Your obliging Letter of the 5 Inst. was delivered to me last week.1 They who have namd. me as a proper Person for Secy. of the Treasury do me more Honor than my Qualifications for that placement; nor have I the least wish, or Room to expect, to be employed in affairs of that kind, in wh. I take little Pleasure & for wh. I have no Reason to think that I have more Talents than Inclination.

You know it is important that Confidence & Cordiality subsist between the Heads of the Depts. that they may when necessary unite their Efforts to promote their respective operations for the public Good— To this End much Delicacy and Candor shd. be observed towards each other & all unnecessary Interference avoided.

It is likewise important that Harmony & Confidence subsist between the principal & other officers of each Dept. that no personal Jealousies or Discontents may embarrass the Business of it— These & all other prudential Considerations will doubtless have their due ^Degree of weight^ with the Prest. in all his Nominations; and I mention them merely because they lead me to think it wd. be improper for me to recommend to the Presidt. any person for a place in any other Departmt. than the one in wh. I may hold the first. All that I cd. do therefore in the present Case was, to inform the presdt. that it would give you pleasure to serve the public in the place you mention— this I have done —nor could Details be necessary— You are far from being a Stranger to the public— you have enjoyed strong marks of their Confidence, and have long been personally known to the Presdt.

Here I might conclude this Letter—but the Confidence and Friendship implied as well as expressed in yours, induce me to observe to You, that as the Board of Treasury is to cease, it is natural to suppose that the Comrs. will at least be thought of for other Employments.— Hence it appears to me probable that they will be on the List of Candidates for the office of Comptroller, even if they shd. remain passive and silent— If that shd. be the Case, the Probability of your succeeding wd. not be so great, as if that Circumstance was out of Question— it therefore shd. in my opinion have some weight in your Calculation, and for that Reason only I mention it; for of the Presidents Sentimets. on the Subject I have no Knowledge nor Intimation— With Sentiments of Respect & Esteem I have the honor to be Dr Sr— yr most ob. & hble Servt.