The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 12
History
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 12
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
1st. All such certificates have by experience been found to be only
another kind of paper money, continually depreciating both by increase
of quantity and defect of funds.
2dly. The consequence thereof is, that the same is daily brought into
fewer hands and for less value, by which one of two things must
happen, either that those few become very rich by their speculations,
or, that being defrauded they become clamorous against the government.
3dly. If the certificates are transferable in the manner proposed by
the motion, they are evidence of the debt as due to the bearer, and
therefore whether obtained by accident, force, or fraud, vest him with
a right, to the prejudice of the injured or unfortunate party.
4thly. Being, therefore, a precarious property, they become less
valuable from that circumstance.
5thly. When the original proprietors become divested of them, some of
the reasons in favor of revenues to redeem them lose their force, and
the advocates for just measures being lessened, the probability of
carrying them through is decreased.
6thly. While the evidence of such debts is in the treasury books and
the stock transferable there, the public debt becomes a property, the
object of purchase, instead of being as in the other case the means of
making purchases as money.
But if there be powerful reasons in favor of the motion, which have
escaped the Superintendent of Finance, he shall very readily comply
with such order as to the wisdom of Congress may seem meet.
ROBERT MORRIS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Office of Finance, August 1st, 1783.
Sir,
I do myself the honor to enclose an account of payments, made by the
States to the receivers, until the 1st day of July last, and with it I
take the liberty also to enclose a note, containing nearly the
proportions, in which the States have paid their quotas of the
requisitions for 1782.[17]
[17] The proportions are as follows:
South Carolina 1-1
Rhode Island nearly 1-4
Pennsylvania above 1-5
Connecticut and}
New Jersey } each about 1-7
Massachusetts, about 1-8
Virginia about 1-12
New York and }
Maryland } each about 1-20
New Hampshire, about 1-121
North Carolina,}
Delaware and } nothing at all.
Georgia }
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