Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
I recd. yrs. enclosing the Resolve of Congress & the Board transferring the Business of the Cannon Comttee. to the Board of Warr, & directing that Cmttee. to deliver to them the Contracts they had entered into, an acct. of the Advances they had made & the Cannon &c. they had recd.
Being from home on public business when I recd. yr. requisition Letter I could not then answer it, but take this earliest Opportunity to comply with the requisition.
The first Contract the Cmttee. made was with Col. Mark Bird for 76.12. 20.9 & 20.4 pndrs. at 40 £ per Ton to be delivered at Philadelphia Congress to find Powder for proving. This Contract was never reduced to writing. When I left Philada. last Decr. he had not delivered all the Guns & I am not certain how many. Some of them were proved again by the Commander of the frigates after they were brought down & burst. I believe Capt. Daniel Joy, who was employ’d by that Cmttee. to attend the proving the Cannon at Col. Birds & Col. Grubbs can inform you particularly what No. & sizes were finally delivered.
There was advanced to Col. Bird on May 15. 1776 2000 Doll. by Order of Congress, & on Decr. 7. 1776. 1000 Dolls. more were advanced. I believe you’ll find them both enterd on the Treasurers books.
The Next Contract was with Col. Curtis Grubb for 100 Tons, at 40 £ per Ton. I must again referr you to Capt. Joy for the No. of Cannon deld. by Coll. Grubb as the matter was not finished when I left Philada.
One thousand Dolls. were paid by his Order to Daniel Joy on his order & on the 8th. of Novr. was paid him 2666.2/3 Dolls. I think you will also find these enterd on the Treasurers books.
The last Contract was made with Messrs. Daniel & Samll. Huges in July 1776 for 1000 Tons of Cannon. Mr. Chase was then with me on the Cmttee., & the Contract by Order of Congress was lodged with the Treasury Board. No Cannon were made in Consequence of this Contract when I came away. I believe the same Messrs. Hughes made the Cannon for the Frigate built at Maryland but that Contract was not made with the Cannon Cmttee., but wth. Mr. Saml. Purviance junr. Messrs. Hughes I think recd. a sum of money when the Contract was entered into I think which is mentioned in it; afterwards Congress on their application ordered 5000 £ more.
Inclosed I send the Contract of Col. Grubb which is all I have & nothing particular occurs to me further of the Subject.
I neglected Sending the above in the season of it, partly because I expected to return to Congress soon after I had wrote & partly because of the unsettled Scituation of Congress & of Conveyance to you. I hope no inconvenience has hapened.
Since writing the foregoing I have Obtained said Act of your State for Allowing those of yr. Neighbouring State to Carry goods into or Though your State notwithstandg. the Imbargo Act, on Certain Conditions, wch. we Comply’d with by sending on our Oath. Said Act makes no mention of any Time when to be done.
We have Also got a Letter from Our Council to your Court all wch. doubt not but Will be satisfactory.
& I hope you’l find Sum way to punish The Wickedned designs of those Comte. & refer you to Mr. Cuzens & am yr. Hle. Servt. In haste
... Ordered, That Mr. Sumner, Mr. Ingalls, and Mr. Paine be a Committee to bring in a Bill to prevent the pernicious Practice of some Officers and others selling Men who have been inlisted for Months, having no particular Place of Abode, to certain Towns for their Quota of the Continental Army.
Ordered, That Mr. Paine, Mr. Greenough and Mr. Partridge, be a Committee to enquire into the Conduct of the Inhabitants of the Island of Nan
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tucket, and the Practices carried on with them, and report what is proper to be done with respect to them.
Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, 53, pt. 1:74, 76