THREE O'CLOCK, P. M. The committee to whom the instructions to the commissioners of the United States at the several courts in Europe were re-committed, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration, and after some debate thereon, Ordered, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. TUESDAY, June 2, 1778. A letter, of May the 27th, from gen. Gates, at Fish-kill, enclosing copies of letters that passed between him and gen. Washington, and between him gov. Trumbull, with sundry other papers, was read, and also a letter of May the 23d, from gen. Conway: and Ordered, That they be referred to the board of war. Congress proceeded to the election of a deputy adjutant-general in the northern department, in the room of lieutenant-colonel Troop, who declines, and whose commission is returned by gen. Gates; and the ballots being taken, colonel William Malcolm was elected. The board of war having represented, that the corps of artificers is sufficient for the protection of the magazines and stores at Carlisle, Resolved, That major Wilson's corps, raised as guards for the stores and magazines at Carlisle, in the state of Pennsylvania, be dismissed from the service of the United States. Resolved, That the officers hereinafter mentioned be entitled to draw one ration a day, and no mote; that where they shall not draw such ration, they shall not be allowed any compensation in lieu thereof; and to the end, that they may be enabled to live in a manner becoming their station: Resolved, That the foliowing sums be paid to them monthly for their subsistence, to wit: to every colonel, 50 dollars; to every lieutenant-colonel, 40 dollars; to every major, 30 dollars; to every captain, 20 dollars; and to every lieutenant and ensign, 10 dollars; to every regimental-surgeon, 30 dollars; to every regimental surgeon's mate, 10 dollars; and to every chaplain of brigade, 50 dollars. Resolved, That subsistence money be allowed to officers and others on the staff, in lieu of extra rations, and that henceforward none of them be allowed to draw more than one ration a day. Ordered, That the committee of arrangement report to Congress, as soon as possible, such an allowance as they shall think adequate to the station of the respective officers and persons employed on the staff. The commissioners of claims, with the approbation of the auditor-general, report, That there is due to the Rev. Mr G. Duffield, as chaplain to Congress, from October the 1st, 1777, to April 30, 1778, included, exclusive of rations due to him, being seven months, at 60 dollars per month, 420 dollars, which is to be paid to the Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, at the request of Mr. Duffield: To Peter Scriber, for making a box for a paper mould for bills of exchange, six dollars: Ordered, That the said sums be paid. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That 30,395 62-90 dollars, be paid to Reading Blount, in discharge of a draught of his excellency R. Caswell, governor of the state of North-Carolina, in favor of Nicholas Long, deputy pay-master general of that state, for the sum of £1400, and £10,758 5 6, North-Carolina currency, expressed to be for the purchase of wagons, and the balance of the said N. Long's accounts, the said state to be accountable. Ordered, That 1500 dollars be paid to capt. Harman Courter, in compensation for his public services, and to defray his expenses at Boston. Resolved, That the order of the day for taking into consideration the articles of confederation, be postponed. THREE O'CLOCK, P. M. Resolved, That an interpreter and translator of languages to Congress be appointed; that his pay be 100 dollars per month: the ballots being taken, Mr. Paul Fooks was elected. A letter, of May 31st, from gen. Washington, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: the members chosen, Mr. McKean, Mr. Witherspoon, and Mr. J. Smith. Congress resumed the consideration of the instructions of the commissioners of the United States at foreign courts, and after debate, Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed till to morrow. Adjourned to ten o'clock, to-morrow. WEDNESDAY, June 3, 1778. A letter, of May the 28th, from governor Trumbull, enclosing a letter from Mr. William Tryon, of New-York, and gov. Trumbull's answer, was read: Ordered, That the same be referred to the committee of intelligence. A letter, of May the 28th, from gen. Washington, and one, of the 16th, from major-general Sullivan, were read: Ordered, That they be referred to the board of war. A letter, of May the 27th, from J. Wadsworth, commissary-general of purchases, with sundry papers enclosed, was read : Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three; the members chosen, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Morris, and Mr. Huntington. A letter, of May the 17th, from general Schuyler, at Albany, enclosing a message from him to the Oneidas and Tuscaroras, was read : Ordered, That the same be referred to the board of war. A memorial from capt. Harman Courter, was read, praying to be honored with the commission of a captain, to be employed when there may be a sufficient number of ships for those now holding that rank, who may be capable of the important trust; and in the interim, not to receive any pay which may accrue by virtue of such commission until he is called into actual service. On motion, that the prayer of the memorial be granted, passed in the negative. Ordered, That printed pamphlets, containing lists of the prizes drawn by the adventurers in the first class of the lottery of the United States, be transmitted by the managers to the assemblies, commissioners of the loan-offices, post-masters, and lottery agents, and to every person intrusted with the sale of tickets in the several states, for the free inspection of the several adventurers; and that the printers in the several states be requested to publish the whole in weekly portions. The committee to whom was referred the letter, of May 31st, from gen. Washington, brought in a report, which was read, and, after debate, Ordered, That it be re-committed, and that two members be added to the committee: the members chosen, Mr. Dana and Mr. R. H. Lee. The commissioners of claims, with the approbation of the auditor-general, report, That there is due to Martin Brenicise, for his services as door-keeper, &c. to Congress, from March the 1st to May the 31st, inclusive, 92 days, 153 30-90 dollars: To Claypoole & Cist, a balance of 14 30-90 dollars, for their service and expenses on a journey to and from Baltimore, &c. by order of the board of treasury: Ordered, That the said accounts be paid. THURSDAY, June 4, 1778. A letter, of the 1st, from brigadier count Pulaski, and one, of May the 23d, from capt. Touzard, were read: Ordered, That they be referred to the board of war. A letter, of the 2d, from gen. Washington, and one, of the 1st, from Mr. Resolve Smith, were read. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to examine the journal, and extract from thence, in order for publication, all the resolutions relative to the government of the army, the regulations of the quarter-master's, commissary's, and clothier's departments, and to the pay and settlements of the accounts of the army: the members chosen, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Matthews, and Mr. Wentworth. A letter, of the 1st, from gen. Green, quarter-master general, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war, who are directed to report thereon with all convenient despatch. A letter of the 2d, from W. Atlee, deputy commissary of prisoners, at Lancaster, was read: Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed. A letter, of May the 6th, from gov. Caswell, enclosing a resolution of the general assembly of North-Carolina, in favor of Mr. de Cambray, was read: Ordered, That the same be referred to the board of war. A memorial from gen. Conway, was read: Ordered, To lie on the table. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That 8583 30-90 dollars be advanced to the committee of commerce, to pay Cumberland Dugan the valuation of his brigantine Abigail, chartered and insured on public account, and which was captured by the enemy, as appears by the captain's protest; the said committee to be accountable: That 4704 dollars be advanced to the committee of commerce, to pay a bill drawn on them by Mr. Stephen Ceronio, commercial agent at CapeFrancois, dated March 24th, 1777, in favor of Adam Babcock; the said committee to be accountable : That 12,000 dollars be advanced to Joseph Nourse, pay-master to the board of war and ordnance, to enable the board of war and ordnance to pay the sums due to the troops ordered to march to Fort-Pitt; the said board to be accountable. Ordered, That the resolution passed May the 2d, for paying the prizes in the first class of the lottery, and for drawing the second class, be published. A letter, of April the 20th, from Dr. Rush to Messrs. Drayton, Huntington, and Banister, the committee appointed to enquire into his charges against Dr. Shippen, was read: Ordered, To lie on the table. THREE O'CLOCK, P. M. The board of war having represented the expediency of appointing commissioners to meet the Indians at Fort-Pitt, and to attend the treaty proposed by the late commissioners, Resolved, That three commissioners be appointed for the purpose of holding a treaty with the Delawares, Shawanese, and other Indians, who may assemble at Fort-Pitt, on the 23d of July next. Resolved, That the governor and council of the state of Virginia be authorized and requested to appoint two gentlemen, and the executive power VOL. II. 73 of the state of Pennsylvania, to appoint one gentleman, of suitable characters, for the purpose aforesaid. Resolved, That Congress will make an adequate allowance for the services and expenses of the said commissioners. The committee to whom was referred the letter of the 27th, from J. Wadsworth, with the papers enclosed, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolution: Whereas, by a change of circumstances in the commerce of these states, the regulation of prices lately recommended by Congress may be unnecessary; and the measure not being yet adopted by all the states: therefore, Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several states that have adopted it, to suspend or repeal their laws made for that purpose. Ordered, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed till to morrow. Ordered, That the letter of the 2d, from W. Atlee, with the papers enclosed, be referred to the board of war. A memorial from E. Blaine, esq. deputy commissary general of purchases, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury, who are directed to report specially thereon. Resolved, That the resolutions of Congress for the arrangement of the army be transmitted to the commander in chief, who, with the advice and assistance of Mr. J. Reed and Mr. Dana, or either of them, is hereby directed and empowered to proceed in arranging the same according to the said resolutions, and the resolutions of the 10th day of January last; and that, for this purpose, the committee appointed according to the resolutions last mentioned, do transmit to the commander in chief all such materials as may be in their possession relative to such arrangement; and further, Resolved, That the commander in chief transmit to the board of war lists of the officers of the several regiments on the new arrangement, that new commissions may be made out for such officers. A petition from Henry Wats, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war. The committee to whom was re-committed the report on the letter of May 31st, from gen. Washington, brought in a report: Whereupon, Resolved, That should the city of Philadelphia be evacuated by the enemy, it will be expedient and proper for the commander in chief to take effectual care that no insult, plunder, or injury of any kind, may be offered to the inhabitants of the said city: That, in order to prevent public or private injury from the operations of ill disposed persons, the general be directed to take early and proper care to prevent the removal, transfer, or sale of any goods, wares, or merchandise in the possession of the inhabitants of the said city, until the property of the same shall be ascertained by a joint committee, consisting of persons appointed by Congress, and of persons appointed by the supreme executive council of the state of Pennsylvania, to wit, so far as to determine, whether any, or what part thereof may belong to the king of Great-Britain or to any of his subjects. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. FRIDAY, June 5, 1778. Ordered, That the committee appointed to examine the journals and extract resolutions for publication, be discharged; and that the secretary deliver to the auditor-general such of the journals of Congress as he shall, from time to time, judge necessary, for extracting resolutions relative to the department of the auditors of the army, passed since the first of January, 1777. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That upon the application of the board of war and ordnance, 27,520 dollars be paid to Joseph Nourse, pay-master of the said board, to be by him transmitted to brigadier M'Intosh, for the purpose of raising two regiments in the states of Virginia and Pennsylvania, for the defence of the western-frontiers, agreeably to the resolution of the 2d of May last; brigadier McIntosh to be accountable. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the letter of May 27th, from J. Wadsworth, and some progress being made therein, Ordered, That it be re-committed, and that two members be added to the committee; the members chosen, Mr. R. H. Lee and Mr. Dana. -Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. SATURDAY, June 6, 1778. Mr. Heyward, a delegate from South-Carolina, attended, and took his seat in Congress. A letter, of the 4th, from gen. Washington, enclosing copies of letters that passed between him and lord Howe and gen. Clinton; also a letter of May the 27th, from lord Howe; and one, of the Sd of June, from gen. sir Henry Clinton, at Philadelphia, accompanied with three acts of the parliament of Great-Britian; were read: Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of five; the members chosen, Mr. Drayton, Mr. R. H. Lee, Mr. G. Morris, Mr. Witherspoon, and Mr. S. Adams. Ordered, That the committee retire into the next room, and prepare an answer to lord Howe and gen. Clinton's letters. A letter, of the 6th, from general Conway, was read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury. A letter, of the 5th, from the council of Pennsylvania to the delegates of that state in Congress, and a memorial and petition from sundry inhabitants of the county of Northumberland, were laid before Congress, and read: Ordered, That they be referred to the board of war. A report from the board of war was read; Whereupon, Resolved, That the resolution of Congress of June 2d, relative to the subsistence money to be allowed to officers in the continental service, be extended to all militia or other troops which may from time to time, be called into the continental service, or which may be raised in pursuance of a special resolution of Congress. Resolved, That brigadier M'Intosh be authorized to purchase, and cause to be made up, on the most reasonable terms, such articles of the bountyclothing for the two regiments which are to be raised in pursuance of the resolution of Congress of the 2d day of May last, as cannot be speedily procured from the commissary of clothing; and that to enable brigadier M'Intosh to execute this resolution, the sum of 60,000 dollars be advanced; for which brigadier M'Intosh is to be accountable. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, Ordered, That 1125 dollars be paid to brigadier L. M'Intosh, in discharge of a bill in his favor drawn by Thomas Reed, assistant pay-master, dated camp, the 19th of May, 1778; W. Palfrey, esq. pay-master general, to be accountable. Another letter, of the 5th, from the council of Pennsylvania to the delegates of that state, was laid before Congress, and read: Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury. The committee appointed to prepare an answer to lord Howe and gen Clintons's letters, brought in a draught, which was agreed to as follows: |
