From Alexander Hamilton to William Seton, 17 March 1794
To William Seton1
Philadelphia
March 17th 1794
My Dear Sir
I thank you much for your friendly & expeditious attention to my late requests. All the papers you have sent will answer my ideas except the account of Amsterdam Bills. It is essential I should exhibit to the Committee the monies actually in deposit in each Bank from that source at the end of each quarter and not then passed to the account of the Treasurer.2 The statement sent me exhibits sums received from period to period without reference to quarters—so that the sum in deposit at the end of each quarter does not appear. A subdivision of these sums with this reference will put all right. Inclosed is a form which will explain what I mean.
Yrs. truly
A Hamilton
William Seton Esq
PS In the credit side of your account for advances you mention three sums as charged to the treasurer by my order
| 21000 |  |
The fact must have been that the charges were made by the Treasurers’ order as I find no letters to the Bank directing the charging of those sums to the Treasurer; but warrants upon the Treasurer issued to pay the Banks those sums bearing date as on the other side.3 |
| 10000 | ||
| 4000 |
| January | 19. 1792 | 21000 | |
| Feby. | 21. 1792 | 22000 | which 22000 included the sum of |
10000 advanced the B by Mr. De la Forest4 & a further sum of
12000 then paid him.
| Feb. | 21. 1792 | 4000 |
I conclude therefore that the Treasurer after receiving these warrants took the requisite arrangement with the Bank for causing the sums to be passed to his account.
ALS, Bank of New York, New York City.
1. For background to this letter, see the introductory note to H to Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg, December 16, 1793. See also Seton to H, March 8, 1794, and H to John Kean, Marsh 12, 1794.
2. See “Report on the Periods at Which Moneys Were Received by the Banks for the Sale of Bills on Amsterdam, and the Dates of the Warrants for Passing the Said Moneys to the Credit of the Treasurer of the United States,” March 29–May 12, 1794.
3. H is referring to the reverse side of the page on which he wrote the remainder of his postscript.
4. Antoine René Charles Mathurin de La Forest was acting French consul general in February, 1792. His commission as consul general for New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware is dated March 2, 1792. He was recalled on May 18, 1793, and reappointed on February 22, 1794.