Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 4

VI. Amendment to a Committee Report, 21 May 1776 JA Continental Congress VI. Amendment to a Committee Report, 21 May 1776 Adams, John Continental Congress
VI. Amendment to a Committee Report
ante 21 May 1776 1

13. Resolved that the Commissioners in Canada and General Schuyler be informed that We cannot give them any positive assurance of maintaining our Army there by hard Money, but that We are this might not check discourage our Operations, Congress being2 determined to send from these Colonies, the necessary Supplies of Provisions and all other Necessaries if hard Money cannot be obtained, and that in the mean Time the Utmost the best Endeavours shall be used to procure, the sum of one hundred Thousand Dollars in hard Money.

Resolved that Some Person or Persons be sent to Boston Employ'd by the President in New England3 as an Agent or agents to procure, if possible hard Money to the amount of an hundred Thousand Dollars.4

Dft in JA's hand (PCC, No. 19, VI, f. 211). This is a separate slip made part of the full committee report, which is in the hand of Robert R. Livingston. JA's amendment, whose wording was altered as indicated in the notes (below), was used as a substitute for the original paragraph 10. The full report, showing revisions, is in JCC , 4:375–378.

1.

On 14 May the congress appointed a committee composed of William Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and JA to take into consideration letters from Washington of 11 May, from Schuyler of 3 May, and from Capt. Daniel Robertson, a British prisoner of war, of 9 May. On 16 May letters from Schuyler 13and Washington, of 10 and 15 May respectively, and of the Commissioners to Canada of 1 May were referred to the same committee. On 18 May the committee was enlarged to include Robert Morris, James Duane, Richard Henry Lee, Edward Rutledge, and Robert R. Livingston when additional letters were received: from Washington, of 17 May, and from the Commissioners, of 6, 8, and 10 May. On 21 May the committee reported its deliberations on those letters received by the congress on the 16th and 18th of May. Congressional discussion continued on 22 May, when the congress took action on the proposed resolves (Force, Archives , 4th ser., 6:396; JCC , 4:352, 358–359, 362–363, 374, 375–378).

 2.

The substitution for “We are” of “this might not discourage our Operations, Congress being” is in the hand of Duane ( JCC , 4:377, note 3).

 3.

The substitution for “sent to Boston” of “Employ'd by the President in New England,” as well as the words “or Persons” and “or agents,” is in the hand of John Hancock (same, p. 378, note 1).

 4.

The intent of JA's amendment was to soften the original flat statement that hard money could be secured only with “great difficulty” and that future supplies were “very precarious.” Moreover, the original statement left the Commissioners to devise a way to overcome the shortage (same, p. 377).

 VII. Committee Report on Esek Hopkins’ Letter, 7 June 1776 JA Continental Congress VII. Committee Report on Esek Hopkins’ Letter, 7 June 1776 Adams, John Continental Congress
VII. Committee Report on Esek Hopkins' Letter
ante 7 June 1776

The Committee1 to whom was referred the Letter from Eseck Hopkins Commodore of the Continental Fleet dated Providence May 22 1776,2 have taken the same into Consideration and come to the following Resolutions.

Resolved that Mr. Charles Walker of N. Providence ought to be paid the Value of the Sloop Endeavour, together with four Tons of Lignum Vita and one hundred Cedar Posts taken by the said Commodore for the Use of the Colonies,3 and the Damages the said Walker has Sustained by the taking and Detention of Said Vessell, Lignum Vita and Posts the Said Walker giving a full Acquittance for the Said Vessell Goods, and Damages.

Resolved that Commodore Hopkins be directed, the Gov. and Council4 of the Colony of Connect. be Requested to appoint judicious and indifferent Persons to appraise the Vessell and Goods aforesaid at the Time when they were taken into the service of the Colonies, and to estimate the full Damages sustained by the said Mr. Walker, and report it to this Congress forthwith, that the said Walker may be indemnified by this Congress.

Resolved that the Said Walker have his Election to receive his Vessell again and the Hire of her, and his Damages, or the Value of her to be ascertained as aforesaid.

MS in JA's hand (PCC, No. 19, III, f. 169); docketed: “Report of the 14committee on Comr. Hopkins' letter of the 22d. May 1776 determined June 7th.”

1.

On 8 May the congress named a committee to review the instructions prepared by the Naval Committee for Commodore Hopkins. On 22 May this review committee, composed of Benjamin Harrison, JA, Thomas McKean, James Duane, Thomas Lynch, Roger Sherman, and William Livingston, was given the additional duty of determining how far Hopkins had followed his instructions and on 31 May the responsibility for considering a letter from Hopkins dated 22 May ( JCC , 4:335–337, 375, 407). This committee was discharged on 12 July and superseded by the Marine Committee, of which JA was not a member (same, 5:545).

 2.

Hopkins said in part, “Should also be glad you would direct what is to be done with the Sloop which I took at New Providence to bring the Guns and Stores, as no other Person in that Island suffered one Shilling it would be hard the Owner should not have his Vessel or be paid for her” ( Naval Docs. Amer. Rev. , 5:200).

 3.

On 18 June, Walker petitioned the congress concerning his losses and attached an account of the costs in building his sloop Endeavour, but no account of the cost of lignum vitae or cedar posts is included (PCC, No. 42, VIII, f. 125–132; Naval Docs. Amer. Rev. , 5:603–604).

 4.

When it adopted the committee's report, the congress deleted the phrase “and Council.” On 12 July the congress voted to return the sloop to Walker and to pay him $2,000 ( JCC , 5:424–425, 545–546).