agreement, be referred to the board of treasury, and the copy of the parole to the board of war. A letter, of the 2d, from the council of Massachusetts-Bay, and one, of the 19th, from brigadier Wind, were read : Ordered, That the letter froin the council of Massachusetts-Bay, be referred to the board of war. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That 1000 dollars be paid to major William West, in discharge of a draught of William Palfrey, esq. pay-master general, in his favor, on the president of Congress, dated at camp, the 24th of March last, and for which the said William Palfrey is to be accountable. A certificate of brigadier Smallwood, in favor of the Rev. Mr. Joseph Montgomery, was laid before Congress : Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury. The committee appointed to prepare and report terms to be offered to such foreign officers and soldiers in the service of the king of Great-Britain, as shall quit that service, and choose to become citizens of any of the United States of America, brought in a report, which was read. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee of the whole, respecting an allowance to officers after the war: On motion, that the consideration thereof be postponed; question put, and the yeas and nays being required, So it passed in the negative. A motion was made that the provision to be made for the officers, &c. be one half of their present pay. FOUR O'CLOCK, P. M. Congress resumed the consideration of the question under debate in the morning, to which an amendment was moved to strike out "present," and after the word "pay" add "on the first establishment made in the year 1775" question put, passed in the negative. Another amendment was moved, to strike out "one half of their present pay," and insert "a sum of money appropriated to the officers according to their rank, and payable to them or their representatives after the conclusion of the war :" After debate, the determination of this question, at the request of a state, was postponed to another day. Adjourned to three o'clock, P. M. to-morrow. SUNDAY, April 26, 1778. Question being put on the amendment moved yesterday, which was put off at the request of a state; and the yeas and nays being required, So it passed in the negative. The main question was then put, and the yeas and nays being required, Massa'stts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, Rhode-Island, Mr. Ellery, ay) Maryland, Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, Huntington, no no no ay ay Yay ay no no G. Morris, Mr. Scudder, ay Pennsylvania, Mr. J. B. Smith, ay} div. Delaware, Clingan, So it was resolved, that the provision to be made half of their present pay. for officers, &c. be one A motion was then made, "That such provision of half-pay continue for the life of the officers :" To which an amendment was moved, to trike out "for the life of the officers," and insert "for S.-Carolina, Mr. Laurens, no Massa'stts-Bay, Mr, Gerry, ay Maryland, Lovell, Dana, ay Carroll, Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, ay Virginia, Mr. F. L. Lee, ay Huntington, ay ay Wolcott, ay New-York, So the amendment was lost, the states being equally divided. The main question was then put, the yeas and nays being required, Matthews, ay no Hutson, ay Georgia, Virginia, Mr. F. L. Lee, ay no Lovell, Dana, no ·no no no Huntington, no no G. Morris, Mr. Scudder, Mr. J. B. Smith, Mr. McKean, no ay ay ays no no So it was resolved in the affirmative. no Wolcott, ay ay Georgia, no Drayton, no no Mr. Langworthy, ay ay A letter, of the 25th, from gen. Washington, was read. Congress resumed the consideration of the report from the committee of the whole; to which sundry amendments were moved; after debate, Ordered, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed. Adjourned to nine o'clock on Monday. MONDAY, April 27, 1778. A letter, of the 24th, from major Lee, was read: Resolved, That gen. Washington be authorized to call, if he thinks proper, the commander of the artillery to the council ordered to be convened for settling such a plan for the general operations of the ensuing campaign, as gen. Washington shall deem consistent with the general welfare of these states. The board of treasury, to whom was referred the certificate of brigadier Smallwood, in favor of the Rev. Mr. J. Montgomery, brought in a report; Whereupon, Resolved, That the Rev. Mr. J. Montgomery be allowed the pay of a brigade chaplain for the time of his service in that capacity, agreeably to brigadier Smallwood's certificate, viz. from June last. Resolved, That the Rev. Mr. J. Montgomery be appointed chaplain to brigadier Smallwood's brigade. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That 250,000 dollars be paid to Joseph Nourse, pay-master to the board of war and ordnance, to be by him transmitted to Ebenezer Hancock, esq. deputy pay-master general, for the use of his department; he to be accountable. Resolved, That the board of war and ordnance transmit to gen. Heath proper directions with respect to the route, by which he is to send to the treasurer the hard money belonging to the United States. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee of the whole, respecting a provision for the officers after the war; Whereupon, it was moved, and Resolved, That nothing contained in the foregoing resolution shall be construed to extend to prevent the United States from redeeming, at any time, the half-pay of such officers as they judge proper, by paying them a sum equal to six years half-pay. Sundry amendments being made in the report; Ordered, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed. TUESDAY, April 28, 1778. Resolved, That major-gen. Gates be empowered to appoint two such persons from the line as he may think proper, to act as additional aids-de-camp. A letter of the 23d, from major-general M'Dougall, at Fishkill, with sundry papers enclosed, was read: Ordered, That extracts of the said letter be sent to the treasury, and that the letter, with the papers enclosed, be referred to the board of war. A letter, of the 22d, from major-general Conway, was read, requesting leave to resign his commission: Whereupon, it was moved, that his resignation be accepted: VOL. II. 67 A letter, of the 28th, from Mr. Burke, was read, informing, that the instrument authenticating his last election as a delegate from North-Carolina, is dated May the 4th, 1777: "That both his colleagues have informed him that they believed the election was made on the 28th of April preceding;" that "the constitution of the state requires the election of delegates to be annual," &c. expressing his belief "that his power of representing that state is at an end;" intimating that "the instrument referred to is on the journals of Congress, and they can determine whether his attendance can be longer commanded;" and requesting" their opinion thereon;" that "his absenting himself may not be deemed a contempt or breach of order:" Whereupon, a motion was made, that Mr. Burke be directed to attend his duty in Congress : Question put, passed in the negative. A motion was then made, that Mr. Burke be informed, that Congress consider him as a delegate from the state of North-Carolina, till the assembly of his state shall direct otherwise : The previous question was moved, whether that question shall now be put and the yeas and nays being required, Mr. J. B. Smith, no? So it passed in the negative. A motion was made to resolve, That Mr. Burke is not a member of this house: ay ay ay ay Mr. Langworthy, ay yay To which the previous question was moved, whether that question be now put? the yeas and nays being required, Resolved, That 50,000 dollars be advanced to major Lee, on account, for the purpose of purchasing horses, and towards recruiting and equipping his corps. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Resolved, That the pay of a secretary of a major-general, acting in a separate department, be increased to 50 dollars a month. Ordered, That 100,000 dollars be paid to the delegates of Maryland, to be by them transmitted to the governor and council of their state, on whose application, by order of the general assembly, this sum is advanced; the said state to be accountable. Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, April 29, 1778. A letter, of the 16th, from major-general Schuyler, with sundry papers enclosed, relative to Indian affairs, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the committee on Indian affairs. Resolved, That three members be added to that committee: the members chosen, Mr. Drayton, Mr. T. Adams, and Mr. J. B. Smith. Another letter, of the 16th, from major-general Schuyler, was read: Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to examine the evidence collected, and state charges against the general officers who were in the northern department when Ticonderoga and Mount-Independence were evacuated: the members chosen, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Drayton, and Mr. Dana. Ordered, That the letter lie on the table. A letter, of the 27th, from gen. Washington, with an extract of a letter from major-general Heath, and sundry other papers enclosed, was read: Ordered, That the extract of the letter from major-general Heath be referred to the board of treasury: That the letter from gen. Washington, with the other papers enclosed, be referred to the committee of intelligence. A letter, of the 28th, from the board of war, was read: Ordered, That they be referred to the committee appointed for the purposes expressed in sundry resolutions passed the 20th instant. A letter, of the 17th, from major de Bois, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war. Congress proceeded to the election of members for the marine committee, in the room of such as are absent; and the ballots being taken, Mr. Scudder was elected for New-Jersey; Mr. Plater for Maryland; Mr. T. Adams for Virginia. The commissioners of accounts at the treasury-board, with the approbation of the auditor-general, report, That there is due to major James Armstrong Wilson, for his independent company, stationed at Carlisle, for the purpose of guarding public stores, two months' pay, commencing the 1st of February, and ending the 31st of March last, both days included, 843 10-90 dollars; and to twelve men belonging to different regiments in gen. Wayne's division, doing duty with major Wilson's company, their pay, commencing and ending the same time, 150 40-90 dollars : That there is also due to capt. Samuel Postlethwaite's company, likewise stationed at Carlisle, for the same purpose, their pay from their first establishment to the 31st of March, inclusive, amounting to 1468 48-90 dollars: That there is also due to captain Postlethwaite, for taking up four deserters belonging to different regiments, the account of which will be sent to the pay-master general, the sum of 52 dollars; the whole amounting to |
