Alexander Hamilton Papers

From Alexander Hamilton to William Short, 16 August 1792

To William Short

Treasury Department August 16. 1792.

Sir

You will herewith receive a Triplicate of my letter to you of the 25th Ultimo and a duplicate of one of the 4th instant.

If the destination of the monies arising from the last loan, as mentioned in my former letter of the said 4th instant, has not already put it out of your power, it would be my wish that you reserve a sufficient sum for the purpose of discharging the debt due to foreign Officers. The sum due, including arrears of interest down to the 31st of December 1791, was 220,646 81/100 Dollars, to which will be to be added the further interest to the time of payment.1

I shall shortly suggest to you the particular mode to be pursued in paying this debt.

With respectful consideration, I have the honor to be, Sir, Your Obedt Servt.

A Hamilton

William Short Esqr
&c. &c

LS, William Short Papers, Library of Congress; copy, marked “Duplicate,” Widener Library, Harvard University.

1For a description of this debt, see Short to H, August 3, 1790, note 5. On May 8, 1792, Congress had passed “An Act supplementary to the act making provision for the Debt of the United States” (1 Stat. description begins The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America (Boston, 1845). description ends 281–83 [May 8, 1792]). Section 5 of this act authorized the President “to cause to be discharged the principal and interest of the said debt, out of any of the monies, which have been or shall be obtained on loan.”

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