The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-12-15 00:00:00, page 1

EXTRACTS from the Journals of Congress.
Thursday, October 28, 1779.
ACCORDING to order Congress took in
to consideration the report of the marine
committee refpefting the navy depart
ment ; whereupon
Refolded, That a board of admiralty be established,
to superintend the naval and marine affairs of these
United States ; to consist of three commissioners not
members of Congress, and two members of Congress,
any three of whom to form a board for the dispatch
of business; to be fubjeCt in all cases to the controul
of Congress:
That there shall not be more than one member of
the said board at any time belonging to the fame Rate :
That there (hall be a secretary to the said board, to
be appointed by Congress :
That the board have power to appoint a clerk to
assist them in the execution of the business of the
department:
That the said board of admiralty be, and,they are
hereby authorifed, impowered and directed, to form
proper plans for increasing the naval force of the
United States, and for the better regulating the fame,
and lay them before Congress :
That they have the ordering and directing the de
stination of all ships and vessels of war; that they su
perintend and direct such navy boards as are now e
stablished or may at any time hereafter be established
by Congress; cause fair entries to be made and pro
per accounts kept of all business tranfaCted by them;
examine the accounts of the Several navy boards and
all agents and other persons who have tranfa&ed or
may tranfaCt any business relative to the marine de
partment where such accounts have not been finally
fettled; report the fame to Congress and make proper
entries in their books, so that the whole matters may
be comprehended in one view; keep an alphabetical
and accurate register of the names of all officers of the
navy in the service of the United States, with their
rank and the date of their commissions, which corn
millions shall be signed by the president of Congress
and counter-signed by the secretary to the said board
of admiralty ; publish annually a register of all ap
pointments ; obtain regular and exact returns of all
warlike stores, cloathing, provisions, and all other
necessary articles belonging to the marine department;
take the care and direction of all marine prisoners ;
execute all such matters as shall be directed, and give
their opinion on all such fubjeds as shall be referred
to them by Congress, or as they may think necessary
for the better regulation and improvement of the na
vy of the United States; and in general to superintend
and direst all the branches of the marine department:
That the said board shall fit in the place where Con
gress shall be held, and no member of the board shall
absent himfelf without leave of Congress, or the com-
mittee of the states in the recess of Congress :
That all the proceedings of the said board shall be
infpeded by Congress, or a committee by them ap
pointed for that purpose, as often as may be thought
proper and convenient; and every member of Con
gress may have free access to the records and papers
of the said board, excepting such as are in their na
ture secret :
That all navy and marine officers and others attend
ing upon or connected with the admiralty department,
be and they are hereby required and enjoined to ob
serve the directions of the said board in all such other
matters as they may be directed, or may tend to fa
cilitate the business of the department.
Refolded, That the salary of each of the three com
missioners who shall conduct the business of the board
of admiralty be fourteen thousand dollars per annum,
and the salary of the secretary of the said board be ten
thousand dollars per annum, the said salaries to be
annually, or oftner if Congress shall judge it expedi
ent, reviled and altered agreeably to the appreciation
of the continental currency.
Refolded, That Monday the 15th day of November
be aligned for nominating the officers aforefaid,
October 29. According to order Congress took into
consideration the report of the committee on the me
morial of George Morgan, and petition of William
Trent ; after debate
A motion was made by Mr. Mercer, seconded by
Mr. Morris, that the report be re-committed: on
which the yeas and nays were required by Mr Griffith
The report being as follows:
" The committee to whom were referred the me
morial of G. Morgan, and the petition of William
Trent, beg leave to report, that they have read over
and considered the state of facts given in bv the dele
gates of Virginia, and cannot find any such diftinCtion
between the question of the jurifdi&ion of Congreffy
and the merits of the cause, as to recommend any
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. ll.]
WEDNESDAY, December 15, 1779.
decision upon the firft separately from the last : that
they recommend to Congress the following refoltition
—that, coniidering the present incoinpleat state of the
confederation, it be recommended to the state of
Virginia, and every other state in similar circum
stances, to suspend the sale, grant or settlement of
any land unappropriated at the time of the declarati
on of independence, until the conclusion of the war."
New-Hampfliire, Mr. Peabody, no?
Mr. Langdon, no 5 n °
Massachusetts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, ay)
Mr. Holten, a y)'
Rhode-Ifland, Mr. Marchant, no ,110
Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, no)
Mr Huntington, no [no
Mr. Root, no)
New-York, Mr. Morris, ay}*
New-Jersey, Mr. Witherspoon, no)
Mr. Scudder, no [ n °
Mr. Houlton, no)
Pennsylvania, Mr. Wynkoop, no }no
Delaware, Mr. Dickinson, no , n °
Maryland, Mr. Plater, no-)
Mr. Paca, n ° /no
Mr. Forbes, no
Mr. Jenifer, no)
Virginia, Mr. Griffin, ay)
Mr. Mercer, ay [ay
Mr. Fitzhugh, ay)
North-Carolina, Mr. Harnett, ay)
Mr. Hewes, a y ray
Mr. Sharpe, ay)
South-Carolina, Mr. Matthews, no }no
So it passed in the negative.
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.
October 30. A motion was made by Mr. Paca, se
conded by Mr. Plater, in the following words:
" Whereas it appears to Congress that the opening
the land-office in the state of Virginia, for the purpose
of locating lands unappropriated at the tine inde
pendence was declared, has produced much upeafi
nefs, dispute and controversy, and greatly weakened
these United States by the emigrations of their inha
bitants to parts remote from defence against the com
mon enemy: Resolved therefoie, that it be earnestly
recommended to the state of Virginia to re-confider
their late aft of assembly for opening their land-office;
and that it be recommended to the said State, and all
other states similarly circumstanced, to forbear fettling
or issuing warrants for such unappropriated lands, or
granting the fame during the continuance of the pre
lent war."
To this an objection was made as being out of order;
and, on the question, " Is the motion in order ?"
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. Morris,
New-Hampshire, Mr. Peabody, ay)
Mr. Langdon, ayj a '
Massachusetts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, ay)
Mr. Lovell, ay (
Mr. Holten, ay ( y
Mr. Partridge, no)
Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, ay)
Mr. Huntington, ay) y
New-York, Mr. Morris, no ) divided
Mr. Lewis, ay) 1
New-Jersey. Mr. Witherspoon, ay\
Mr. Scudder, ay (
Mr. Fell, ay ( y
Mr. Houston, ay)
Pennsylvania, Mr. Searle, ay)
Mr. Muhlenberg, ay) y
Maryland, Mr. Plater, ay )
Mr. Paca, ay«
Mr. Forbes, no ( '
Mr. Jenifer, ay )
Virginia, Mr. Mercer, noL
Mr. Fitzhugh, no)
North-Carolina, Mr. Harnett, n °?no
Mr. Sharpe, no §
South-Carolina, Mr. Matthews, ay }a,
So it wak resolved in the affirmative.
The resolution was then taken into consideration,
and a division being called for, and, on the question,
to agree to the firft clause as far as '' land-office,"
inplufive, the yeas and nays being required by Mr.
Griffin,
New-Hampfliire, Mr. Peabody, ay?
Mr. Langdon, ay) }
Massachusetts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, ay)
Mr. Lovell, ay<
Mr. Holton, ay( y
Mr. Partridge, ay )
Rhode-Ifland, Mr. Marchant, ay ,ay
Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, ay)
Mr. Huntington, ay [ay
Mr. Root, ay)
THE
New-York, Mr. Morris, no) ...
Mr. Lewis, ay J dl " ded
New-Jersey, Mr. Witherspoon, ay )
Mr. Scudder, ay(
Mr. Fell, ay ( ay
Mr. Houston, ay)
Pennsylvania, Mr. Searle, ay?
Mr. Muhlenberg, ay ) y
Maryland, Mr. Plater, ay ")
Mr. Paca, ay<
Mr. Forbes, ay 1 '
Mr. Jenifer, ay)
Virginia, Mr. Griffin, no)
Mr. Mercer, no [no
Mr. Fitzhugh, no)
North-Carolina, Mr. Harnett, no)
Mr. Sharpe, no ) °
South-Carolina, Mr. Matthews, ay }ay
So it was resolved in the affirmative.
A motion was then made by Mr. Morris, seconded
by Mr. Sharpe, to strike out the words '' and all other
states similarly circurr,ftanced ;" and, on the question,
shall those words stand?
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. Morris,
New-Hampshire, Mr. Peabody, ay?
Mr. Langdon, ay)'
Massachusetts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, ayl
' Mr. Lovell, ay (
Mr. Holton, ay( y
Mr. Partridge, a\)
Rhode-Ifland, Mr. Marchant, ay] ay
Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, ay )
Mr. Huntington, ay [ay
Mr. Root, ay)
New-York, Mr. Morris, no? ,
Mr. Lewis, divided
New-Jersey, Mr. Witherspoon, ay ")
Mr. Scudder, ay (
Mr. Fell, ay C iy
Mr. Houston, ay )
Pennsylvania, Mr. Searle, ay)
Mr. Muhlenberg, ay s a '
Maryland, Mr. Plater, ay)
Mr. Paca, ay(
Mr. Forbes, ay ^ ay
Mr. Jenifer, ay )
Virginia, Mr. Griffin, no)
Mr. Mercer, ay [ay
Mr. Fitzhugh, ay)
North-Carolina, Mr. Harnett, no)
Mr. Sharpe, no ) °
South-Carolina, Mr. Matthews, ay] ay
So it was resolved in the affirmative.
On the question to agree to the latter clause as it
stands,
Resolved in the affirmative.
On motion of Mr. Morris, seconded by Mr. Sherman,
Resolved, That the consideration of the preamble
be postponed.
On motion of Mr. Morris, seconded by Mr. Sher
man,
Resolved, That the following preamble be adopted:
" Whereas the appropriation of vacant lands by
the several states, during the continuance of the war,
will, in the opinion of Congress, be attended with
great mifehiefs; therefore,"
On the question to agree to the preamble,
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. Griffin,
New-Hampshire, Mr. Peabody, ay)
Mr. Langdon, ay ) ay
Massachusetts-Bay, Mr. Gerry, ay ")
Mr. Lovell, ay(
Mr.. Holton, ay ^ ay
Mr. Partridge, ay )
Rhode-Ifland, Mr. Marchant, ay] ay
Connecticut, Mr. Sherman, ay)
Mr. Huntington, ay [ay
Mr. Root, ay)
New-York, Mr. Morris, no),
Mr. Lewis, ay § dnided
New-Jersey, Mr. Witherspoon, ay)
Mr. Scudder, ay (
Mr. Fell, ay( a Y
Mr. Houston, ay )
Pennsylvania, Mr. Searle, ay)
Mr. Muhlenberg, ay ) a '
Maryland, Mr. Plater, a y )
Mr. Paca, ay(
Mr. Forbes, ay C'Y
Mr. Jenifer, ay )
Virginia, Mr. Griffin, no)
Mr. Mercer, no [no
Mr. Fitzhugh, no)
North-Carolina, Mr. Harnett, no)
Mr. Sharpe, no 5 n °
South-Carolina, Mr. Matthews, ay] ay
[Numb. 103.]