The committee, consisting of Mr Carroll, Mr. Dyer, and Mr. Mifflin, to whom was referred the report of the committee on two paragraphs of a report of the grand committee, brought in a report; and the report of the committee being taken into consideration, and amended, so as to read as follows, —

"That such officers as are now in service, and shall continue therein to the end of the war, shall be entitled to receive the sum of five years’ full pay in money or securities, on interest at six per cent, per annum, at the option of Congress, instead of the half-pay promised for the by the resolution of the twenty-first of October, 1780; the said securities to be such as shall De given to the other creditors of the United States; provided that it be at the option of the lines of the respective states, and not of officers individually in those lines, to accept or refuse the same; that all officers who have retired from service upon the promise of half-pay for life shall be entitled to the benefits of the above resolution; provided that those of the line of each state collectively shall agree thereto; that the same commutation shall extend to the corps not belonging to the lines of particular states the acceptance or refusal to be determined by corps; the all officers entitled to half-pay for life, not included in the above resolution, may, collectively, agree to accept or refuse the commutation," —

much debate passed relative to the proposed commutation of half-pay; some wishing it to take place on condition only that a majority of the whole army should concur; others preferring the plan above expressed, and not agreed to.

Search Site
Search Document Library