1805 House Of Representatives Petition Concerning Non Payment For Pine Masts For The Navy

1805 House Of Representatives Petition Concerning Non Payment For Pine Masts For The Navy.  This document, being an extract from the House Journal, was signed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives John Beckley.  This is a petition on behalf of Cornelius Brooks of Tiago Co. New York, who was seeking payment for white pine masts for the use of the U.S. Navy for which he was never paid from 1798.  The petition was sent ot the Secretary of the Navy for investigation,  with a required report on the subject.

In 1798, the US Navy was working to complete construction on several new ships in various places, which had been authorized from an Act of 1794 to build six frigates; USS United States (built at Philadelphia), Constitution (Boston), Congress (New Hampshire), Constellation (Baltimore), Chesapeake Virginia), and President (New York).  By the time of this petition, three of these frigates had been launched, United States, Constellation and Constitution.  The likely candidates for these white pine masts are for the USS Congress at Portsmouth, NH, and the USS President being built at New York.

John James Beckley (1757-1807) was first the librarian of Congress, established on 1802 and asked to fill the post by President Thomas Jefferson, while still serving as the first clerk of the House. When the Congress was moved to Philadelphia from New York, Beckley was very active in politics at all levels. On the day that Beckley was reappointed to clerk in December 7, 1801, Congress also formed a committee to decide what to do with its library, and Beckley decided that he could perform both duties to the House as clerk and librarian of Congress. Beckley prepared the first printed catalog of the holding in 1802.

Another duty of the Clerk was to escort distinguished guests through the Capital, and the Library.  Charles Willson Peale, the artist, recorded in his diary that “Mr. Beckley received us with politeness, and the Library was spacious and handsome, and although lately organized, already contained a number of valuable books in the best taste of binding.”  

Beckley died in 1807, leaving a large tract of land in what is now West Virginia, where his son built the first house in the village, that became the City of Beckley.

The legal size document 8×13 approx., is in fine condition. I am assuming this document was written by, then signed by Beckley. Written in a very neat hand, a bit different that his signature, a look at certain letters bear out that Beckley wrote this. Note the “C” & “B” in Cornelius Brooks for example.  The document was once contained in a large album with light bluish gray paper, and some of that is still adhered on the back side.

An historic piece, involving the building of our early navy frigates, and first clerk of the House of Representatives and Librarian of Congress.