Alexander Hamilton Papers
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To Alexander Hamilton from Tobias Lear, 19 August 179[3]

From Tobias Lear

United States Augt. 19. 179[3].

By the President’s command T. Lear has the honor to transmit to The Secretary of the Treasury the final report of the Commissioners for settling the accounts between the United States and the individual States, together with the Letter accompanying the same from them to the President.1

T. Lear is moreover directed by the President to observe to the Secretary, that the enclosed report was left at the President’s house during his late visit to Virginia, and therefore did not get to his hands ’till the 11. of July; it was then sent to the office of the Secretary of State to be there deposited & copies thereof prepared to be laid before Congress at their meeting. There being nothing express in any law respecting this subject as to the place where the report should be lodged—the implication to that effect was not particularly noticed, until the matter was mentioned to the President by the Secretary of the Treasury. The report was then sent for from the office of the Secy. of State, but it having been put away by Mr. Taylor, the principal Clerk, who was then gone to New York, it could not be found until his return this day.2

The President has thought it proper that these circumstances should be noted to account for the delay in depositing the Report; but he presumes that no inconvenience will arise therefrom, as the doings upon it may take effect in course from its’ date.

Tobias Lear.
S. P. U. S.

LC, George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. In the letter book this letter is mistakenly dated “1794.”

1“An Act to provide more effectually for the settlement of the Accounts between the United States and the individual States” had provided that a board of three commissioners be appointed to settle the accounts between the states and the Federal Government (1 Stat. description begins The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America (Boston, 1845). description ends 178–79 [August 5, 1790]). On August 9, 1790, George Washington nominated as commissioners William Irvine of Pennsylvania, John Taylor Gilman of New Hampshire, and John Kean of South Carolina. By June, 1793, the commissioners had finished their investigations and on June 21 they wrote to the President asking to whom they should make their report (LS, RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters, 1790–1799, National Archives). On June 22 Washington replied that he was “of opinion that the Report of your proceedings may be made to the President of the US. and that your books & papers will be most properly deposited in the Treasury department. You will therefore be pleased to deliver them to the order of the Secretary of the Treasury” (DfS, RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters, 1790–1799, National Archives). On June 29 the commissioners sent to Thomas Jefferson “the Report of this Board to be delivered to the President of the United States” (LS, RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters, 1790–1799, National Archives). The report of the commissioners is dated June 29, 1793, although it was not presented to Congress until December 5, 1793 (ASP description begins American State Papers, Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States (Washington, 1832–1861). description ends , Miscellaneous, I, 69; Journal of the House, I description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States (Washington, 1826), I. description ends I, 10).

2See George Taylor to Lear, August 19, 1793 (AL, RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters, 1790–1799, National Archives).

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