To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 23 March 1793
From Thomas Jefferson
Philadelphia Mar. 23. 1793.
Sir
Before your departure, it becomes necessary for me to sollicit your orders on the Treasury for the third year’s allowance under the act concerning intercourse with foreign nations. this act commenced July 1. 1790.1 two years allowance have been furnished and a sum of 500. Dollars over. nine months of the 3d year are now nearly elapsed, and according to an estimate I had the honor of giving in to you the 5 th of Nov. last, the expences to the 3d of Mar. last probably amounted to about 90,785.09 D. from which deducting the sums received, to wit 80.500. D. the bankers would be in advance at that day upwards of 10,000. D. and near 20,000. D. by the time this remittance can reach them. they could feel no inconvenience from this, because they had in their hands the Algerine fund. but now that that is to be drawn for by Colo. Humphreys, it becomes necessary to pay up the arrearages of the foreign fund, & to put them moreover in cash to answer the current calls of our ministers abroad, in order to prevent any risque to the honor of Colo. Humphreys’s bills.2 I must therefore sollicit your orders for 39.500. D. which will compleat the allowance for the 3d year, ending June 30. a summary view of the account is stated below. I have the honor to be with the most perfect respect & esteem, Sir your most obedt humble servt
Th: Jefferson
| D. | D. | |||
| Actual expences incurred from 1790. July 1. to 1792. July 1. | 64,485.09 | |||
| Probable do as by acct given in to 1793. Mar. 3. | 26,300. | 90,785.09 | ||
| 1790. Aug. 14. Cash to Colo. Humphreys. | 500. | |||
| 1791. Mar. 19. bill on the bankers in favr of Secy of state | 99,000f. = | 40,000. | ||
| f | D. | |||
| do on do in favr of G. Morris3 | 2475 = | 1000 | ||
| do on do in favr of J.B. Cutting4 | 577.10 = | 233⅓ | 40,000 | 80,500. 5 |
| 1792 Jan. 23. do on do in favr of Secy of state. | 95,947 = | 38,766⅔ | ||
| 99,000 | ||||
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; ALS (letterpress copy), DLC: Jefferson Papers; LB, DNA: RG 59, Domestic Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW. The letter-book copy in DNA: RG 59, Domestic Letters, does not include the “summary view of the account,” which follows Jefferson’s signature.
1. On the payment of these funds, as well as the act to which Jefferson is referring, see GW to Alexander Hamilton, 23 Mar. 1793, n.1.
2. GW had recently appointed David Humphreys, the U.S. minister to Portugal, commissioner plenipotentiary to negotiate a treaty with Algiers (GW to Dey of Algiers, 21 Mar. 1793, and note 1).
3. Gouverneur Morris was the current U.S. minister to France.
4. Jefferson employed John Brown Cutting for various services in Europe (Jefferson to GW, 3 Nov. 1792, and note 2).
5. The letter-book copy in DNA: RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State mistakenly records this figure as “80,000.”