Report of the Committee of Ways and Means

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Mr. Gilbert Livingston, from the Committee appointed on Wednesday last to reconsider and report on the residue of the Report of the Committee of Ways and Means, delivered in the said Report, with their amendments, which was read; and the same being again read by paragraphs, the Preamble was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

Whereas a heavy expense has accrued on the credit of this Colony, and the same is likely to increase in our important struggle for the defence of our rights and privileges against tyranny and oppression; and as a large sum of Money is immediately wanted to answer the above important purposes —

The first paragraph, which was agreed to on Wednesday, the 30th ult., was again read, and is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, first, That the means requisite to defray the expenses incurred by this Congress, and to be incurred by the Colony, be supplied by an emission of One Hundred and Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars, (amounting to the sum of Forty-Five Thousand Pounds, New-York currency) to be sunk in the manner following, viz: Fifty-Six Thousand two Hundred and Fifty Dollars, or one-half, the 1st day of March, 1776, and the remaining half part, the 1st day of March, 1777.

The same being read and approved of,

Resolved, That the Congress does agree with their Committee in their said Resolution.

The second paragraph being then read and amended, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, secondly, That Bills of Credit, to the amount of One Hundred and Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars, be immediately printed, as follows, viz:

Five thousand Bills of Ten Dollars each, is $50,000
Five thousand Bills of Five Dollars each, is 25,000
Five thousand Bills of Three Dollars each, is 15,000
Five thousand Bills of Two Dollars each, is 10,000
Ten thousand Bills of One Dollar each, is 10,000
Five thousand Bills of One-half Dollar each, is 2,500
$112,500

Upon the face of each of which Bills shall be impressed the Arms of the City of New-York, together with such other devices as the Committee appointed for that purpose shall direct; and the said Bills shall be in form following:

"This Bill shall pass current in all payments in this Colony for ... Spanish milled Dollars, or the value thereof in gold or silver, according to the Resolution of the Provincial Congress of New-York, the second day of September, 1775."

Which Bills shall be numbered by Theodorus Van Wyck, Robert Ray, Evert Bancker, John Broome, Eleazer Miller, William Denning, John Sebring, John Reade, Jeremiah Brewer, Thomas Tucker, Abraham Brinckerhoff, Garrit Abeel, Anthony L. Bleecker, Abraham Livingston, and William Mercey, and signed by any three of them: the said Signers, respectively, to deliver said Bills to the Treasurer appointed by this Congress, as soon as finished.

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Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in said Resolution.

The third paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, thirdly, That the said Signers, or any three of them, are hereby directed and required, upon the delivery of the said Bills to them by the Printer of the same, to cause to he administered to him, by a Magistrate, the following Oath, viz: "I, A B, do declare that from the time that the letters were set and fit to be put in the press for printing the Bills of Credit, now by me delivered to you, until the Bills were printed, and the letters afterwards distributed into the boxes, I went at no time out of the room in which the said letters were, without locking them up, so that they could not be come at without violence, or a false key, or other art unknown to me; and, therefore, to the best of my knowledge, no copies were printed off, but in my presence; and that all the blotters and other papers whatsoever impressed by the said letters, whilst set for printing the said Bills, to the best of my knowledge, are here delivered to you, together with the stamps; and in all things relating to this affair I have demeaned myself honestly and faithfully, according to the best of my knowledge and understanding; so help me God."

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said Resolution.

The fourth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, fourthly, That if any more of the said Bills are printed than is hereby directed, when the abovementioned Signers, or any three of them, have signed the number hereby directed to be issued, they shall immediately burn and destroy all the remainder.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said fourth paragraph.

The fifth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, fifthly, That . . . or such other person as the major part of said Signers of the said Bills of Credit shall agree with, shall engrave so many Stamps for the said Bills, with such devices, and so many Stamps for the Arms of the City of New-York, as the majority of the said signers shall direct: which engraver shall take the following Oath, to wit: "I, A B, do declare, that I have not engraved more plates than I deliver to the Treasurer, as directed by the Provincial Congress of New-York, of the like kind, or in imitation of the same; neither have I kept copies and draughts of the said plates; neither will I engrave more of the like kind, without the orders of this or some future Congress or House of Assembly." And shall deliver them to the Treasurer of this Congress, who shall, in the presence of the majority of the said Signers, deliver them unto John Holt, Printer, or such other Printer as shall be directed by this Congress or the Committee of Safety, and take his receipt for the same. And when the said John Holt, or such other Printer as shall be employed, has finished and completed the printing the quantity and sorts of Bills hereby directed to be struck and issued, he shall redeliver the said Stamps to the said Signers and Treasurer, who are hereby directed and required to seal them up with their several seals, and they are so to remain with the said Treasurer, until further order of this or some future Provincial Congress; the receipt of the said Treasurer to the said John Holt, or such other Printer, shall be a sufficient voucher for such redelivery.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their said Committee in the said fifth Resolution.

The sixth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, sixthly, That before the said Signers do receive any of the said Bills, they shall each of them lake an Oath or Affirmation, before a proper Magistrate, well and truly to perform what is hereby required as their duty, and that they will knowingly sign no more of the said Bills of Credit than is above directed.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said sixth Resolution.

The seventh paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

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Resolved, seventhly, That the said Treasurer shall pay, out of the said Bills of Credit, all such sums of money as shall be ordered by this Congress, and all such accounts as shall have been audited and approved by the Committee for that purpose by the same Congress appointed or to be appointed.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said seventh Resolution.

The eighth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, eighthly, That the said sums of Fifty-Six Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars, hereby directed to be sunk on the days and times beforementioned, shall be raised, levied, and paid, by the Freeholders, Inhabitants, and residents, in the several and respective Cities and Counties within this Colony, at or within the two several periods beforementioned, according to the quotas and proportions fallowing, that is to say —

The City and County of New-York, — ; the City and County of Albany, — ; King' s County, — ; Queen' s County, — ; Suffolk County, — ; Richmond County, — ; Westchester County, — ; Ulster County, — ; Dutchess County, — ; Orange County, — ; Tryon County, — ; Cumberland County, — ; Gloucester County, — ; Charlotte County, — ,

The quotas referred till the Congress meet after the adjournment.

Resolved, That this Congress agrees with their Committee in the said eighth Resolution.

And Agreed and Ordered, That that part of the eighth Resolution which respects the quotas of the respective Counties shall remain to be determined when this Congress meets again.

The ninth paragraph being read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, ninthly, That the Committees of the several Cities, Towns, Manors, Precincts, and Districts, do respectively appoint two or more Assessors, and one or more Collectors.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said ninth Resolution.

The tenth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, tenthly, That the County Committees be considered as Supervisors, according to the police of the City, County, Town, District, or Precinct, in which they have been chosen; and that they, with the Assessors, under oath, and Collectors, do proceed to assess, raise, and collect, their respective quotas, in the method which in each respective County has heretofore been practised.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said tenth Resolution.

The eleventh paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, eleventhly, That if any person or persons, so rated as aforesaid, shall refuse, delay, or neglect, to pay the said rate, that the said Collectors be authorised to collect and levy the same, by distress, upon the goods and chattels of the defaulters, as heretofore practised.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said eleventh Resolution.

The twelfth paragraph of the said Report being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, twelfthly, That the respective General County Committees do appoint a County Treasurer, into whose hands the respective Collectors be enjoined and required to pay the Money collected in each County, by a certain day, preceding the first day of March then next ensuing, which said County Treasurer shall forthwith transmit the Money by him received to the Colony Treasurer, appointed for that purpose by this Congress. That the several County Committees shall regulate the fees of the respective County Treasurers and their Collectors. The Treasurers' fees not to exceed three Pence, and the Collectors' not to exceed six Pence on the Pound, for the respective sums by each of them received, paid, and collected; such fees to be added to the quotas of the respective Counties.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said twelfth Resolution.

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The thirteenth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, thirteenthly, That the Moneys to be paid into the hands of the Treasurer, by virtue of the above Resolutions, shall be by him applied to sinking the Moneys abovementioned, at the times hereinabove particularly specified.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said thirteenth Resolution.

The fourteenth paragraph being then read, is in the words following, to wit:

Resolved, fourteenthly, That in such Counties where Committees have not already, or shall not be appointed by the first day of November next, for the purpose of choosing persons they can confide in for apportioning the quotas and rates, and choosing or appointing Collectors, this Congress will take proper measures for rating and collecting such taxes. And, also, if there be any District or Districts in any County that have not chosen Committees, where notwithstanding the majority of the Districts have chosen Committees, in such case the County Committee are to proceed, in regard to such delinquent District or Districts, in like manner as if said District or Districts, were actually represented in said County Committee. The Assessors of the remaining Districts to assess the inhabitants of such delinquent District or Districts according to the best of their skill and understanding. The County Committees in such case to choose a Collector for such Precinct or Precincts, who is hereby fully empowered to execute his office as effectually as any other Collector hereinbefore directed to be chosen.

Which is humbly submitted:

GILBERT LIVINGSTON,

Chairman of the Committee.

Resolved, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in their said fourteenth Resolution.

Report of the Committee of Ways and Means, providing for an issue of One Hundred and Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars, in Bills of Credit, again considered by paragraphs and adopted. [1775-09-02] New-York, Congress. [S4-V3-p0575] [Document Details][Complete Volume]