APPENDIX. FROM THE JOURNALS OF CONGRESS. FIRST SESSION-TENTH CONGRESS. In the House of Representatives of the Mr. Clinton presented a representation of Thomas Paine, stating various services performed by him for the United States, during the revolutionary war with Great Britain; and praying that congress will take the same into consideration and grant him such compensation therefore, as to their wisdom and justice shall seem meet. The said representation was read and referred to the committee of claims. [No report made during this session.] SECOND SESSION-TENTH CONGRESS. On motion of Mr. Johnson, December 15th 1809. Ordered, That the letter and representation of Thomas Paine, presented on the 4th of February last, be referred to the committee of claims. On the first of February, 1809, the committee of claims made a report, which was read and ordered to lie on the table. [Not further acted on during this session.] ELEVENTH CONGRESS-FIRST SESSION. On motion of Mr. Lyon, 31st May, 1809. Ordered, That the representation of Thomas Paine, of the city of New-York, presented on the fourth of February, 1808, be referred to the committee of claims. [Congress adjourned without any report being made by the committee on the subject.] Report of the committee of claims on a letter and representation of Thomas Paine, referred the fifteenth December last, February 1, 1809. Read, and ordered to die on the table. REPORT The memorialist states, that in the beginning of February, 1781, he sailed from Boston in the frigate Alliance, with colonel Laurens, who was appointed by Congress to negociate a loan with the French government, for the benefit of the United States; that he aided in effecting the important object of his mission, and thus voluntarily rendered an essential service to the country, for which he has received no compensation. This memorial was presented to congress at their last session, unaccompanied with any evidence in support of the statement of facts. The committee of claims, to whom it was then referred, endeavoured to procure, from proper sources, such information as would guide them in making an equitable decision upon the case. The jour nals of congress, under the former confederation, were diligently examined, but nothing was therein found, tending to shew that Mr. Paine was in any manner connected with the mission of Colonel Laurens. It appears that on the eighteenth day of October, 1783, two resolutions were adopted in favour of Major Jackson, one for defraying certain expenses incident to the mission; the other allowing him fourteen hundred and fifty dollars, as a full compensation for his services, while acting as secretary to Colonel Laurens. A letter from the vice-president, in answer to one addressed to him, by the chairman of the committee of claims, is herewith presented. It will be observed, that the statement of this gentleman is from information, and not from his own knowledge. That Mr. Paine embarked with Colonel Laurens from the United States for France, may be admitted; but it does not appear that he was employed by the government, or even solicited by any officer thereof, to aid in the accomplishment of the object of the mission, with which Colonel Laurens was intrusted, or that he took any part whatever after his arrival in France in forwarding the negociation; your committee are therefore of opinion, that the memorialist has not established the fact of his having rendered the service for which he asks to be compensated. A On the 26th of August, 1785, congress, by a resolution, declared that Thomas Paine was entitled to a liberal grati'fication from the United States for his unsolicited and continued labours in explaining and inforcing the principles of the late revolution; and on the third of October following, the board of treasury were directed to take order for paying Mr. Paine three thousand dollars for the considerations mentioned in the above resolution. This sum it appears Mr. Paine received on the eleventh of October, 1785. That Mr. Paine rendered great and eminent services to the United States, during their struggle for liberty and independence, cannot be doubted by any person acquainted with his labors in the cause, and attached to the principles of the contest. Whether he has been generously requited by his country for his meritorious exertions, is a question not submitted to your committee, or within their province to decide. The following resolution is offered to the House: Resolved, That Thomas Paine have leave to withdraw his memorial, and the papers accompanying the same. NEW-YORK, January 21, 1808. To the honourable the representatives of the United States. The purport of this address is to state a claim I feel my self entitled to make on the United States, leaving it to their representatives in congress to decide on its worth and its merits. The case is as follows: Towards the latter end of the year 1780, the continental money had become so depreciated, a paper dollar not being |