To James Madison from David Jameson, 9 March 1782
From David Jameson
RC (LC: Rives Collection of Madison Papers). Docketed by JM, “March 9. 1782.”
Richmond Mch 9, 1782
Dr Sir
I am to acknowledge the rect. of your favour of the 25th. ult.1 You are right in your observation of the person proper to be entrusted with transcribing letters & papers to replace our loss by Arnold, but God knows when we shall have money to employ such person.2 Mr Ross is not returned[.] I therefore cannot give you proper information of what is likely to be done for the Delegates. Agreable to the promise in my last I again waited on the Auditors3 and am sorry it is not in my power to give you more satisfaction in that business. Mr Stark gave me two Accots. sent by you, and assures me these are all that can be found.4 I inclose copies of these accots. & am in hope you can if it is necessary from them be able to judge of any others that have miscarried. the Auditors have not filled up the allowance, their reason I think good, it is, that the Assembly have made no alteration in that, since the Octob. session of 1779, which was 20 dollars P day. they have expected every Session that an alteration would be made, and therefore have not settled the two Accots. above mentd. they can as the law stands allow only the 20 dollars P day wch. for the last year was not worth accepting[.] it was a trifle indeed when the act passed[.] I cannot suppose but the Assembly will at their next meeting make the pay good for the two last years.5 I have told the printers you had not recd. their papers. they assure me they were put up. I have now desired them to send the papers to M Ambler or myself to be inclosed6
I am Dr Sir Yr. afe. hb Sert
D. Jameson
1. This letter is missing, but JM probably wrote in much the same tenor as to Pendleton on the same day (q.v.).
2. See , III, 119, and n. 4. Whom JM recommended for the task is not known, but the governor and council on 21 March 1782 appointed Foster Webb, Jr., whose private business was taking him to Philadelphia, to transcribe “all Letters of importance which have passed prior to the first of January 1781, between the Executive of this State, Congress, his Excellency General Washington, and the Continental Boards of War & Treasurer” (, III, 62, 86; Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 23 March 1782).
4. See Jameson to JM, 2 March 1782. The “two Accots” were probably those of 20 September and 20 December 1781 (, III, 264, 334), since there was a long delay before the state fully paid the balances due to JM on these reckonings.
5. By laws to be enacted in the session of May 1782, the General Assembly would stipulate that a portion of the revenue derived from the tax on land and certain “articles” should be used to pay each delegate in Congress from Virginia “eight dollars per day” in the future and in settlement of all arrears of salary owed to him (, XI, 12–14, 31–32).
6. See Jameson to JM, 26 January, and n. 5, and 2 March 1782, and n. 12. Jacquelin Ambler continued to attend the meetings of the Council of State until 12 April, when he assumed his duties as ad interim treasurer of the Commonwealth (, III, 76).