other manner than at their current value compared with gold or silver. MARCH 10, 1781. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Resolved, That the states be immediately called upon to furnish for the publick expense, and carrying on the war, their proportions of one million five hundred thousand dollars, quarterly; the first quarterly payment to be made on the first day of June next. Amended. MARCH 13, 1781. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Resolved, That in the discharge of all this requisition, as well as those made by Congress on the 26th August and the 4th November, on the states, for defraying the expenses of the war, except those for sinking the bills emitted by Congress prior to the 18th March, the bills of credit emitted pursuant to the said resolutions of the 18th of March last, shall be received at the treasury of the United States as equal to and in lieu of the like sum of specie, whether the same shall have been issued by the states paying them, or by any other state; and that interest be computed thereon in favour of the states from whom such bills shall be received, to the time assigned for discharging the several requisitions respectively. MARCH 14, 1781. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Resolved, That the certificates issued by the commissary and quartermaster general, under the authority of Congress, in pursuance of the resolution of 23d August last, to be paid in specie or other money equivalent, shall be received from the states within which the same shall have been issued, towards the discharge of their quotas respectively; and that interest be computed thereon in favour of such states to the time assigned for discharging such quotas. That the respective states make exact returns to the board of war by the first day of June next, of all articles by them supplied, agreeably to the resolution of the 25th day of February, 1780. That the United States in Congress assembled will then call upon the deficient states for the full amount of their deficiencies in value, to be paid into the treasury of the United States by the first day of September, 1781; and the product thereof shall be appropriated to make good the deficiency that may arise by receiving the certificates of the commissary and quartermaster general, in payment of taxes for the current year; but if there shall happen to be an overplus, it shall be credited in a just proportion to the states in advance toward their payment of the last quarterly tax for the current year. APRIL 7, 1781. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Mr. Matthews in the chair. Resolved, That there ought to be one general currency in bills of credit in these United States, in aid of the circulating medium in specie, to enable the United States in Congress assembled effectually to prosecute the present war. SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 1781. The United States in Congress assembled having received intelligence that an embarkation of a body of troops is in forwardness at New York, the object of which is the taking possession of the neck of land lying between the head of the Chesapeake Bay and the river Delaware, whereby all the stores and provisions on the peninsula may fall into the hands of the enemy, unless immediately removed Ordered, That the board of war take immediate measures for the removal of the publick stores within the said peninsula; and that it be and is hereby recommended to the executives of the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, to take the like measures with respect to all the provisions and forage belonging to the said states respectively, or to the citizens thereof, which will not be necessary for the consumption of the inhabitants. APRIL 18, 1781. The committee, consisting of Mr. Duane, Mr. Sharpe, and Mr. Wolcott, appointed to estimate and state the amount of the debts due from the United States, with the necessary estimates for the current year, as near as can be done, in order that the same may be laid before the respective legislatures, report, That they have attended to this business; but from the unsettled condition of the publick accounts they can only give a general view of the publick debts. [See next page.] By returns made to the board of treasury up to the 10th February, 1781, it appears that from g the opening of the loan offices to the first day of March, 1778, there has been borrowed, the sum of From last February, 1778, to dates of last returns, 53,245,130, valued at Amount of the bills of exchange drawn on commissioners and mi- 1,316,394 Dollars. An. Interest. 7,313,306 Int. payable in bills on France. 438,7983 4,962,172 297,730 2,165,578 Carried forward 3,481,972 12,275,478 736,5280 |