Aug 2

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Friday, August 2, 1776.

The Declaration of Independence being engrossed and compared at the table, was signed by the Members.

Resolved, That two months' Pay be advanced to Monsieur Pellisier, he to be accountable.

Resolved, That the Secret Committee and Marine Committee be discharged from fitting out Vessels with Cargoes to Bermudas.

The Board of War brought in a Report, which was taken into consideration.

Whereupon, Resolved, That 200,000 Dollars be sent to Jonathan Trumbull, Esq˙, Deputy Paymaster-General in the Northern Department:

That General Washington be instructed to employ in the service of the States as many of the Stockbridge Indians as he shall judge proper:

That one hundred old Arms, belonging to Congress, be delivered to the Council of Safety of Pennsylvania, to be repaired at the Continental expense, and put into the hands of the soldiers destined for the Flying-Camp, the said Council to be accountable:

That the Paymaster-General, and the several Deputy Paymasters-General, in the service of these States, be directed to make Weekly Returns to Congress of the state of the Military Chests under their direction:

That Jonathan Trumbull, Esq˙, Deputy Paymaster-General in the Northern Army, be directed to transmit to Congress, as soon as possible, an account of all the Moneys which have passed through his hands since his appointment to that office:

That the Commissary-General and Deputy-Commissaries in the several departments, be directed to transmit to Congress, weekly, an account of the sums of Money they may respectively receive from the Paymasters:

That the Quartermaster-General, and Deputy Quartermasters-General, in the several departments, be directed to transmit, weekly, to Congress, an account of the Moneys they respectively receive from the Paymaster-General, or Deputy Paymasters-General:

That the Commissary-General, Quartermaster-General, Deputy-Commissaries, and Deputy Quartermasters-General, be directed to make Monthly Returns, at least, of the stores under their direction, and the distribution of them:

That the Commanding Officer in each department be directed to make Returns, once a month, to Congress, of the drafts made by him upon the Paymaster in his department.

Resolved, That Mr˙ Walton be appointed a Member of the Marine Committee, in the room of Mr˙ Gwinnett, who is absent.

Resolved, That 100 Dollars be advanced to Thaddeus Sturges, to be accounted for by him, and deducted out of

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The Marine Committee, to whom it was referred to inquire into the conduct of Commodore Hopkins, brought in their Report, which was read:

Ordered, To lie on the table, to be taken into consideration on Monday next.

Congress resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole, to take into consideration the Articles of Confederation; and, after some time, the President resumed the chair, and Mr˙ Morton reported that the Committee, not having finished, desired leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, to take into consideration the Articles of Confederation.

The Committee of Treasury reported, that there is due —

To Benjamin Thompson, for 131 days' service, viz: from the 1st of December to the last of May inclusive, as Clerk of the Hospital at Montreal, at the rate of 2-3ds of a Dollar per day, 122 Dollars:

Ordered, That the same be paid.

Adjourned to nine o' clock, to-morrow.