Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 21, October 1 1783-October 31 1784
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James Duane to To: George Clinton


Dear Sir
Philadelphia 25t November 1783

   The Support of the Suffering Citizens of the North Eastern part of our State who have fled for Redress to Congress has already compelled Us to draw upon your Excellency. Having neither Authority, nor a Knowledge of any Funds in your Excellency's power to answer our wants, we adopted this Measure with Reluctance.

   My own particular Situation obliges me however painful to take a further Liberty of the same nature.

   You know, Sir, that it has been my misfortune to be left at different Times without any Provision by the State but ineffectual votes. While my Finances admitted it I never complained, but In June 1781 I was obliged to represent my Circumstances to the Legislature. They were pleased to order my Accounts to be adjusted by an Act passed the 30th of June. Accordingly They were settled by the


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Auditor and a Deficiency of £74 in specie certified to be in Arrear to me of the Supplies voted for the Board of myself & servant and the keeping of two horses; which were all the Articles ever provided for by the Legislature. A deficiency so considerable when I had no means of answering any subsistance has involved me in Difficulties which I have severely felt & from which I have not yet been relieved.

   Your Excellency will be pleased to recollect that at your Request I took Mr Bensen's Turn to Attend Congress with great Reluctance. I foresaw it woud expose me to expences which I could not sustain. An Additional Inconvenience has arisen from the unlucky Incident I mentiond in a former Letter. And to all this is to be added my Continuance here a Month beyond the time for which any provision has been voted.(1) I submitted because it was rendered necessary by the Important Interests of our own State which were then as yet before Congress and by the Delay of the Gentlemen appointed to relieve us.

   These Circumstances will I hope in some Measure apologize for my Drawing upon your Excellency for the Sum of £124.9.0 New York Cury which I have borrowed upon the credit of the State, and which I flatter myself will be cheerfully refunded to your Excellency at the next session of the Legislature.

   Depending on your Excellency's Regard for the Honour of the State and your Kindness to me which are every day growing more enormous I enclose your Excellency my Receipt as your voucher & I have the Honour to be, with the utmost Respect, Sir, your Excellency's most Obedt & very huml Servt.


Note:

   FC (NHi: Duane Papers). In the hand of James Duane and endorsed by him: "Letter to Gov of N.Y. apprising him of my draft for £124.9.0 & sending my receipt."



1 Duane's credentials indicate that he had been appointed to represent New York "for one year, from the first Monday in November 1782" until November 3, 1783, Duane's final day of attendance. New York's failure to elect a new congressional delegation until February 3, 1784, left the state unrepresented in Congress until Ephraim Paine and Charles DeWitt took their seats on March 25 and 27, respectively. See JCC, 23:750, 25:797, 26:165-67, 170.