Instructions to Virginia Delegates in re Financial Quota, 28 December 1782
Instructions to Virginia Delegates
in re Financial Quota
RC (NA: PCC, No. 75, fols. 380–81). This manuscript is twice docketed on folio 381. One docket, probably written in Virginia, reads, “Resolution of assy of Virginia relating to payment of the requisitions of Congress to be laid before Congress.” The other docket, probably written by one of Charles Thomson’s clerks, is as follows: “Resolutions of Legislature of Virginia 28 Decr. 1782 for paying 50000 dollars in part of their quota of the 8 mill required for the year 1782 & a promise to pay 174,000 more & 290000 dollars for the current support of the war.”
In the House of Delegates
Saturday the 28th December 17821
Resolved that fifty thousand pounds Currency of this State be paid by the Treasurer2 into the Hands of the Continental Receiver of this States [p. 458] Quota3 And that the Delegates representing this Commonwealth in Congress be instructed to inform Congress that the weight of the Southern War generally, but more particularly the Oppression arising to the Commonwealth from the extensive Contributions of its Citizens to the Common Cause in the Campaign of one thousand seven hundred and eighty one4 incapacitates the State from a further Compliance at present with the Requisitions of Congress for this States Quota of Money necessary for the Service of the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty two. But that the General Assembly will appropriate out of the first and best Revenues of the State a Sum equal to one hundred and seventy four thousand Dollars at the Disposition of Congress for the former purpose and two hundred and ninety thousand Dollars for the current Support of the War5
1. The author of this resolution was probably Richard Henry Lee, who was directed to bear it to the Senate “and desire their concurrence” (, October 1782, pp. 86, 90).
2. Jacquelin Ambler.
3. George Webb. For the financial quota of Virginia for 1782, see , IV, 104, n. 1.
4. Ibid., IV, 72, n. 3.
5. See Randolph to JM, 27 December, n. 3; Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 28 December 1782. Although the sums mentioned in this sentence were not appropriated at the next session of the Virginia General Assembly, it enacted on 28 June 1783 a statute providing that portions of the expected revenue from the tax on land and tax on slaves should “be applied toward making good to congress any deficiency which may arise in this state’s quota of interest due on the debts of the United States, so as to make good to congress the annual sum of four hundred thousand dollars” (, May 1783, p. 99; , XI, 247–49).
6. For John Beckley, clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates, see , I, 318, n. 2.
7. For William Drew, clerk of the Senate, see ibid. This resolution was laid before Congress on 27 January 1783 by the Virginia delegates (, XXV, 868).