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In December, 1779, with Governor Livingston and Robert Morris, he made himself responsible to the treasurer of the State of New Jersey, for seven thousand pounds, to be used for clothing Continental troops, should the legislature, when convened, fail to appropriate the amount. He was active in the public discussion of financial questions, and wrote in January, 1781, a paper entitled, “Detached Thoughts on the Subject of Money and Finance.” He also prepared the 1781 budgets of appropriations for Army and Navy Affairs. On September 24, 1781, he was elected by Congress, Comptroller of the Treasury, but declined the position in a letter dated October 13. He retired from Con~ gress in 1781, and devoted himself assiduously to the practice of law; and on September 28, 1781, was appointed clerk to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, a position he held until his death. He then returned to the duties of the professorship at the College of New Jersey, resigning in 1783, to devote his whole attention to political duties and the practice of law; was also receiver of continental taxes, from 1782 to 1785. He always kept up his interest in the College of New Jersey, serving as its treasurer until his death, and was one of the founders and first stockholders of the Trenton Academy.

In December, 1779, with Governor Livingston and Robert Morris, he made himself responsible to the treasurer of the State of New Jersey, for seven thousand pounds, to be used for clothing Continental troops, should the legislature, when convened, fail to appropriate the amount. He was active in the public discussion of financial questions, and wrote in January, 1781, a paper entitled, “Detached Thoughts on the Subject of Money and Finance.” He also prepared the 1781 budgets of appropriations for Army and Navy Affairs. On September 24, 1781, he was elected by Congress, Comptroller of the Treasury, but declined the position in a letter dated October 13. He retired from Con~ gress in 1781, and devoted himself assiduously to the practice of law; and on September 28, 1781, was appointed clerk to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, a position he held until his death. He then returned to the duties of the professorship at the College of New Jersey, resigning in 1783, to devote his whole attention to political duties and the practice of law; was also receiver of continental taxes, from 1782 to 1785. He always kept up his interest in the College of New Jersey, serving as its treasurer until his death, and was one of the founders and first stockholders of the Trenton Academy.

He was selected as one of the commissioners appointed by Congress to settle the dispute between the states of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, in reference to the lands and jurisdiction at Wyoming, and one of those who signed the final decree of adjudication, called the “Trenton Decree”, after a session of the commission lasting from November 12, to December 30, 1782. He was again elected to Congress in October, 1784, and reelected in October, 1785.  In 1786 he was selected to be a delegate to the [[Annapolis Convention]].

He was selected as one of the commissioners appointed by Congress to settle the dispute between the states of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, in reference to the lands and jurisdiction at Wyoming, and one of those who signed the final decree of adjudication, called the “Trenton Decree”, after a session of the commission lasting from November 12, to December 30, 1782. He was again elected to Congress in October, 1784, and reelected in October, 1785.

==Constitutional Convention==

==Constitutional Convention==

He was one of the delegates named from the State of New Jersey to the convention that framed the United States Constitution in 1787, and took an active part in its deliberations.  Other members of the New Jersey delegation to the Convention were [[Jonathan Dayton]], [[William Livingston]], [[William Paterson]], and [[David Brearley]].

He was one of the delegates named from the State of New Jersey to the convention that framed the United States Constitution in 1787, and took an active part in its deliberations.  Other members of the New Jersey delegation to the Convention were [[Jonathan Dayton]], [[William Livingston]], [[William Paterson]], and [[David Brearley]].

He was the author of the motion to strike out the clause making the president ineligible to reelection. When the question of adopting a national constitution was first agitated, and a call for a convention to be held at Annapolis, Maryland, was issued, New Jersey was the first to name delegates, one of whom was William Churchill Houston, but only a few states sending delegates, nothing was accomplished, and he was again named as a delegate to the later successful convention held at Philadelphia.

He was the author of the motion to strike out the clause making the president ineligible to reelection.

==Later life==

==Later life==

* [[Founding Fathers]]

* [[Founding Fathers]]

* [[William Houstoun]]

* [[William Houstoun]]

==References==

==References==