THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1776

A letter of the 17 from General Washington, and a letter from the President of the convention of New Jersey, were laid before Congress, and read.1

Resolved, That in order to give time to the several committees, to prepare for the house the matters referred to them, it be a standing rule of Congress, that adjournments from the Friday evening, be always to Monday morning, unless on any particular occasion, the Congress shall order otherwise.

A petition from Carpenter Wharton was presented to Congress and read:

Resolved, That it be referred to the Board of War and Ordnance.

The Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the cartel made between Brigadier General Arnold and Captain Foster, ||for exchange of prisoners; || and, after some debate, the farther consideration thereof was postponed till to Morrow.

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to draw up rules and regulations for the conduct of Congress ||the house during debates: ||

The members chosen, Mr. [Edward] Rutledge, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, and Mr. [Robert Treat] Paine.

The Committee of Claims reported, that there is due, To Captain William Richards, for the detention of his shallop twenty days on the public service, the sum of £15-40 dollars:

To Robert Erwin, waggon master, the sum of £77 15 0= 207 30/90 dollars, for waggonage:

To David Williamson, for waggon hire, carrying Cap

1The letter of Washington is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 63. That from the convention of New Jersey is in No. 68, folio 151.

tain James Grier's baggage from Fredericksburg to New York, and returning home, the sum of £55 2 6=147 dollars:

To Abraham Mills, for nursing and boarding six soldiers in the small pox, the sum of £12 14 8=33 86/90 dollars:

To Samuel Cooper, for ferriage and storage, the sum of £9 16 0=26 12/90 dollars:

To Leonard Stoneburner, for one team hauling Captain Williams's company's baggage 18 miles beyond Goshen, and two teams hauling Captain Jones's [company]'s baggage to Albany, the sum of £155 9 6-414 54/90 dollars:

On two certificates produced by Henry Wisner, Esq the sum of £4 6 3||=11 45/90 dollars,|| expences of the first Pensylvania batallion, at Goshen, and that the same ought to be paid to Henry Wisner, Esq and charged to J. Shallus, quarter master of said batallion:

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to consider what provision ought to be made for such as are wounded or disabled in the land or sea service, and report a plan for that purpose:

The members chosen, Mr. [Robert Treat] Paine, Mr. F[rancis Lightfoot] Lee, Mr. [Lyman] Hall, Mr. [William] Ellery, and Mr. [Francis] Lewis.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,

Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.'

1 The following minute is printed in the Colonial Records of Pennsylvania, X, 611: "IN CONGRESS, June 20, 1776. "Robert Morris, one of the Delegates from the Province of Pennsylva'a, reminded the Congress that the Assembly of said Province had Adjourned on the 14th inst., without having been able to Carry into Execution the Resolves of Congress of the 3rd Inst., for Raising 6,000 Militia for establishing a flying Camp; and then informed the Congress that their said Resolve, not being directed in Terms to the Committee of Safety, but address'd to the Colony, the said Committee were in doubt whether it

FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1776

Resolved, That General Washington be directed to permit Brigadier General Wooster to return to his family in Connecticut.

Resolved, That the commanding officer of the Delaware batallion, be directed to send a proper guard, with the powder ordered to ||Colonel Fleming's regiment, on|| the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Resolved, That an order for 300,000 dollars be drawn on the treasurers, in favour of the Delegates of South Carolina, for the use of the continental batallions ordered to be raised in that colony; the said delegates to be accountable:

The Committee of Claims reported, that there is due,

To Rowland Swan, a captain of his Britannic majesty's 7th regiment of foot, the sum of 36 dollars, for eighteen weeks' allowance, and 12 dollars for bringing his baggage from New York to Philadelphia, together with the bagwould be expected from them to execute said Resolve, as they are in Recess of Assembly the Executive Body of this Province; He Also alledged that if the Congress expected the Committee to proceed in this Business it would be necessary or adviseable that they should recommend it expressly to them, for under the present Circumstances of the Province, he much doubted if they would be obeyed unless so authorized, and added that, if the Congress did not see proper to take further order in this matter, he hoped the Committee of Safety would always be held blameless, as they now gave Congress this necessary information for the express purpose of having an Explicit declaration, if they were expected to act in this important business, which they were ready to undertake if so desired. This application was made by Mr. Morris as declared, By order of the Committee of Safety, and after a debate of Considerable length, and two Motions made and seconded, one was withdrawn, the other determined in the Negative. In Consequence whereof, I have made this Memorandum immediately on the spot, to appear when it may be necessary, and to prevent blame being cast where it is not merited.

gage of Capt. Dundee, and three privates of the said regiment:

To Joseph Haight, for supplying the prisoners at Burlington with provisions to the 4 June instant, the sum of £89 5 0=238 dollars.

To Andrew M'Nair, the sum of £45 1 11-120 23/90 dollars for provisions, &c. for the 24 Indians, while at the state house, which was 20 days:

To Michael Clarke, for liquor for the above Indians, the sum of £10 8=27 66/90 dollars:

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

A letter of the 21, from the convention of New Jersey, was laid before Congress and read, together with sundry letters from the prisoners there ||in Burlington.||

Resolved, That the pay of the commissioner to be sent into Canada be four dollars per day.

The Board of War and Ordnance, to whom was referred the case of the officers who served last winter in Canada,|| brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the convention of New York be requested to set on foot the raising another regiment on continental establishment, to serve for three years, or during the war, unless sooner discharged by Congress; and that in forming said regiment, they commission such officers as served the last campaign in Canada, and have not been yet provided for:

That the said officers be informed that the commissions to be granted them, be on condition that they raise their companies to their full complement, or nearly thereto, and that their commissions be withheld from them until the said condition be complied with:

That it be recommended to the said convention to make suitable provision for Major Dubois, with whose good

conduct Congress are well satisfied, and that they return his [name,] with the names of the other field officers, for the approbation of Congress.

That a commission of lieutenant colonel be given to Major John Vischer, in Colonel John Nicholson's regiment, in the New York forces.1

The Congress then resumed the consideration of the report from the committee of the whole: Whereupon,

Resolved, That General Washington be directed to order an enquiry to be made into the causes of the miscarriages in Canada conduct of the officers heretofore employed in the Canada department; that the said enquiry be made at such times and places as, in his judgment, shall be most likely to do justice, as well to the public as to the individuals; and that the result of the said enquiry, together with the testimonies upon the subject, be transmitted to Congress: that, moreover, all officers accused of cowardice, plundering, embezzlement of public monies, and other misdemeanors, be immediately brought to trial: And whereas, Congress is informed that an opinion has prevailed that officers resigning their commissions are not subject to trial by a court martial for offences committed previous to such resignation, whereby some have evaded the punishments to which they were liable, it is hereby declared that such opinion is not just."

1 George Clinton thought this regiment would not have been ordered, "were it not with a view of providing for those officers who have much merit, from reëngaging in the service of their country last fall, after the surrender of Montreal, and continuing through a most fatiguing and dangerous campaign in Canada during the winter." As to the recommendation of Major Dubois he said: "The Congress having heretofore left the appointment or recommendation of the officers of new levies with the Provincial Congress, in which the same are raised, and being therefore loath now to break through this rule, is (I am informed,) the only reason why the officers to this regiment are not appointed here." To John McKesson, 25 June, 1776. In Journal of the Proceedings of the New York Provincial Congress. See note under June 26, p. 481, post.

'This paragraph includes W. 6, 7, and 8 of the Jefferson report, p. 451, ante.