John McKesson to John Jay, 8 February 1779
Poughkeepsie, Feb y 8 th . 1779.
Sir
I have the Pleasure to inform you that in pursuance of a Resolution of the Assembly on the second, and a concurrent Resolution of Senate on the 4 th . Instant (in both cases without a dissenting voice) your appointment as a Delegate to Congress is to be continued until thirty Days after the next meeting of the Legislature– 1
M r . Allen in A late publication 2 asserts, that all the Members of Congress, except those from New York, are of opinion, that the three disaffected Counties, (alias the State of Vermont) ought to be erected into a Separate State. If this is true, which I do not believe, the sooner the matter is determined the better– But even in that Case, care should be taken to make it an express Condition that the other Inhabitants of this State should be secured in the Lands they hold in those Counties, by Title derived both from both the former Governments of New Hampshire and New York or under the former Government of New York, where there was not any prior Grant to the New York Title– Senate and Assembly have appointed a joint Committee to report a Letter to the Delegates of this State on the Subject of those three Counties– Nothing is yet done towards forming the draft of that Letter, but I imagine it will be in general Terms, not containing any particular directions–
The Assembly have agreed to a Tax Bill which is ordered to be engrossed; the Tax is to be one Shilling in the pound on real Estates, as valued in the year 1775, and Sixpence in the pound on personal Estates at their present value– 3
The Resolutions of Congress as to their two Emissions of Bills of Credit to be called in, have entirely Struck those Bills out of Circulation here– 4 If some marks or Criterions to distinguish the true Bills of those Emissions from the False, which are in the Hands of a few here, be right,–we have more of the Counterfeit than the true Bills– And in that Case unless Congress redeem the Counterfeit Bills, either our State and County Treasurers are ruined, or the State itself immensly burthen–d to bear the Loss– In general we distinguished and stopped the many Copperplated Bills ^ Counterfeits ^ of those two Emissions, and also the Copperplated Counterfeits dated at Baltimore on the 26 th . February but until lately had not any Apprehension of Counterfeits printed with the Same Types, and on paper which cannot be distinguished from that of the true Bills, except by certain private marks in the printing– And I may at least say, that the Credit of all Continental Currency suffers so much, that the Bills of Credit of our own State is the most acceptable circulating paper Medium amongst us–
Notwithstanding the Law of this State empowering Commissaries in certain Cases to seize Flour meal and Wheat for the use of the Army, 5 the Legislature is now obliged to very serious Exertions to feed (& preserve from disbanding) the little Army in and about the Highlands–
An Expedition to Canada is not much relished in this State, nor any Advantages expected from the Measure– It is said that Considering how indian Affairs have been managed, a Western Expedition to humble the Indians, and keep their Country in Possession or put it out of their Power to do further mischief, would be the only beneficial inland Measure–
My Situation does not allow me time to Copy anything I write in this way, you will therefore excuse sending you the Draft; and if any Hints I can communicate of matters here can be of any use to you, no one will more chearfully embrace every opportunity, than Sir your most obedient humble servant
John M c Kesson
The Honorable John Jay Esquire.