To James Madison from Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 10 June 1812
From Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Washington June 10h. 1812
Sir
Enclosed is the Copy of an account of expenditures out of the furniture fund of the President’s house which I have rendered to the accounting Officers of the Treasury, with the necessary Vouchers, & which is in a train of Settlement.1
By this account a balance of 75$. 47 cts. appears to be in my hands, which balance is more than absorbed by an account of expenditures on small articles of household furniture, for which I have deposited monies in the hands of Mr Deblois, which account will be closed on my final settlement.
In the mean time I request the favor of You to grant me an order for a warrant for 200$. of monies remaining in the fund, in order to pay sundry accounts outstanding.2 I am with high respect Your obedt. hble Servt
B Henry Latrobe.
RC and enclosure (DLC); FC and FC of enclosure (MdHi: Latrobe Letterbooks). RC docketed by JM. For enclosure, see n. 1.
1. Latrobe forwarded an account (1 p.) listing seven payments between October 1809 and 4 Dec. 1811 from the fund for furnishing the President’s House and totaling $1,543.93. The amount available was $1,650.27. The payments were to John and Hugh Finlay for chairs ($1,111); John Achmann, a coppersmith ($46.47 and $127.23); John Kelly and Peter Lenox for hauling ($1.50 and $12.50, respectively); Samuel Harrison Smith for the National Intelligencer ($60); and Romulus Riggs for plate ($185.23). On the total of these payments Latrobe charged a 2 percent commission amounting to $30.87.
2. Filed with the RC is a draft in Latrobe’s hand, dated 12 June 1812 (1 p.), of a letter for JM to send to the secretary of the treasury requesting that a warrant for $200 be issued to Latrobe, “agent for purchasing furniture for the President’s house.”