I. Categories of Powers Appropriate to the Committee of the States, 30 January 1784
I. Categories of Powers Appropriate to the Committee of the States
Powers from which the Committee of the States are excluded
Engaging in war
Granting letters of Marque in time of peace
Entering into treaties or alliances
Coining money
Regulating it’s value
Ascertaining sums necessary for defence or welfare
Emitting bills
Borrowing money
Appropriating money
Agreeing on number of vessels of war or number of land or sea forces
Appointing Commander in chief of army or navy
Powers from which they should be excluded
Sending and receiving Ambassadors
Establishing rules of decision in cases of captures
Establishing courts of Appeals in cases of captures
Deciding disputes between states
Fixing standard of weights and measures
Powers which they may exercise
Appointing courts for trial of piracies1
Deciding private rights of soil after decision of the General right
Regulating Indian trade
Regulating post office
Appointing military officers and commissioning them
Making rules for government of forces
Directing operations of forces
Build, buy or equip vessels agreed on by Congress
Make requisitions on the states for quotas of men
Powers which should be given them
To Execute whatever Congress has determined on
To Superintend all the offices
To apply Definite sums of money to Definite purposes e.g. expresses, fuel, paper and other contingencies
To Supply all vacant offices till meeting of Congress
To convoke Congress
MS (DLC); entirely in TJ’s hand.
1. The first two words of this line have a line drawn through them, indicating possibly that the entire line was intended to be deleted. If this was the intent, then it would suggest that the present document was drawn up in advance of Document ii in this series, since the permissible powers listed there do not include “Appointing courts for trial of piracies” and do parallel in sequence the powers named under this and the following category.