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Notes on State Claims, [ca. 20 June] 1790

Notes on State Claims

[ca. 20 June 1790]1

N. Hampshre. rate of depreciation settled by law after Mar. 18. 80. from 40 to 120 for 1. Actual rate do. in new emissions as 4 to 1.2
Besides the State bounties, bounties by towns classes & individuals are charged the amount of £115683..12–8 =
Dollars.
385,612
Massts. depreciation settled by law after Mar. 18. 80. from 40 to 160 for 1.
do new emissions, as valued by State Commissrs. extends as far as 5 for 1.
Amt. of Penobscot claim £116,282..6–10 =
amount of bounties to 3169 men for 3 years or war at £128..9..6. lawful specie— £407,137..5..6
do. for bounty &c for service in Canada & } 243,773..19..10
N. Y.—& in 76 for 3 years & during war
Amt. of bounties for 3 Months, 5, 6, 9, do. and for deffit. &
 dollars
indefinite services 1,688,965, of which 727,347 dollrs. for 3, 5 & 6 months—& in 80 & 81—& extended at 40 for 1.
Mileage charged
R. Island— scale extends no farther than Continental—payts. after Mar. 18. 80 are rated at 40 for 1—New Emission depreciated as far as 8 for 1.
getting stock off Island charged—
enlistments for 3 months, & ⟨class⟩ bounties charged—in 80, 81, & 82. and extended at 40 for 1.
Connecticut. scale extends no farther than continental—No New Emission issued—but a state currency—of which the rate was a contest between Commissr. of U. S. & do. of State
  Specie
For defence of sea coast—charged at £ 312,485..18..4. =
loss of baggage charged—Committee service, charged—
Bounties for short levies charged—
N. York— scale no farther than the continental—actual depreciation much higher—By laws of Feby. & Mar. 1781. rated at 75 for 1. & of May 1784 old money made receivable at 120 for 1.—New emission rated as specie.
 Specie
Bounty to Militia charged at 597,170..30 dollars—extended @ 40 for 1.
N. Jersey. scale extends as far as 150 for 1. & as far as it applies claims reduced by it. New Emission reduced by a scale extending to 3 for 1.
518,469 67/90, charged in specie for interest pd. in paper on debt of U. S. (this to be deducted in consequence of the funding bill which credits N. J. pro tanto)
Stoppages—(by U. S.) charged 45,000 drs.—quer. if actually pd. by State to individls.
Pennsyla. Legal depreciation extended to 75 for 1. actual to 225 for 1. Actual do. of New Emission extends to 5 for 1. This much affect claim
further claims intimated to a considble. amt.
Dollrs
Naval armanents for bay & river charged at 449,928..72, specie.
Whole charge for recruiting army—only 282,154..3. & enlistts. long. Compare this with like claim of Massts.
Delaware— Scale of depreciation extends no farther than July 80—then @ 64½ for 1.
Dolrs. old emiss Specie
The whole recruiting charge only 90,615 = to.
and 7965..38
Maryld. Scale extended to May 81. then 280 or 7 State dollrs. for 1
Dolrs. speci Drs. old emission
total claim as made by State. 4,000,000 10,000,000
Contl. dollrs Specie Speci Drs.
812,985..74 = & & 40,244..88—form the whole
charge for recruiting army—
N. Carola. Rate of depreciation in 1781—725 for 1.
No New Emission issued
Claims considered by Genl. Board as vague &c &c. & a mere conjectural statement
S. Carola. little use of Cont: Money—no new Emission
 
State scale extends to May 1780—then 52 for 1.
further claims intimated
Dolrs. speci
57,531..7 charged for equipping ships to procure cloathing—
specie dolrs.
4,400,000 stated Apl. 27, 1790, pending assumption by Senators & Reps—as to be added to claims reported by general board—(note 2,900,000 thereof, for fortifications, vessels sunk &c. armed vessels & for defence of Charleston & sea Coast[)].
Georgia. few payments in Contl. money after Mar. 18. 1780
No New Emission
State scale extends to June 1780, then 80 for 1.

Ms (DLC). In JM’s hand. Listed under date of February 1790 in Index to the James Madison Papers (under “Madison, J—State Finances”). For the dating of the Ms, see n. 1.

1. These notes (and those immediately following) were compiled sometime after the board of commissioners presented its preliminary report on state claims to the House on 30 Apr. 1790 (see Davies to Virginia delegation, 8 May 1790, Editorial Note). JM alludes to this report under the North Carolina and South Carolina headings (see also his reference to a letter of the South Carolina senators and representatives, dated 27 Apr. 1790). On 20 June 1790, Virginia Commissioner William Davies reported to Governor Randolph that he had “spent two days with Mr. Madison examining the various reports of the public offices here” (CVSP description begins William P. Palmer et al., eds., Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts (11 vols.; Richmond, 1875–93). description ends , V, 171). JM probably made these notes while he and Davies were carrying out this investigation.

2. JM referred to the ordinance of 18 Mar. 1780, which revalued Continental currency at forty to one of specie. For every forty dollars of “old” Continental money that were retired, two dollars of “new” currency were to be issued (Ferguson, Power of the Purse, pp. 51–52).

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    Madison Papers
    Title
    Notes on State Claims, [ca. 20 June] 1790
    Author
    Madison, James
    Date
    20 June 1790

    Reference

    Cite as
    “Notes on State Claims, [ca. 20 June] 1790,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-13-02-0175. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 13, 20 January 1790 – 31 March 1791, ed. Charles F. Hobson and Robert A. Rutland. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1981, pp. 247–250.]