1776 Page #3

convenes at 10:
00.

Well, they'll be wandering

in any time now, sir,

with Old Grape and Guts

leading the pack.

Old who?

McNair!

Grape and Guts.

'Nair!

Fetch me a rum.

Mr. Hopkins, you'll be pleased to meet Dr.

Lyman Hall.

I don't need a doctor, damn it.

New delegate from Georgia.

Well, why didn't you say so?

I'm Stephen Hopkins, old

delegate from Rhode Island.

McNair, fetch two rums.

Oh, I fear it's

a little early in the day.

Nonsense.

It's a medicinal fact that rum

gets a man's heart started

in the morning.

I'm surprised

you didn't know that.

Speaking as the oldest man in

the Congress, I can tell you...

Uh-uh. Ben Franklin is

older by almost a year.

Rum!

Tell me, Doctor.

Where does Georgia stand on

the question of independence?

With South Carolina, of course.

Neddy, good morning.

Neddy, come over here and shake the

hand of Dr. Lyman Hall of Georgia.

Dr. Hall, this here is

Edward Rutledge from...

Whichever Carolina

he says he's from.

God knows I can't

keep them straight.

It's a pleasure,

Dr. Hall.

Your servant,

Mr. Rutledge.

You've met the long and the

short of it now, Doctor.

Neddy here is just a lad.

He's the youngest of us.

Except for Ben Franklin.

McNair!

Your rum!

Well, where did you go

for it, man? Jamaica?

Well, now,

come along, Dr. Hall.

I know you must be anxious to meet

your colleagues from the South.

Doctor, may I present

to you Joseph Hewes.

This is Dr. Lyman Hall, the

new delegate from Georgia.

An honor and a pleasure,

gentlemen.

Uh, where do you stand on

independence, Dr. Hall?

I'm here without

instructions, Mr. Hewes,

able to vote my own

personal convictions.

And they are?

Personal.

Now, Dr. Hall,

the Deep South speaks

with one voice.

It's traditional.

Even more, it is historical.

Enter Delaware.

Speak plain, Rutledge.

You know I can't follow

a word of your damn French.

It's Latin, Colonel McKean,

a tribute to the eternal peace and

harmony of the Delaware delegation.

What are you saying, man?

You know perfectly well

that neither Rodney nor I can

stand the sight of this louse.

Now, Thomas...

Gentlemen, please.

This is Dr. Lyman Hall

of Georgia.

Caesar Rodney.

An honor, sir.

Sir.

George Read and

Colonel Thomas McKean.

Dr. Hall...

Your servant.

I wonder if I might speak to

you for a moment in private.

By all means.

McNair!

I'm coming! I'm coming!

Help me. I'm stuck.

Tell me, sir,

would you be a doctor

of medicine or theology?

Both, Mr. Rodney.

Which one can be of service?

By all means,

the physician first.

Then we shall see

about the other.

I shall call at

your convenience, sir.

I trust, Caesar,

when you're through

converting the poor fellow

to independency

that you'll give the opposition

a fair crack at him.

You're too late, John.

Once I get them, they're got.

Dr. Lyman Hall of Georgia, Mr.

John Dickinson of Pennsylvania.

An honor, sir.

Your servant, sir.

Tell me, Doctor.

Where do you stand

on the question of...

Independence?

Treason.

I've no stomach for it.

Ah! Then be careful

not to dine with John Adams.

Between the fish

and the souffle,

you'll find yourself

hanging from an English rope.

Your servant, sir.

Oh, Judge Wilson, forgive me,

but how can anyone see you

if you insist on standing

in Mr. Dickinson's shadow?

James Wilson,

also of Pennsylvania.

Sir.

An honor, sir.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, ladies.

Good morning.

Steady, steady.

Make gangway, sir.

Make gangway!

Good morning,

Mr. Wilson. Good morning.

Watch where you're going, damn it.

Over there.

McNair, get me

out of this thing.

Watch out for my foot.

Good morning, all.

- Morning, Ben.

- Morning, Ben.

Here you are.

Two coppers apiece.

Now, straight back

to jail with you.

Good morning, Stephen.

All right, Benjamin.

Dear God.

What are you staring at?

Haven't you ever seen

a great man before?

Good Lord, sir. Do you have

the honor to be Dr. Franklin?

Yes, I have that honor.

Unfortunately, the gout

accompanies the honor.

Been living

too high again, eh, pappy?

Oh, Stephen, I only wish King George

felt like my big toe all over.

McNair! Fetch a pillow

and two more rums.

Well, Franklin,

where's that idiot Lee?

Is he back yet?

I don't see him.

Softly, John. Your voice

is hurting my foot.

One more day, Franklin.

That's how long

I'll remain silent,

not a minute longer.

That strutting popinjay

was so damn sure of himself.

He's had time to bring back

a dozen proposals by now.

Tell me, James.

How do you explain the

strange, monumental quietude

that Congress has been treated

to these past 30 days?

Has the ill wind of independence

finally blown itself out?

Well, if you ask me...

For myself, I must confess that a

month free from New England noise

is more therapeutic

than a month in the country.

Don't you agree, James?

Well, I feel...

Mr. Adams, pray look

for your voice, sir.

It cannot be far,

and God knows we need

the entertainment in Congress.

Congratulations, John.

You just made your greatest

contribution to independence.

You kept your flap shut.

One more day, Franklin.

Then I shall do the proposing.

Gentlemen, the usual morning

festivities concluded,

I will now call

Congress to order.

Mr. Thomson.

The Second Continental

Congress meeting

in the city of Philadelphia

is now in session.

7 June, 1776, the 380th meeting.

Sweet Jesus!

The Honorable John Hancock of

Massachusetts Bay, president.

Thank you, Mr. Thomson.

Mr. McNair.

The stores of rum and other

drinking spirits are hereby closed

to the colony of Rhode Island

for a period of three days.

Yes, sir.

Johnny, you can't do that.

Sit down, Mr. Hopkins.

You've abused the privilege.

The chair would like

to take this opportunity

to welcome Dr. Lyman Hall of

Georgia to this Congress,

and hopes he will make

the best of it.

My God, it's hot.

The secretary

will read the roll.

All members present with

the following exceptions.

"Mr. Paine, Mr. Gerry, Mr.

Samuel Adams of Massachusetts,

"Mr. Morton of Pennsylvania,

"Mr. Wythe and Mr. Richard

Henry Lee of Virginia."

And the entire delegation

of New Jersey.

I'm concerned over

the continual absence

of one-thirteenth of this Congress.

Where is New Jersey?

Somewhere between

New York and Pennsylvania.

Thank you very much.

Dr. Franklin, have you heard anything?

Your son resides there.

Son, sir? What son?

The royal governor

of New Jersey, sir.

As that title

might suggest, sir,

we are not in touch

at the present time.

Yes. Well...

Now for the weather report,

Mr. Jefferson of Virginia.

Mr. Jefferson!

Present, sir.

May we hear about the weather?

As if it weren't

speaking for itself.

Eighty-seven degrees

of temperature,

thirty-point-aught-six

inches of mercury.

Wind...

From the southwest

for the rest of the day.

And tonight...

Tonight I'm leaving for home.

On business?

Family business.

Give her a flourish for me,

young feller.

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