Thomas Jefferson Papers
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George Washington to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 9 September 1793

George Washington to the Commissioners of the Federal District

Philadelphia Sep. 9. 1793.

Gentlemen

I have duly recieved your letter of Sep. 5. and in consequence thereof have authorised Mr. David Ross of Bladensburg, and Colo. Robert Townshend Hooe of Alexandria, to examine the accounts and vouchers of the expenditure of the monies appropriated to your trust as Commissioners of the public buildings of the federal territory, and to certify to me the result.

Dft (DLC: Washington Papers); entirely in TJ’s hand, unsigned; endorsed by Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr. The letter Washington sent followed the Dft (Fitzpatrick, Writings description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington, Washington, D.C., 1931–44, 39 vols. description ends , xxxiii, 85).

On 1 Aug. 1793 the Commissioners had requested the President to have their accounts and expenditures examined, and he proposed Captain Richard Conway of Alexandria and Major John Ross of Bladensburg for this task four weeks later. In their letter of Sep. 5. the Commissioners noted that Washington had evidently mistaken John for David Ross and suggested a number of Alexandria residents, including Hooe, as alternates to Conway, who they suspected would probably decline the appointment in order to attend to his private business affairs (Commissioners to Washington, 1 Aug., 5 Sep. 1793, DNA: RG 42, DCLB; Washington to Commissioners, 29 Aug. 1793, Fitzpatrick, Writings description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington, Washington, D.C., 1931–44, 39 vols. description ends , xxxiii, 74–5).

This day TJ also drafted a letter for the President notifying Ross and Hooe of their appointment and duties (Dft in DLC: Washington Papers; in TJ’s hand, with revisions by Dandridge to change the text from a circular to individual letters for each; at foot of text: “Mr. David Ross. Bladensburgh. Colo. Robert Townshend Hooe. Alexandria”; endorsed by Dandridge; the FC in Lb in same follows TJ’s wording). Ross and Hooe made their report to the President on 31 Oct. 1793 (DNA: RG 42, PC).

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