favourable Accounts of the great Attachment Mr. Burke has to the Cause of America, and of his Zeal to do every Thing in his Power to support her Liberties. 340. JOHN ADAMS TO MRS. ADAMS.1 BALTIMORE, 7 February, 1777. I am at last, after a great deal of difficulty, settled in comfortable quarters, but at an infinite expense. The price I pay for my board is more moderate than any other gentlemen give, excepting my colleagues, who are all in the same quarters and at the same rates, except Mr. Hancock, who keeps a house by himself. The prices of things here are much more intolerable than at Boston. The attempt of New England to regulate prices is extremely popular in Congress, who will recommend an imitation of it to the other States. For my own part I expect only a partial and a temporary relief from it, and I fear that, after a time, the evils will break out with greater violence. The water will flow with greater rapidity for having been dammed up for a time. The only radical cure will be to stop the emission of more paper, and to draw in some that is already out, and devise means effectually to support the credit of the rest. To this end we must begin forthwith to tax the people as largely as the distressed circumstances of the country will bear. We must raise the interest from four to six per cent. We must, if possible, borrow silver and gold from abroad. We must, above all things, endeavor, this winter, to gain further advantages of the enemy, that our power may be in somewhat higher reputation than it is, or rather, than it has been. 341. SAMUEL CHASE TO THE MARYLAND COUNCIL OF Safety.1 BALTIMORE TOWN Febry. 7th. 1777. Gentlemen The marine Committee are very desirous, that the Tender of the Defence should be well manned, and under a bold active prudent officer, sent down with the Troops destined for Somt. and Worcester County. [340]1 Familiar Letters, p. 239. 2 In his diary he writes: "February 6. Thursday. Lodged last night, for the first time, in my new quarters, at Mrs. Ross's, in Market Street, Baltimore, a few doors below the Fountain Inn. The Congress sits in the last house at the west end of Market Street, on the south side of the street; a long chamber, with two fire-places, two large closets, and two doors. The house belongs to a Quaker, who built it for a tavern." Works, II. 433. Adams arrived in Baltimore Feb. 1 (see his leter to Mrs. Adams, Feb. 2, Familiar Letters, p. 237), and took his seat in Congress Feb. 4 (see the Journals, Feb. 4, and no. 336, ante); cf. Warren-Adams Letters, I. 288. Concerning conditions at Baltimore, cf. Adams's letter of Feb. 2, mentioned above, and nos. 260, 262, 282, 295, ante. See also no. 344, note 2, post. In regard to the house in which Congress sat, see Scharf, Chronicles of Baltimore, pp. 141, 153, and Scharf, Baltimore City and County, p. 74. In the latter volume is a picture of "Congress Hall". 3 See no. 323, note 2, ante. See nos. 326, note 8, ante, 344-346, 349, 352, 357, 375, 382, 384, 385, post. [341]1 Md. Hist. Soc., Red Book, IV. 86; Arch. of Md., XVI. 124. Congress will afford every Assistance in their power to prevent any Communication between the Insurgents and the Men of war, and any plunder of our Islands or Coasts. it is earnestly wished and expected that our State will order every Vessel they have and can obtain on the same Duty. I shall speak to Captain Cook about his tender.2 No Letters from General Washington The Post is not yet arrived. With Respect your Obedt. Servt. 342. WILLIAM WHIPPLE TO JOSIAH BARTLETT.1 S. CHASE BALTIMORE, Feby. 7, 1777. There is more unanimity in Congress than ever. the little Southern jealousies have almost subsided and the Dickinsonian politics are Banished. J. Adams and Lovell are arrived from Massacts and exceeding good representatives from Virginia, and a new member from N. Carolina, (one Mr. Burke), who I think is the Best man I have seen from that country.2. 343. THOMAS BURKE, ABSTRACT OF DEBATES.1 February 7, 1777. Motion in Congress that the President write to every State excepting Virginia and Masechusett's Bay recommending a fuller representation. proposed to leave out the Exceptions. passed in the Negative Amendment proposed, that when ever any State was unrepresented the President should write requesting a full representation agreed by a Majority. motion to be reconsidered. Amendment proposed that when ever any State was represented by less than three President should write etc. rejected. Question upon the whole as amended, Nos 5 Ayes 4 1 Divided. In this Debate the States fully represented insisted on the Exceptions that, it might appear they had no need of a Memento. Several other States insisted that no state ought to be permitted to Commit a Vote in the General Council of the States to less than three. That less nor even that Number would supply Committees it was Answered to the first that every State had made her representation as best Suited her Circumstances, 2 Cf. no. 335, ante, nos. 347, 443, 463, post. [342]1 Mag. of Hist., VIII. 371; Henkels, Catalogue, no. 969, item 144. 2 Cf. John Adams to James Warren, Feb. 17, Warren-Adams Letters, I. 293. [343]1 N. Č. Hist. Soc., Chapel Hill. Burke evidently made two partially distinct sets of abstracts. Besides the fragment, Feb. 7 and 8, in possession of the North Carolina Historical Society, and the abstracts, Feb. 8-26, printed in the North Carolina State Records, vol. XI., there is in the Emmet Collection in the New York Public Library a fragment covering the debates of Feb. 20-27 (see no. 367, note 1, post), with some account of debates about Mar. 14 and Apr. 8. For some dates the texts show only minor variations; for others they are quite distinct. The Emmet copy apears to have been drafted subsequently to that used in the N. C. State Recs., and some of the abstracts are more extended. It is probable that the Emmet fragment and that at Chapel Hill are parts of the same manuscript. The original from which the text of the N. C. State Recs. was derived has probably been lost, as that text was printed from an executive letter-book copy. that many were unable to spare or support one more Numerous, that each was best Judge how many of her citizens She would Trust, and to what length she would Trust them, that there was no need of publicly calling on them for a representation more full because they had already wished the same thing but found it Inconvenient to be Effected that therefore those who had any representation at all [had] done what their circumstances permit [ed] an [?] for greater Exertions, to the second that the represent [atives of] the States who had few refused nor [ ] That the weight and Trust were certainly too great for any one person but it was an evil that could not at present be remedied, and therefore it must be born, that requiring three to form a Quorum would Embarass several states and leave such states often without any representation at all, because if any Accident prevented the attendance of one, the Vote was Necessarily lost, and any state would prefer a Vote by one of her Del[eg]ates rather than No Vote at all. North Carolina having only one Delegate present urged that the arguments [aimed at?] the Insufficiency of One Delegate for so Important a Trust were sensibly felt by the Delegate who already tho' but a very few days in Congress found his Experience and abilities far Inferior to his Duty, but this was not the fault of his Country, who could not prevail on her abler men to undertake a Business so arduous and Inconvenient. that She had Indeed appointed three but never Expected that they should be always in Service at Once, because the absence was too long from their private Families and Affairs, and She had not Funds to support a greater Number, that One who Expected to have been here was prevented by Illness. the other had Just departed and after a long attendance was permitted to return home that the Single Representation of that State was the Misfortune of the Delegate on whom, all Incompetent as he is, the burthen of so high a Trust had fallen and also the misfortune of his Country who in the absence of his more able Colleagues could not be so well served, that Considering it as a matter which each state had an Exclusive right to Judge of, the Delegate could not agree that Congress should at all Interfere with it, that having Just informed the Congress that one of the [delegates had been] permitted by his Country to return, and that the [consequence is] that only two would be in service the Delegate considered the Ammendment relative to three is [as] implying a Censure on his Country and he must therefore protest against it. The Intention to Censure was disclaimed.2 Dear Sir 344. BENJAMIN RUSH TO ROBERT MORRIS.1 BALTIMORE Feby. 8th 1777 I have the pleasure of informing you that your letter to Congress of the 4th instant produced a Motion this day for adjourning to Philadelphia. 2 See no. 351, post. Cf. nos. 311, 326, ante. [344] Copied from the original then in the possession of Mr. Stan. V. Henkels of Philadelphia; Henkels, Catalogue, no. 1183, item 92. After some debate it was resolved by a majority of one State only not to put the Question. One State was accidentally unrepresented for a few minutes or it would have been carried in the Affirmative. The principal design of this letter is to request that you would urge the necessity of our returning to Philada in your next letter. By our Absence from Philada we not only depreciate the money there, but we likewise depreciate it by our residence here. The scarcity of Artificers, the want of sufficient number of boarding houses, the constant accession of Strangers who have business with the Congress and who create a fluctuation in the Quantity of provisions brought into the town have rendered the price of living, and transacting business of all kinds three times as high in this place as it is in many parts of the Continent, and Nearly twice as high as in Philadelphia. But there are other considerations which ought to influence us. Our return will have the same effect upon our politicks that General Washington's late successes have had upon our Arms. Its operation perhaps may not be confined to the Continent. It may serve our cause even in the Court of France.2 Your letter produced another motion in Congress of greater consequence than the one just now mentioned, namely to raise the interest of money received into our loan Offices to 6 per Cent. It produced a very long, and serious debate. The question was postponed 'till Monday next at the request of Connecticut. There is good reason to believe from the part the several States took in the debate that it will be carried in the Affirmative by a majority of two or three States. Col. R. H. Lee has changed his mind upon this subject, and was one of the warmest Advocates for raising the interest upon the floor. We live here in a Convent, we converse only with one another. We are precluded from all opportunities of feeling the pulse of the public upon our measures. We rely upon the Committee of Philada to feel it for us, and we expect once more to hear thro' you how it beats upon the subject of returning to Philadelphia. From Dr. Sir your Most humble Servt BENJAMIN RUSH 345. THOMAS BURKE, ABSTRACT OF Debates.1 1777 Feb. 8th. Motion for offering 6 per ct. in the Loan Office.2 For it, was agreed the necessity of money for carrying on the war, which four per cent had not yet procured, the expediency of borrowing on this interest to prevent further emissions, and of alluring moneyed men to embark in our interest. Against it.-that the public, being the only 2 The motion to adjourn to Philadelphia is not recorded in the Journals Feb. 8; see however the Journals, Feb. 17, 25, 27; also nos. 345, 347, 357, 359, 361-363, 368, 377, 378, 382-384, 387-389, 392, 393, post. Cf. nos. 282, 295, 304, 332, 340, ante. 3 See no. 326, note 8, ante. Cf. nos. 345, 346, 349, post. [345] N. C. State Recs., XI. 389. 2 Another account by Burke of this debate is given under no. 346, post. See no. 326, note 8, ante; also nos. 349, 352, 357, 375, 382, 384, 385, post. borrower, must get the money at the interest already offered, if there was any to be lent; that those who withheld money, only did it in hopes our necessity would compel us to give a higher interest, and that they would withhold it as long as they had any prospect of forcing us to offer higher interest; that the interest would be a heavy and unequal burthen on the State, because those who now possess the money would lay the rest under a heavy tax under the name of interest; that there was little money to be borrowed, because men speculated and found they could lay it out to better advantage; that the necessity for money made it more expedient to seek a more certain resource. The delegate of North Carolina could not be satisfied that Loan Office certificates, and bills of credit, where both had the same security for their redemption, were not in effect the same thing: he therefore thought Loan certificates another emission in bills of another denomination, with this unjust inequality, that one part of the community would thereby be taxed for the others. He also thought that much money would not be borrowed on them at any interest, unless it was for the more convenient purposes of exchange, and he thought it would give our enemies too convenient a machine for affecting our hopes and fears. He would vote against a Loan altogether if it were now the question, and the same reasons induced him to vote against the increase of interest. Question put, Aye 5, no 5. Aye,-New Hampshire, M. Bay, N. Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia. No.-Rhode Island, Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, S. Carolina. 346. THOMAS BURKE, ABSTRACT OF DEBATES.1 Feby 8th. An adjournment to Philadelphia was moved for and postponed 2 A Resolve was moved for offering 6 pct. Interest in the Loan Office the Debate took up greatest part of the Day, and the determination was postponed at the request of Connecticut. The Arguments chiefly were that money was absolutely Necessary for carrying on the War, that four per ct which was already offered could not procure it and it was therefore Necessary to Increase the Interest. that this mode was more eligeable than a farther Emission because it would draw out of Circulation that superfluous quantity which occasioned the Rise of all prices. that the alluring monied men to embark in one Common Interest with the other orders of men would greatly add to the Security of our Independence. In answer it was urged that the Offering a higher Interest would not more certainly procure the money, for those who had it to lend would find no borrower but the public, and those who had not could not lend it on any Interest, that the Interest would be an Accumulating Debt (if it could be borrowed) under which the Country must Sink. that the States would be very unequally burthened because those who now possessed the greater part of the Money would lay the other States under a heavy Tax [346]1 N. C. Hist. Soc., Chapel Hill. 2 See no. 344, note 2, ante. |