31From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 15 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
By Virtue of the several Acts, the one entitled “An Act for raising and adding another regiment to the military establishment of the United States and for making further provision for the protection of the frontiers,” and the other entitled “An Act making an appropriation for the Purpose therein mentioned,” I do hereby authorise and empower you by yourself or any other person or persons to...
32Tobias Lear to Alexander Hamilton, 28 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
The President has commanded me to transmit the enclosed to you from Mr Thatcher and request that you will give it the consideration it may merit—The President also requests that you will take occasion to converse with some others of the gentlemen from Massachusetts on this subject—and to mention it likewise to some from New Hampshire. I have the honor to be very respectfully & sincerely Your...
33From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 16 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
“An act to incorporate the Subscribers to the Bank of the United States” is now before me for consideration. The constitutionality of it is objected to. It therefore becomes more particularly my duty to examine the ground on wc. the objection is built. As a mean of investigation I have called upon the Attorney General of the United States, in whose line it seemed more particularly to be, for...
34From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 23 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment received your sentiments with respect to the constitutionality of the Bill—“to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States.” This bill was presented to me by the joint Commee of Congress at 12 oClock on Monday the 14th instant. To what precise period, by legal interpretation of the constitution, can the President retain it in his possession, before it...
35From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 15 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Having thought fit, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the Act intitled “An Act repealing after the last day of June next the duties heretofore laid upon distilled Spirits imported from abroad and laying others in their stead & also upon spirits distilled within the United States and for appropriating the same” to divide the United States into the following fourteen districts namely one to...
36From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 2–6 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your indisposition has prevented me from giving you as much trouble in making my communications to Congress as otherwise, I might have done. The article of your Notes which respect the loan in Holland, I am somewhat at a loss to frame into a paragraph for the Speech, and therefore pray your assistance. I had got it as pr the enclosed, but upon a revision, it does not appear right. Be so good...
37From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 19 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Pay or cause to be paid to the Secretary of State Forty thousand Dollars to be applied to the purposes of the Act, entitled “An Act providing the means of Intercourse between the United States and foreign Nations” for which this shall be your warrant. Given under my hand at Philadelphia the nineteenth day of March, in the year one thousand seven hundred & ninety one. LB , DLC:GW . Under the...
38From George Washington to Elizabeth Haynie, 27 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 19 of October never reached my hands until a few days ago —I am very sorry to hear of the distressed situation in which you are; and have written to Mr Muse, to whom the management of my Tenements of Berkeley, Frederick, Loudoun and Fauquier is committed to let you have any one of them, that may be unoccupied, rent free during your own and the life of your Daughter Sally...
39Tobias Lear to Ebenezer Hazard, 28 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
By the command of the President of the United States T. Lear has the honor to return to Mr Hazard the enclosed proposals for printing by subscription a collection of State-Papers, which Mr Hazard submitted to the President and which have been subscribed by him. The whole or any part of the money for the President’s subscription will be paid by T. Lear whenever Mr Hazard may chuse to receive...
40From George Washington to the Hebrew Congregations of Philadelphia, New York, Charleston, and Richmond, 13 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
The liberality of sentiment toward each other which marks every political and religious denomination of men in this Country, stands unparalleled in the history of Nations. The affection of such people is a treasure beyond the reach of calculation; and the repeated proofs which my fellow Citizens have given of their attachment to me, and approbation of my doings form the purest source of my...
41From George Washington to John Hoomes, 17 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
The state of the roads has been such as to have occasioned some delay in the passage of your letter to me, and some matters of importance which have pressed upon me since the receipt of it has retarded my acknowledgement thereof until now. It was not because I had any doubt of the collection for the services of Royal Gift for I allow no credit—nor that I inclined to receive a specific sum for...
42From George Washington to John Eager Howard, 21 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
I have had the honor to receive your Excellency’s letter of the 5th of November, enclosing a certificate of the late election of Representatives for the State of Maryland in the Congress of the United States, which certificate I have caused to be delivered to Mr Beckley, Clerk of the House of Representatives. With due consideration I have the honor to be, yr Excellency’s most Obedt Sert Copy,...
43From George Washington to David Humphreys, 16 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
As this letter is wholly of a private nature I refer you to Mr Jefferson’s official communications for every thing relative to your appointment at the Court of Lisbon &ca—and shall confine myself to acknowledging your two letters—viz. one from London of October 31. and the other from Lisbon of November 30 1790—and to such general observations as may occur in the course of my writing. The...
44From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Herewith you will receive the Powers & Instructions with which Gouvr Morris Esqr. is invested and his communications consequent thereof. You will give them the consideration their importance merit, and refer your opinion of the measures proper to be taken thereupon. The following extract from one of my private letters to Mr Morris contains all the notice I have yet taken of his public...
45From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 2 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed Notes are sufficiently descriptive to comprehend the two objects fully; but it is necessary to remark, that if the first line begins at a point on Hunting Creek, the fourth line cannot, in any part touch (Though it will include) the Town of Alexandria; because Huntg Creek is below the boundaries of the Town. And, if it could be so ordered as for the first line to avoid touching...
46From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 6 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
The P. would thank Mr Jefferson for placing all, or such of the enclosed Papers (after he has perused them) in the hands of the Attorney General, as he shall deem necessary for the purpose of drawing the several conveyances of the ceded Lands, or, the form of one. For the former, it is conceived farther information than the enclosures contain, is wanting. For the latter, the agreement, and...
47From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
The P. has given the enclosed letters an attentive reading & consideration, and has found nothing in them but what is just, and in the hands of a prudent user proper; but at the end of the words of the letter to Mr C. “this wrong” 2d page 10th line may it not be well to add—“yet with that prudence & circumspection which will not commit the Government to the necessity of proceeding to...
48From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 4 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
The P. begs to see Mr Jefferson before he proceeds further in the Proclamation. From a more attentive examination of some Papers, in his possession, he finds that it is in his power to ascertain the course & distance from the Court House in Alexandria to the upper & lower end of the Canal at the little Falls with as much accuracy as can be known from Common Surveying if not to mathematical...
49From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 1 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
Nothing in the enclosed letter superceding the necessity of Mr Ellicots proceeding to the work in hand—I would thank you, for requesting him, to set out on thursday; or as soon after as he can make it convenient: also for preparing such instructions as you may conceive it necessary for me to give him for ascertaining the points we wish to know; first, for the general view of things—& next for...
50From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 1–7 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
The P. requests that Mr J. would give the letter & statement herewith sent from the S. of War a perusal, & return it to him in the course of the day with his opinion as to the propriety of the manner of ⟨making⟩ the communication to Congress; and whether it ought not, at any rate, to be introduced in some such way, as this (if it is to pass thro him to Congress) “Pursuant to direction” “I...
51From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 16 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed is the last letter I have received from Messrs Deakins & Stoddart. What step had I best take to bring matters to a close with Burn’s, and by declaring at once the Site of the public buildings, prevent some inconvenience which I see may arise from the opinions promulgated by Mr L’Enfont? as much probably from complaisance as judgment. Yrs ALS , DLC : Thomas Jefferson Papers. The...
52From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 17 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
The P. has just recd the enclosed. He prays Mr Jefferson to write by tomorrows Post to Majr L’Enfant agreeably to what was mentioned this morning. AL , DLC : Thomas Jefferson Papers. For the background to this letter, see GW to Jefferson, 16 Mar. 1791 . The enclosure has not been found. GW and Jefferson conferred about the Federal City on the morning of 17 Mar. 1791, discussing the appropriate...
53From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 9 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
The messages to the two Houses, as altered are quite agreeable to. Whether, as it is equally known to both houses, that we have no person in a public character at the Ct of London it is best that the word “informal” should remain in the message to the Ho. of Representatives, or not, Mr J. may decide by the fair copy he shall send to ALS , DLC : Jefferson Papers. For the background to this...
54From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1791 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Thomas Jefferson, 10 Mar. 1791. In his Summary Journal of Public Letters ( DLC : Jefferson Papers) of 10 Mar. 1791, Jefferson recorded that GW returned Jefferson’s draft instructions to Thomas Barclay regarding his mission to Morocco and Jefferson’s draft letter to the new emperor of Morocco with a covering note, which has not been found.
55From George Washington to Henry Knox, 14 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
On as full a consideration of the last speech made to me by Cornplanter, Half Town, and the Great-tree, Chiefs of the Seneka Nation, as my comprehension of their meaning enables me to give, I am led to the following conclusions, which, if there is any propriety in discussing their request, or yielding the land asked for, I wish you to consider as the basis of the communications to be made to...
56Enclosure: Josiah Harmar to Henry Knox, 4 November 1790 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to inform you, ⟨th⟩at on the 30th September I marched with 320 federal troops, and 1133 militia, total 1453. After encountering a few difficulties, we gained the Miami village. It was abandoned before we entered it, which I was very sorry for. The villainous traders would have been a principle object of attention. I beg leave to refer you to my orders which are enclosed—The...
57Tobias Lear to Henry Knox, 1 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
By the President’s command, T. Lear has the honor to transmit to the Secretary of War the enclosed letter, which has just come to the President’s hands; signed by a number of the Inhabitants of Washington County in the State of Pennsylvania, expressing their apprehensions of the depredations of the Indians in that quarter. The President requests that the secretary will give the subject that...
58Enclosure: Arthur St. Clair to Henry Knox, 6 November 1790 (Washington Papers)
On the 29th of last month I had the honor to inform you generally of the success that attended General Harmar. I could not then give you the particulars as the General’s letters had not reached me (the officer however who had them in charge got in a few days afterwards) it is not now necessary because he writes himself—One thing however is certain that the Savages have got a most terrible...
59From George Washington to Lafayette, 19 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Renewing to you, my dear Sir, assurances of the most perfect esteem and affection, I desire to refer the interruptions which our correspondence has lately sustained, on my part, to causes which I am persuaded you will readily admit as excusable. To the fulfilment of public duties, too interesting to be neglected, and too multiplied to allow me much leisure, I am forced to sacrifice the wishes...
60Henry Knox to Tobias Lear, 25 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
I omitted to day to ask the President’s approbation of Colo. Pickering, as quarter master of the proposed expedition. Will you mention it to him, and let me know the result! Because, if he should approve the idea, it will be necessary to dispatch an express to Colo. Pickering with the Offer. I am Dear Sir, Your humble Servt LS , DLC:GW ; LB , DLC:GW . Knox apparently met with GW on 25 Feb. to...