for the army, or any other person whom the legislature may think proper, to take from any engrossers, forestallers, or other person possessed of a larger quantity of any such commodities or provisions than shall be competent for the private annual consumption of their families, and who shall refuse to sell the surplus at the prices to be ascertained as aforesaid, paying only such price for the same.

6. And in order to introduce immediate economy in the public expence, the spirit of sharping and extortion, and the rapid and excessive rise of every commodity being confined within no bounds; and considering how much time must unavoidably elapse before the plan directed by the preceding resolution can be carried into effect.

Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the respective legislatures of the United States, without delay, by their separate authority, to adopt and effectually enforce a temporary regulation of the prices of provisions and other commodities for the supply of the army, in such manner as they shall judge reasonable; and to continue in force until the general regulation before proposed shall be adopted. [IX Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress), November 22, 1777, p. 956.]

IMPRESSMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES AND USE OF ARMY TO OPERATE SAME.

To proceed to head quarters, and hire 12 or more mills within six miles of, and covered by the army, to purchase or impress wheat in the sheaf; if the farmers cannot be prevailed on to thrash for the troops, to solicit the General to spare 150 men from the army for that purpose, and set the mills to work. [IX Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress), November 24, 1777, p. 961.]

RECOMMENDATION

REGARDING FORFEITURE OF CERTAIN

ESTATES.

8. Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the several states, as soon as may be, to confiscate and make sale of all the real and personal estate therein, of such of their inhabitants and other persons who have forfeited the same, and the right to the protection of their respective states, and to invest the money arising from the sales in continental loan office certificates, to be appropriated in such manner as the respective states shall hereafter direct. [IX Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress), November 27, 1777, p. 971.]

RESOLUTION URGING WASHINGTON TO SUBSIST ARMY ON COUNTRY IMMEDIATELY AROUND IT, IF NECESSARY, BY IMPRESSMENT.

Resolved, That General Washington be informed, that Congress have observed, with deep concern, that the principal supplies for the army under his command have, since the loss of Philadelphia, been drawn from distant quarters, whereby great expence has accrued to the public, the army has been irregularly and [often] scantily supplied, and the established magazines greatly reduced, while large quantities of stock, provision and forage, are still remaining in the counties of Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester, which by the fortune of war, may be soon subjected to the power of the enemy: That Congress, firmly persuaded of General Washington's zeal and attachment to the interest of these states, can only impute his forbearance in exercising the powers vested in him by Congress, by their resolutions of the 17 September and 14 November, to a delicacy in exerting military authority on the citizens of these states; a delicacy, which though highly laudable in general, may, on critical exigencies, prove destructive to the army and prejudicial to the general liberties of America:

That from these considerations, it is the desire and expectation of Congress, that General Washington should, for the future, endeavour as much as possible to subsist his army from such parts of the country as are in its vicinity, and especially from such quarters as he shall deem most likely to be subjected to the power or depredations of the enemy: and that he issue orders for such purpose to the commissaries and quarter masters belonging to the army:

That General Washington be directed to order every kind of stock and provisions in the country above-mentioned, which may be beneficial to the army or serviceable to the enemy, to be taken from all persons without distinction, leaving such quantities only as he shall judge necessary for the maintenance of their families; the stock and provisions so taken to be removed to places of security under the care of proper persons to be appointed for that purpose; and that he issue a proclamation, requiring all persons within seventy miles of headquarters, forthwith to thresh out their grain within such limited periods of time, as he shall deem reasonable, on penalty, in case of failure, of having the same seized by the commissaries and quarter masters of the army and paid for as straw:

That General Washington be directed to cause all provisions, stock, forage, waggons and teams, which may be, at any time, in the route of the enemy, and which cannot be seasonably removed, to be destroyed.

Whereas, it is essentially necessary, that magazines should be seasonably provided in the interior part of the country, and many

inhabitants, through motives of avarice or disaffection, refuse to thresh out their grain.

Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the legislature of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, forthwith to enact a law, requiring all persons within their State, at the distance of seventy miles and upwards, from General Washington's head quarters, and below the Blue Mountains, to thresh out their wheat and other grain, within as short a period of time as the said legislature shall deem sufficient for that purpose; and, in case of failure, to subject the same to seizure by the commissaries and quarter masters of the American army, to be paid for at the price of straw only, excepting from such penalty, such families only, who, from the absence of the master, sons or servants, in the service of their country, can give good proof that their compliance with the said law was not practicable. [IX Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress), December 10, 1777, p. 1013.]

RESOLUTION REGARDING CATTLE IN DANGER OF SEIZURE BY ENEMY.

Congress having received information that large quantities of cattle have been driven down upon the marshes of the county of Kent, in the State of Delaware, and into other parts of the said county, which are exposed to the depredations of the enemy; and the present situation of the State of Delaware, with respect to its internal and open enemies, rendering it impracticable that any measures, which may be devised by the government of the said State, for securing the said stock, can be executed with secrecy and despatch:

Resolved, That the Board of War be authorized and directed to give such orders for securing the said stock as they shall deem most effectual:

That the owners of the stock so removed be paid for the same at reasonable rates. [IX Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress), December 15, 1777, p. 1028.]

RECOMMENDATION TO

IMPRESSMENT,

STATE LEGISLATURES TO ENACT
AND OTHER

LEGISLATION.

Resolved, 1. That it be most earnestly recommended to the respective legislatures of the United States, forthwith to enact laws, appointing suitable persons to seize and take, for the use of the continental army of the said states, all woollen cloths, blankets, linens, shoes, stockings, hats, and other necessary articles of cloathing, suitable for the army, which may be in the possession of any persons inhabitants of, or residents within, their respective states, for the purpose of sale and not for their own private use or family consumption, giving them

certificates or receipts for the same, expressing the quantity and quality of the goods; provided, that such laws do not extend to any goods, wares, or merchandise which are, or shall be, bona fide, imported into the respective states on account of any persons not citizens of any of these United States, so long as the same shall continue their property, and no longer: and that they inflict such penalties as may be deemed proper on such persons possessed of any of the above enumerated goods, wares, and merchandise, or other articles of cloathing suitable for the army, who, to evade the good intention of the said laws, shall falsely affirm or declare the same to be the property of persons not citizens of any of the said United States.

2. That it be further recommended to make provision in the said laws to empower the commissary general of purchases, or any of his deputies, or such other persons as the respective legislatures may deem expedient, to seize all stock and every kind of provision necessary for the army, which may have been purchased up or engrossed by any person with a view of selling the same, giving to the person, from whom such stock or provisions have been taken, certificates as aforesaid.

3. That the value of all such goods, wares, and merchandise as are above enumerated, or other articles of cloathing, stock, or provisions necessary for the army, which shall be so seized and taken, be ascertained at the rate at which the said articles shall be stated by the convention of the committees of the several states, to be held agreeable to the recommendation of Congress of the 22 day of November last: the articles of cloathing to be paid for by draughts made by the respective states upon the cloathier general; and the stock or provisions by the purchasing commissaries receiving them.

4. And it is further recommended to the respective states to cause to be made up so much of the cloathing aforesaid as they can complete within a reasonable time, and to send the whole of the cloathing so taken or seized, as well that part which may be made up, as that which may remain unmade, excepting so much as may be necessary for cloathing the recruits inlisted in the states for their respective batallions in the continental service, to the cloathier general, to be distributed in the first instance to the supply of the troops belonging to the state furnishing such cloathing, and the residue in such manner as the commissioners of the war office or the cloathier general shall, from time to time, direct: provided, that this resolution shall not repeal or affect any part of the seventh proposition recommended to the legislatures of the respective states, the 22d November last, relative to the additional cloathing to be furnished by the several states to their respective batallions. And it is further resolved, that the cloathier general transmit, from time to time, to the respective states, an account of the cloathing furnished to their batallions.

out of the stock by them collected and sent forward, in order that each state may be satisfactorily informed that their troops receive immediate advantage from its exertions in the common cause.

5. And whereas, great waste of cloathing has arisen from the want of fidelity or skill in the persons employed to make up the same;

Resolved, That it be recommended to the respective states to appoint one or more suitable persons to superintend and direct the tradesmen employed to make up the cloaths to be collected as aforesaid, who shall conform themselves to the instructions of the Board of War relative to the form thereof, provided that no delays be suffered to take place from the want of such instructions.

6. And whereas, the comfortable support of the army of these states may hereafter greatly depend on the supplies which they may be able to draw from their own internal resources; it is therefore most earnestly recommended to the said states, to employ a sufficient number of manufacturers and tradesmen to supply the cloathing wanted for their respective batallions, exempting them, under proper regulations, from military duty; and authorizing suitable persons to collect and supply, at the stipulated prices, cotton, wool, flax, leather, and other articles for carrying on the said manufactures.

7. And whereas, certain persons, devoid of, and in repugnance to every principle of public virtue and humanity, instigated by the lust of avarice, are, in each State, assiduously endeavouring, by every means of oppression, sharping, and extortion, to accumulate enormous gain for themselves, to the great distress of private families in general, and especially of the poorer and more dependent part of the community, as well as to the great injury of the public service. For the effectual suppression of such nefarious practices it is most seriously recommended to the several legislatures aforesaid, forthwith to enact laws, limiting the number of retailers of goods, wares, and merchandise in their several countries, towns, and districts, and obliging them to take license and enter into bonds for the observance of all laws made for their regulation; to make provision in the said laws that no person be allowed to sell by wholesale except the importer, and he only to persons having such license, or the certificates hereafter mentioned; and that such of their inhabitants as are not licensed as aforesaid, be restrained from purchasing a greater quantity of such goods, wares, or merchandise than is requisite for their own private or family's use or consumption. And that it be farther recommended to the several states to prohibit any persons whatever, not citizens of their respective states, to purchase within the same, any articles of cloathing or provision necessary for the use of the army, (unless so much as may be requisite for their own private or family's use or consumption,) excepting only such person or persons as shall produce a certificate, under the seal and sign manual of the supreme executive authority of