Suppose the foregoing funds productive, Total__. 1,739, 2567* $19, 407, 45718 To make up the deficiency, no-other-more-practicable-means-can-be devised than to require the following states to give up of their 6-tenths of the new money to the amount of $1,739,25673-in the following proportions,-viz: From the situation of the Southern States and the distressed-eendition of New York it is judged improper to call on them. This requisition is not to interfere nor in any wise be construed to dispense with the states sinking one sixth of the new emission-according to the tenor of the act of the 18th of March, 1780. It will moreover be necessary to provide funds for paying the interest of the debts contracted in Europe. With a view to this, Congress, in their requisition of February, 1780, among other specific supplies, called upon the states of Virginia and Maryland to furnish a quantity of tobacco, which it was expected might have been shipped to France, and been the beginning of a fund for defraying the expences of our ministers at foreign courts, and paying the interest of moneys borrowed in Europe. But the want of ships last fall, and the naval superiority of the enemy in Chesapeak Bay this spring, have prevented the public from deriving any advantage from that requisition. It has been before observed, that the debts contracted abroad amount, by computation, to the sum of six million dollars, the annual interest of which is three hundred and sixty thousand dollars. The annual interest of the money borrowed on certificates previous to the 1 March, 1778, and which is to be paid by bills drawn on our minister at the Court of France, amounts to 438,7981. The credit and honor of the United States require that a fund should be provided not only for defraying this interest, but also for discharging the principal, or at least those certificates for the interest of which bills are to be drawn annually on our minister, who has no fund to apply to that purpose, and who therefore has to depend on the success of his solicitations, as it becomes due. And what equally concerns the honor of the United States, a fund should be provided for defraying the expences of our ministers abroad. This shows the absolute necessity of the states immediately granting the duties on imports and prizes as requested by Congress. Before we conclude it may not be amiss to observe, that from the constant depreciation of the currency, and the unpunctuality of the states in complying with the requisitions of Congress, the sums called for when paid in have heretofore always been greatly inadequate to the purposes designed. It is therefore recommended that for the future wheat or flour or beef be made the standard, and that in all requisitions hereafter made the states be called upon to pay in such certain sums of money, or so much as will be equal in value to or will purchase a certain-given quantity of wheat flour or beef.1 and the same being twice read, debated by paragraphs and agreed to: 1 A copy of this report, in the writing of George Bond of the Secretary's Office, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 259. It was entered only in the manuscript Secret (Domestic) Journal and in No. 12, (Estimates). Ordered, That copies thereof be sent to the several states. The committee to whom was referred a letter or representation, of 10 March, in the name and behalf of the general court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, delivered in a report. A motion was made by Mr. [James] Madison, seconded by Mr. [William] Sharpe: Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: The members, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum, Mr. [William] Sharpe. Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1781 A letter, of 28 March, from the governor of New York, was read, with sundry papers enclosed: 1 1 Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: The members, Mr. [William Churchill] Houston, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [Samuel] Adams. A letter, of 19, from N. Brownson, was read: Ordered, That to Morrow be assigned for electing an assistant deputy purveyor for the hospital for the southern army. A letter, of 18, from E. Cornell; 2 and A representation and petition from Major General A. McDougall; and A petition of Maurice Desdevens, were read: Ordered, That the petition of Maurice Desdevens be referred to the Board of War. A letter, of 18, from the president of the supreme executive council of Pensylvania, was read, with letter enclosed: 3 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 67, II, folio 372. 2 Brownson's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, IV, folio 165; Cornell's is in No. 78, VI, folio 23. 3 McDougall's petition is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, V, folio 255; Desdevens's petition, dated March 25, 1781, is in No. 43, folio 61; the Pennsylvania letter is in No. 69, II, folio 341, and a copy of the enclosure on folio 365. Ordered, That a copy thereof be transmitted to the Commander in Chief and that he be directed to take effectual measures for immediately enquiring into and correcting the abuses therein mentioned and for bringing the offenders to condign punishment. A letter, of 29 March, from P. Schuyler, was read:1 Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: The members, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [William Churchill] Houston. On motion of Mr. [James] Duane, a delegate for the State of New York, in pursuance of instructions from his constituents, it was resolved as follows: Whereas differences have arisen between quartermasters and commissaries, and persons claiming to be creditors of the United States, for articles furnished by or taken from them, and for services performed by them, for which no vouchers have been given, or for which the vouchers may be lost, or having vouchers it is doubtful whether the accounts can be adjusted in either of the departments of quartermaster general or commissary general; to remedy which, Resolved, That every such claim as aforesaid, which shall have been submitted to the inspection of the continental commissioners for auditing and adjusting accounts, and by them certified, shall, by the quartermaster or commissary, be allowed and may be paid, or certificates given for the same, in like manner as is directed by the act of Congress of the 26th day of August, 1780. The report of the committee, ||consisting of Mr. Adams, Mr. Duane, Mr. Wolcott,|| to whom was referred the letter of March 10th, in the name and behalf of the general court of Massachusetts, was taken into consideration; and the same being read twice, and agreed to: The letter under consideration represents "That there is reason to suppose that the State of Massachusetts is 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 153, III, folio 547. called on for contributions in an undue proportion to her abilities. That the duty on imports and prizes required by Congress will be an unequal burthen on some of the states. That it is impossible, if the proposition should be acceded to at all, that it will be on any other plan, than that the produce shall be passed to the credit of the State. And that its mercantile interest object against it as partial, alledging that it is notorious that the commodities which they import are vended below their cost." Your committee have deliberately considered these several objections; and are persuaded of their insufficiency to justify any alteration in the act to which the objections are made, either as to the duty itself, or the manner of its application. Nothing is more to be wished, than that Congress was enabled to assign to the respective states their quotas of aids on fixed and equitable principles. The necessity of it, as early as the year 1775, was fully understood. The states were then called upon to sink by taxes their respective proportions of the bills of credit ordered to be emitted. It was directed that the quota of each should be determined according to the number of its inhabitants of all ages; and the governments then in being were pressed to ascertain by the most impartial means in their power, and to return as soon as possible, the number of inhabitants. This recommendation was in vain attempted to be inforced. With very few exceptions, it has been neglected to this day. The Confederation prescribed another rule for fixing the quotas of aids for the common defence or general] welfare, namely, that they shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the value of all appropriated lands, and the houses and buildings in the respective states. But the attainment of such an estimate, flagrante bello, is difficult; perhaps in some |