1. Henry Knox had been appointed as the U.S. representative on the commission created by Article V of the Jay Treaty to determine the St. Croix River boundary with Canada (see Miller, Treaties, description begins Hunter Miller, ed. Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America. Vol. 2, 1776-1818. Washington, D.C., 1931. description ends 249). Knox declined the appointment.

2. See Thomas Freeman to GW, this date.

3. Since their last letter to GW, dated 17 March and transmitted with their letter to Alexander White written on 18 March, the commissioners had written letters to White dated 22, 24, and 29 March and 5 and 12 April (all DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Sent). The letter written on 22 March noted that the construction of public buildings would not commence as soon as weather might permit and mentioned the possibility of a lawsuit to settle the financial obligations of Robert Morris.

On 24 March the commissioners continued discussion of their problems with Morris and lamented the lagging hotel lottery that had halted progress on that facility. “Money alone is wanting” to resume construction of public buildings during the summer. “Without 8 or 10,000 Dollars,” the commissioners surmised, “it will be impossible to set seriously to Work.”

On 29 March the commissioners questioned whether the city should be charged for the attorney general’s opinion on the case arising from negotiations with Morris. They also enclosed to White “the present state of the President’s house—We think the covering ought to be of slate; & that the second story ought to be finished, plain & without mahogany—The best, or principal story may be finished, as proposed, with plain mahogany Doors & that the stair case should be of Wood—We wish you to lay the statement before the President & to take, his opinion, if he chooses to give one, & in the mean time, we have directed Hoban to act as if the measures proposed were adopted.” White wrote the commissioners from Philadelphia on 6 April that he had laid their letter dated 29 March before GW, who “said he did not think the difference of expense between Mahogany and pine Doors an object sufficient to authorise a change, he gave no opinion, and it did not occur to me to ask him, respecting the roof and Stair Case” (DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Received).

On 5 April, the commissioners wrote White about news of the House passage of the bill to guarantee a loan for the Federal City. A loan of $60,000 or $70,000 with the payment of the next installment by Morris and John Nicholson “would probably carry us through the season. We see no prospect of obtaining money here—& unless aid can be obtained from Phila. or New York Banks, we know not where to look for an immediate supply. There can be no doubt that the Bill past by the house of Representatives, if concurred in by the Senate & president, will give a great additional Value to the property here, & may perhaps prevent the necessity of our seeking any other Loan … In the present state of the Treasury (which is 1300 Dollars worse than nothing) we dare not hazard commencing active operations on the buildings—should our funds be insufficient at the end of a month, to pay off the Stone setters, Brick layers &c., they would assuredly disperse, & might not be collected again, during the season.” Discussion on the finances of Morris and Nicholson and Samuel Blodget, Jr.’s hotel concluded the letter. White informed the commissioners on 8 April that he had written Morris and Nicholson the previous day, “having first obtained the Presidents approbation.” Hearing that “there are a number of Gentlemen going to Washington, some with a view of purchasing—I mentioned this to the President who agrees with me that we ought to sell should any offers be made.” In his letter dated 7 April to Morris and Nicholson, White wrote: “My Colleagues have requested me to press in the most earnest manner the immediate payment of your Arrears—and to learn from you what reliance they may have on future payments particularly that the time for which is fast approaching—The Crisis is too impo[r]tant for us to pass over without an effort on our part—the payment of your Arrears and of your next instalment with punctuality, would enable us to go on with spirit till money could be procured from other Sources, but without money the Works must cease, and there is none from whence we have a right to demand aid.” To meet their payments, White urged Morris and Nicholson to sell lots at a private sale (both letters, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Received).

Writing to White on 12 April, the commissioners expressed pessimism about finances, with little hope of raising money until a loan guarantee passed Congress. “Every thing is at a stand and must remain so until 10 or 12000 Dollars can be raised—The prospect of raising it here, is very gloomy except it can be extracted from Morris & Nicholson.” They also noted Henry Lee’s interest in purchasing about 100 lots for a price lower than a desirable figure.