CHAP. VII. 2d Session. Public Debt-Calls for Information. 2d Congress. the secretary of the treasury, for information concerning the sinking fund, and several reports were communicated by him to Congress, connected with that subject. Call on 1793. On the 21st of January, it was moved that the Senate come to S. Journal, the following order: "Ordered-That the trustees of the sinking fund lay before trustees of the Senate an account of the funds under their direction, stating sinking fund. specially the reasons of their proceedings, the surpluses now on p. 473. This motion was considered on the 23d, when the words "spe- Id. p. 474. cially the reasons of their proceedings" were stricken out; and, after an unsuccessful motion to amend the order, by adding "together with the journal of their proceedings in the execution of their trust," it was agreed to in the original form. The following motion was also submitted to the Senate, on the Id. p. 473. 21st of January: "Ordered-That the secretary of the treasury lay before the Senate a general account, exhibiting the amount of all the public funds and moneys, (loans included,) up to the end of last year, and what remains of each appropriation, either in cash, bonds, certificates, or other securities, and stating where the balances are deposited. "That he also lay before the Senate a copy of the powers under which he negotiated the loans made under the laws of the 4th and 12th of August, 1790, and the original communications from the public commissioners in Holland, stating the difficulties of making separate loans under the said acts, as mentioned in his letter of January, 1793. "That he particularly state the amount which has been drawn into the United States, of the moneys borrowed in Europe, under the acts of the 4th and 12th of August, 1790; the purposes for which drawn; how any part thereof hath been applied; with the balance now on hand, and where deposited." This motion was considered on the 23d, when the first para- Id. p. 474. graph was amended by adding, at the end, these words, "as far as the same can at present be done;" and the second paragraph being withdrawn, the motion was agreed to in the amended form. Reports, in obedience to this requisition, were submitted by Id. p. 480. the secretary of the treasury to the Senate, on the 6th, 14th, and 486. 489. 18th of February. CHAP. VII. 2d Congress. Memorial from mer Public Debt-Depreciation of Continental Money, &c. 1791-93. p. 480. On the 23d of December, 1791, there was presented to the H. Journal, 1st Session. House of Representatives a memorial and petition of sundry merchants of Charleston, South Carolina, engaged in commerce, chants of previously to the late revolution, stating the peculiar hardships Charleston. under which they labour, from the twofold causes of the operation of the fourth article of the definitive treaty of peace, and of so much of the act of Congress for funding the public debt, as redeems the old continental money, at the rate of one hundred dollars thereof for one dollar specie; the former requiring them to pay their British debts in sterling money, with full interest to the present time; and the latter, depriving them of all hope of indemnity, from the effects of depreciation and tender laws to which they were exposed during the war, and praying relief. This memorial was, on the 15th of February following, commit- Id. p. 509. ted to a committee of the whole house on the state of the Union. 2d Session. Here the subject rested until the next session. In the mean time, many petitions of similar import, or nearly so, having reference to the depreciation on the certificates of debt given to them, were presented from the officers and soldiers of the lines of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, which were referred to a committee of the whole house; and, on the 15th of January, 1793, it was moved Id. p. 672. to refer the memorial of the Charleston merchants to the same committee. The previous question being called for, viz: "Shall the main question, to agree to the said motion, be now put?" it was decided in the affirmative, by the following vote: Ayes-Messrs. Ames, Barnwell, Boudinot, S. Bourne, B. Bourne, Noes-Messrs. Ashe, Baldwin, Benson, Dayton, Giles, Gregg, The question was then taken on agreeing to the motion, and H. Journal, was decided in the negative, as follows: Ayes-Messrs. Ames, Barnwell, Boudinot, S. Bourne, B. Bourne, -24. Noes-Messrs. Ashe, Baldwin, Benson, Dayton, Giles, Green p. 672,673. CHAP. VII. 2d Session. Public Debt-Depreciation of Continental Money, &c. 2d Congress. up, Gregg, Grove, Hartley, Heister, Hillhouse, Jacobs, Lee, Macon, Madison, Mercer, Muhlenberg, Murray, Niles, Orr, Page, Parker, Sedgwick, Silvester, Steele, Tredwell, Venable, Ward, Williamson, Willis.-30. Memorial of officers 1793. The motion was therefore negatived, and the House went into H. Journal, committee of the whole on the memorials of the officers and sol- p. 671.673. diers described, as it had done on the previous day. On the 16th, "Resolved-That it is the opinion of this committee, that the tion in their certificates of debt, not granted. In this form, the resolution was agreed to, as follows: Ayes-Messrs. Ames, Barnwell, Benson, Boudinot, S. Bourne, Id. p. 673, Noes-Messrs. Ashe, Baldwin, Gerry, Giles, Greenup, Hartley, CHAP. VIII. 1st Congress. 1st Session. Appropriations. 1789. Call on secretary of treasury for esti mates. Report referred. CHAPTER VIII. Estimates called for, for the Year 1789-Bill making Appropriations for the Year On the 17th of September, 1789, the House of Representa- H. Journal, tives, on motion, adopted the following order : "Ordered-That the secretary of the treasury do report to this House, an estimate of the sums requisite to be appropriated during the present session of Congress towards defraying the expenses of the civil list, and of the department of war, to the end of the present year; and for satisfying such warrants as have been drawn by the late board of treasury, and which may not heretofore have been paid." p. 113. On the 21st, the speaker laid before the House a report and Id. p. 115. estimates made by the secretary, pursuant to the above order, which were referred to Messrs. Wadsworth, Smith, of Maryland, and Smith, of South Carolina. And, on the 21st, Mr. Wads. Id. p. 116. [H. B. 32.] worth, from this committee, presented a bill making appropriations for the service of the present year, which was then read the first and second time, and committed to a committee of the whole house. The bill was considered in committee on the 23d, Id. p. 119. and was reported with an amendment, which was agreed to by the House, and the bill was then ordered to be engrossed. the resumption of the bill on the following day, it was recommitted to a committee of the whole house, and was again considered, On and reported with an amendment, which was agreed to, on the Id. p. 120. Bill passed 25th, when the bill was read the third time and passed. In the by House. Senate, the bill received the first and second reading on the 25th Id. p. 122, and 26th, and was committed to Messrs. Read, Butler, King, 123. Ellsworth, and Morris. On the 28th, Mr. Read reported amend- S. Journal, ments, which were then agreed to, and the bill was read the P. 88, 89. Passed by third time, and passed as amended. The House of Representa- H. Journal, tives immediately considered, and concurred in the amendments p. 127. of the Senate. Senate. 2d Session. 92. The House of Representatives, on the 29th of January, 1790, 1790. ordered the appointment of a committee, consisting of Messrs. H. Journal, P. 150. CHAP. VII. 2d Session. Appropriations. 1st Congress. Livermore, Silvester, and Lee, “to prepare and bring in a bill, or bills, to appropriate such a sum or sums of money as may be to prepare necessary, for the payment of the civil list, with the incidental appropria- charges thereof for the present year." Committee tion bill. Report of 1790. On the 2d of March, the speaker laid before the House a re- H.Journal, secretary port and estimate from the secretary of the treasury of extraor- p. 166. of treasury. dinaries for the services of the current year, which were referred to the above committee; and on the 8th, Mr. Livermore present- Id. p. 169. [H. B. 47] ed a bill making appropriations for the support of government, 171. which was then read the first time, and which, on the following day, received the second reading, and was committed to a committee of the whole house. The bill was considered in committee on the 15th, when various amendments were reported, which Bill passed were agreed to by the House, and the bill was ordered to the Id. p. 174, by House. third reading, which it received on the next day. 175. p. 120. 122. In the Senate, the bill was read the first time, on the 16th, S. Journal, and, on the 18th, it received the second reading, and was committed to Messrs. Few, Johnston, Butler, Izard, and Langdon. Bill passed And, on the 22d, the bill was reported with amendments, after Id. p. 123. by Senate. the adoption of which, it was read the third time, and passed. 3d Session. S. Journal, The House of Representatives, on the 23d, amended the amend- H. Journal, p. 181. The speaker laid before the House of Representatives, on the 1791. 6th of January, 1791, a statement from the secretary of the H. Journal, treasury, of the further appropriations of money necessary for p.350. the support of civil government, for the current year. On the 26th, Messrs. Lawrance, Clymer, and Boudinot, were appointed Id. p. 364. [H.B.120.] a committee, to prepare and bring in a bill, or bills, making appropriations for the service of the current year. Mr. Lawrance, on the 31st, presented a bill, making appropriations for the sup- Id. p. 367. port of government during the year 1791, and for other purposes;" which was then read the first time, and, on the next day, received the second reading, and was ordered to be enBill passed. grossed and read the third time. The bill was passed by the House on the 2d, and sent to the Senate for concurrence, where S. Journal, it was read the first and second time, on the 2d and 3d, and was P.238, VOL. I.-86 |