MONDAY,, FEBRUARY 12, 1781.

Mr. Daniel Carrol, a delegate for the State of Maryland, attended and produced the credentials of his appointment, which were read, as follows:

MARYLAND, Annapolis 3 Feb. 1781. We hereby certify that John Hanson, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carroll and Richard Potts Esquires are elected Delegates, to represent this State in Congress for the year One thousand seven hundred and Eighty one.

JA. MACUBBIN Cl. Sen.
F. GREEN Cl Ho Del.1

The delegates for Maryland laid before Congress a certified copy of an act of the legislature of that State, which was read, as follows:

"An act to empower the delegates of this State in Congress to subscribe and ratify the Articles of Confederation.

"Whereas it hath been said that the common enemy is encouraged by this State not acceding to the Confederation, to hope that the union of the sister states may be dissolved; and therefore prosecutes the war in expectation of an event so disgraceful to America; and our friends and illustrious ally are impressed with an idea that the common cause would be promoted by our formally acceding to the Confederation: this general assembly, conscious that this State hath, from the commencement of the war, strenuously exerted herself in the common cause, and fully satisfied that if no formal confederation was to take place, it is the fixed determination of this State to continue her exertions to the utmost, agreeable to the faith pledged in the union; from an earnest desire to conciliate the affection of the sister

1 The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, Maryland, Credentials of Delegates.

states; to convince all the world of our unalterable resolution to support the independence of the United States, and the alliance with his Most Christian Majesty, and to destroy forever any apprehension of our friends, or hope in our enemies, of this State being again united to Great Britain;

"Be it enacted by the general assembly of Maryland, that the delegates of this State in Congress, or any two or three of them, shall be, and are hereby, empowered and required, on behalf of this State, to subscribe the Articles of Confederation and perpetual union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, signed in the general Congress of the said States by the honorable Henry Laurens, esq. their then President, and laid before the legislature of this State to be ratified if approved. And that the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual union, so as aforesaid subscribed, shall thenceforth be ratified and become conclusive as to this State, and obligatory thereon. And it is hereby declared, that, by acceding to the said Confederation, this State doth not relinquish, or intend to relinquish, any right or interest she hath, with the other united or confederated states, to the back country; but claims the same as fully as was done by the legislature of this State, in their declaration, which stands entered on the journals of Congress; this State relying on the justice of the several states hereafter, as to the said claim made by this State.

"And it is further declared, that no article in the said Confederation, can or ought to bind this or any other State, to guarantee any exclusive claim of any particular State, to the soil of the said back lands, or any such claim of jurisdiction over the said lands or the inhabitants thereof.

"By the House of Delegates, January 30th, 1781, read and assented to,

By order,

F. GREEN, Clerk.

By the Senate, February 2d, 1781. Read and assented to. JAS. MACCUBBIN, Clerk,

By order,

2

One, of 19th December, from Will Carmichael, were read: Ordered, That the same be considered on Wednesday next. Petitions of John Taggart, Mathew McConnel, Samuel Alexander, Robert Bevins, John James and Charles White, were read:

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the Board of Treasury for settlement, agreeably to the resolution of the 4 January last.

A letter, of this day, from E. Cornell, was read:3
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A memorial of Captain Thomas McIntyre was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.

4

A memorial, signed O'Neill, was read: 1

Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
AT A BOARD OF WAR, Feby 12th 1781

Present Mr Peters, Gen' Cornell Mr Mathews

Col Miles having represented that it will be absolutely necessary to advance 590 dollars of the new emissions to the Wagoners who are to be sent with Stores for the Southern Army, beg leave to report.

Ordered, That a warrant issue in favour of Charles Pettit, assistant quartermaster general, for five hundred and ninety 1 This copy is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 70, folio 453. It was also entered in No. 9 (History of the Confederation).

2 The letter of 28 November is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), IV, 164; that of 19 December, page 198.

Taggart's petition, dated February 12, 1781, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VII, folio 402; that of McConnel, Alexander, Bevins, James and White is in No. 42, V, folio 229; Cornell's letter is in No. 78, VI, folio 15.

+ This memorial is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VII, folio 290.

dollars of the new emissions, for the use of Colonel Miles, deputy quartermaster for Pensylvania, the quartermaster general to be accountable.1

The committee to whom was referred the report of the Board of Treasury, of the 29 January last, delivered in a report; Whereupon,

The Committee to whom was referred the report of the Board of Treasury of the 29th of Jan'y taking into their consideration the present demands on the Treasury, and having examined into the state of the monies at present in the Treasury and in the loan office of the State of Pennsylvania beg leave to report,

Ordered, That a warrant issue in favour of Charles Pettit, assistant quartermaster general, on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for ten thousand dollars of the new emissions, five thousand of which to be applied towards furnishing supplies, &c., for the post at Fort Pitt, and the remaining five thousand to be applied to such other public purposes as are most urgent and immediately pressing in the district of the quartermaster's department under the direction of Colonel Miles, deputy quartermaster.

Ordered, That bills of exchange be sold, under the direction of the Board of Treasury, by Thomas Smith, commissioner aforesaid, for five hundred dollars specie, to be paid into the hands of the paymaster general of the army, for the use of the Commander in Chief.2

Congress was resolved into a Committee of the Whole, and after some time, the President resumed the chair, and Mr. [John] Mathews reported, that the Committee have considered farther the reports on finance, and made some progress, but not having come to a conclusion, desire leave to sit again:

1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 143. 2 This report, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 251.

Ordered, That to Morrow Congress be again resolved into a Committee of the Whole, to consider farther the reports on finance.

Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1781

A letter, of 25 January, from the governor of Rhode Island, was read, with an act passed by the legislature of that State enclosed.

A letter and petition from Rouz & Co. were read:

Ordered, That they be referred to the committee on the petition of Oliver Bowen.

A letter, of 3, from Leonard Gansevoort, was read, signifying his acceptance of the office of commissioner of the extra chamber of accounts in the northern department.

A letter, of this day, from B. Harrison, was read:1

Ordered, That a committee of five six be appointed to confer with Mr. Harrison on the subjects mentioned in the said letter.

The members, Mr. [Samuel] Adams, Mr. [Alexander] McDougall, Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery, Mr. [John] Sullivan, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [Thomas] Burke.

A letter, of the 10, from Thomas Nelmes, was read:2 Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury to report.

A memorial, from J. Henderson, agent of O. Pollock, was read, with sundry papers enclosed:3

Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee of Commerce.

1 The Rhode Island letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 64, folio 494; Gansevoort's letter is in No. 78, X, folio 289; Harrison's is in No. 78, XII, folio 117. 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XVII, folio 123. 3 This memorial is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, IV, folio 169.