Your Letter of the 20th Decr would certainly have been replied to much sooner had I not waited to gain full information on the subject of which that Letter treated the enclosed contains an account of the result, of my enquiries and Exertions, which I regret are not such as I hoped and wished.

The Legislature of this State have not yet risen; we have been detained for the last two Days by a disagreement between the Senate and House of Delegates respecting the right of the former to amend a Bill makeing Appropriations of the Revenue: In the Course of the discussion, we have refered Back to the Journals of 1778, when a similar dispute occured, in which I observe you bour a conspicuous part; but the Journal does not inform in what was the result of that contest—I suspect we shall be obliged to compromise this by adhereing; and bringing in a new Bill assimilated to the former, includeing part of the Senates amendments.

I have been endeavouring to procure a Parliamentary Manual, compiled and written by you; but I find it can not be procured in the Book stores. Will you be so good, my dear Sir, as to give me one?

Belive me to be, with sincere Esteem and high respepect

Your mo. ob. serv.