Comment on Settlement of Foreign Accounts, [29 July] 1782

Comment on Settlement of Foreign Accounts

Printed copy (Thomson, “Debates,” description begins Charles Thomson, “Debates in the Congress of the Confederation from July 22d to September 20th, 1782,” Collections of the New-York Historical Society, XI (1878), 63–169. description ends pp. 69–70). See Comments on Instructions to Peace Commissioners, 24 July 1782, headnote.

Editorial Note

Although Congress on 28 May 1782 had resolved to appoint a commissioner “to liquidate and finally settle the accounts of all the servants of the United States, who have been entrusted with the expenditure of public monies in Europe,” nothing had been done since that date to fill the office or to determine the salary of the incumbent (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXII, 306; Report on Salaries of Representatives Abroad, 28 May 1782, and n. 4). When the matter was revived on 25 and 29 July, Arthur Lee and other delegates who suspected that Franklin had been guilty of financial irregularities urged Congress to repeal the above resolution (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXII, 416–17, 421; Burnett, Letters description begins Edmund C. Burnett, ed., Letters of Members of the Continental Congress (8 vols.; Washington, 1921–36). description ends , VI, 379, 389; Thomson, “Debates,” description begins Charles Thomson, “Debates in the Congress of the Confederation from July 22d to September 20th, 1782,” Collections of the New-York Historical Society, XI (1878), 63–169. description ends pp. 65–66, 69–70). According to Thomson, Edward Telfair opened the way for debate on 29 July by moving that the commissioner’s annual stipend should be four thousand dollars.

[29 July 1782]

Mr Madison was for sending a person or persons to liquidate but not with power finally to settle the acct.1

1. The debate terminated with the adoption of a motion, offered by Bland and seconded by John Witherspoon, to have the resolution, quoted in the editorial note, referred to a committee. Its members should “define accurately the powers with which the said commissioner is to be entrusted, and prepare instructions for the execution of those powers, to confer with the Superintendant of Finance.” John Morin Scott, Arthur Lee, and John Rutledge were first named to do this, but JM took Scott’s place on 29 August. The committee’s report, in Rutledge’s hand, was submitted on 3 September and adopted on 18 November 1782. Although Thomas Barclay, already in Europe, was chosen to be the commissioner, a decision about his salary was postponed until the difficulty and duration of his task should become known (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXII, 421, 421 n.; XXIII, 728–30, 773–75).

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Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: Comment on Settlement of Foreign Accounts, [29 July] 1782
Author: Madison, James
Date: 29 July 1782

Reference

Cite as: “Comment on Settlement of Foreign Accounts, [29 July] 1782,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-04-02-0205. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 4, 1 January 1782 – 31 July 1782, ed. William T. Hutchinson and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1965, pp. 441–442.]