George Washington Papers
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To George Washington from Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 6 September 1796

From Oliver Wolcott, Jr.

Treasury Department September the 6th 1796.

The Secretary of the Treasury respectfully transmits to the President of the United States, a letter from the Commissioner of the Revenue dated the 11th of August last, covering one to him from the Collector of Washington, on the subject of sundry Contracts made by the said Collector for placing and keeping up the Stakes under his superintendence and shifting and clearing the Buoys at the South West Straddle for the year 1797.1

It is the opinion of the Secretary that it is adviseable to authorise Contracts on the terms proposed. All which is respectfully Submitted

Oliv: Wolcott
Secy of the Treasury

LB, DLC:GW.

1Tench Coxe, commissioner of the revenue, had written Wolcott on 11 Aug. that contracts in the enclosed statement were “more favorable than could have been expected in the present expensive times.” He asked Wolcott to transmit the statement to GW “for his Decision” (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Letters). For a letter-book copy of the enclosed letter from William Keais, collector and inspector for the port of Washington, N.C., to Coxe dated 25 July, see DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Deeds and Contracts. It indicates GW’s approval of the contracts on 7 Sept. (see also JPP, description begins Dorothy Twohig, ed. The Journal of the Proceedings of the President, 1793–1797. Charlottesville, Va., 1981. description ends 342).

“An Act supplementary to the act for the establishment and support of lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers,” approved 2 March 1793, had authorized “a beacon or floating buoy at the southwest straddle on the Royal shoal, near Ocracoke inlet, in North Carolina” (1 Stat. description begins Richard Peters, ed. The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845 . . .. 8 vols. Boston, 1845-67. description ends 339).

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