Report on the Petition of May Wooster, [12 April 1792]
Report on the Petition of May Wooster
[Philadelphia, April 12, 1792
Communicated on April 17, 1792]1
The Secretary of the Treasury, pursuant to an Order of the House of Representatives, of the 25th of March 1790, referring to him the petition of May Wooster,2 respectfully reports;
That the State of Connecticut having settled the allowance of seven years half pay with the petitioner, in the same manner, as has been customary in like cases, and charged it to the United States, and adjustments at the Treasury having proceeded on a similar principle, the Secretary is of opinion, that a departure from the rule, by granting the interest claimed by the said petition, would operate partially, with regard to many other claims of the same nature, which have been heretofore adjusted, or, if extended to them, would involve the inconvenient precedent of unsettling an established rule.
All which is humbly submitted
Alexander Hamilton
Secry. of the Treasy
April 12th 1792
Copy, RG 233, Reports of the Treasury Department, 1792–1793, Vol. III, National Archives.
1. , 580. The communicating letter, dated April 16, 1792, may be found in RG 233, Reports of the Treasury Department, 1792–1793, Vol. III, National Archives.
2. On March 25, 1790, “A petition of May Wooster was presented to the House and read, praying to be allowed interest on the pension granted her by the former Congress, as widow of the late General Wooster.…
“Ordered, That the said [petition] … be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury, with instruction to examine the same, and report his opinion thereupon to the House.” (, 182.)