Lilly, with the annexed account, be referred to the board of treasury.

[ocr errors]

Resolved, That two members be added to the board of treasury:

The members chosen, Mr. J. B. Smith, and Mr. L. Morris.

Ordered, That the managers of the lottery of the United States, draw the same, agreeably to the mode usually practised in the state-lotteries in Europe, and frequently used in large lotteries in America, by putting all the numbers in one wheel, and the prizes only in the other.

Congress proceeded to the choice of three additional managers of the United States' lottery; and, the ballots being taken,

John Ord, Robert Ritchie, and James Budden, were elected.

Ordered, That the bill dated March 9th, 1777, drawn by William Palfrey, pay-master general, for 5000 dollars in favor of John Ramsey, be paid, and charged to the account of the pay-master general.

The report of the medical committee was taken up and considered; and, after debate,

Ordered, That the said report, together with Dr. Shippen's plan, be recommitted.

Ordered, That a committee of five be appointed to devise ways and means for preserving the health of the troops, and for introducing better discipline into the army:

The members chosen, Mr. Wolcott, Mr. Roberdeau, Mr. Witherspoon, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. Clark.

Resolved, That the board of war be empowered to contract with Mr. Wheeler, for a number of cannon of the new construction, invented by the said Wheeler.

Ordered, That one million of dollars be sent, by the continental treasurer, to the auditor-general, the said money to be subject to the order of Congress, and the auditor-general to be accountable.

The committee on departments, brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon,

Resolved, That a secretary's office be forthwith established, and constantly kept in or near the state-house or building where Congress shall, from time time, hold its session :

That it be under the direction of the secretary, and provided with a deputysecretary, to be appointed by Congress, with a salary of 800 dollars a year, and such a number of clerks as Congress shall direct, to be appointed by the secretary, with a salary of 480 dollars a year each:

That the secretary, deputy-secretary, and clerks, before entering upon their office, shall severally take an oath, to be administered by the president, "well and faithfully to execute the trust reposed in them, in their respective capacities, according to their best skill and judgment, and to disclose no matter, the knowledge of which shall be acquired in consequence of such their office, and which they shall be directed to keep secret ;" also the oath prescribed for officers of the army, and passed by Congress the 21st of October, 1776; and that certificates thereof be given by the president, and lodged with the secretary:

That such of the journals and papers of Congress, as are secret in their nature, be kept by the secretary, and communicated to none, unless by particular order, but members of Congress and the deputy-secretary, and that all others be kept and filed in the office aforesaid :

That all letters and other papers of Congress, in the war-office, or hands of the president, treasury or marine boards, the secret committee, or committee on Indian affairs, or any other committee or member of Congress, (excepting such as relate only to the business of the said boards or committees, and have never been received in Congress, or having been received, have been committed to the same, as belonging to the respective offices) be delivered to the secretary, to be by him disposed of as aforesaid:

That all letters and other papers that shall hereafter be committed by Congress to any board, committee, or member thereof, be returned to the president or secretary, with the report that may be made thereon: and that no original journal, letter, or paper, be delivered out of the office, without an order of Congress and receipt thereof:

That such of the journals and papers belonging to the secretary's office as are in daily use by Congress, be, each day after the adjournment, sent to the said office; and attested copies of all the resolutions to be carried into execution by any state, officer, person, or persons whatever, and papers necessary to accompany the same, to be sent, without delay, to the president, to be by him transmitted by express, post, or other conveyance, as shall appear expedient or necessary; and that attested copies of any resolutions of Congress, or public papers in the office, be delivered to any of its members requiring the same.

Ordered, That Monday next be assigned for electing a deputy secretary The committee on the treasury reported, that there is due,

To Stewart Rowan, for ferriage of continental troops over Susquehanna, 13.54 dollars:

To Price and Haywood for travelling expenses from Philadelphia to Albany, in consequence of a resolve of Congress of the 13th of August last, and from Boston to Philadelphia, and back, 220 dollars:

To Francis Trumbull, for eight chairs bought of him for the use of the treasury office, 19.18 dollars:

To Thomas Burke, esq. for an advance made by him to 19 North-Carolina prisoners, to enable them to pay their expenses from Baltimore to Fredericktown, 139.30 dollars; the said sum to be deducted from the allowance due to the prisoners:

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock on Monday.

MONDAY, March 24, 1777.

A letter, of the 22d, from general Gates; one, of the 26th of February, from brigadier R. Howe, at Charleston; one, of the 12th of March, from captain F. Wade; sundry papers delivered in by colonel Flower; and a remonstrance and petition from sundry inhabitants of the counties of Accomac, Somerset, and Worcester, were read:

Ordered, That the letter from general Gates be referred to the committee on foreign applications:

That the papers from col. Flower be referred to the board of war :

That the letter from captain Wade be referred to the committee appointed to enquire into the conduct of the commissaries:

That the remonstrance and petition from the inhabitants of the counties of Accomac, Somerset, and Worcester be referred to the delegates of Virginia and Maryland; and that the said delegates send to their respective states, a copy of the said remonstrance and petition.

Resolved, That Monsieur Faneuil have the rank of a colonei by brevet in the continental army, without pay or rations.

The committee appointed to confer with major-general Green, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That general Washington be informed that it never was the intention of Congress, that he should be bound by the majority of voices in a council of war, contrary to his own judgment:

That the commander in chief in every department be made acquainted, that though he may consult the general officers under him, yet, he is not bound by their opinion, but ought finally to direct every measure according to his own judgment:

« ZurückWeiter »