1William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 23 April 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have not sooner acknowledged the receipt of the MSS which you were so obliging as to send me, because I was unwilling to trespass for a moment on your time, which was incessantly occupied with the cares of government, and in an honest endeavour to avert those evils with which the injustice of the two great belligerent powers of Europe seemed to threaten us.—Permit me to congratulate you on...
2William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 8 July 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have lately received a letter from Judge Tucker , inclosing an extract from a gentleman in Salem (Mass.) who is collecting materials for a history of printing in America , from its first introduction.—The writer suggests, that at one period, the publication of News-papers, in Virginia , was either discouraged or totally prohibited; and the object of Judge Tucker ’s enquiry of me is, to know,...
3Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 25 July 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 8 th was recieved only on the 20 th . I do not know that the publication of Newspapers was ever prohibited in Virginia . my collection of newspapers begins in 1741. but I have seen one newspaper of about 3. years earlier date, as well as I can recollect. The first printed laws printed in Virginia , was I believe the collection of 1733. till the beginning of our revolutionary...
4William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 31 July 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 25 th Inst. has just come to hand; and, for your attention to my request, be pleased to accept my thanks. Of the MSS. received from you, those containing the laws from 1639 to 1660 inclusive, were deficient, except the acts of a few Sessions: contained in the MS. procured from the ex rs of M r Bland — I had no difficulty, however, in supplying the defect, having procured...
5Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 28 August 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
By a letter just recieved from mr George Jefferson I learn that I had deposited with him my volume of ‘Fugitive sheets’ or Session acts from 1734. to 1772. with an injunction not to deliver it out of his own possession, while the volumes of newspapers were delivered to mr Burke , & are consequently lost I fear. knowing your care of such things you are freely welcome to recieve from mr...
6William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 4 September 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received from M r George Jefferson your volume of sessions acts from 1734 to 1772, inclusive.—The acts of 1773, which are stated to have been lost from your collection, I have in my possession. The first volume of the statutes at large will be published in a few days. It comes down to the termination of the commonwealth of England ; and gives an entirely different view of our history,...
7Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 1 October 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
In answer to the request expressed in your’s of Sep. 4. (which came to hand only this morning) that I would transcribe a line or two of the first act in my copy of the laws of 1660. I have to observe that the only copy of those laws I possessed was one made by myself from that in the office of the general assembly, and that it was among those I sent you & described under N o 4. in the list I...
8William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 22 October 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the pleasure of presenting to you the first volume of the Statutes at Large, which was published on yesterday, only. In the execution of this work I have had to encounter many difficulties; but I have spared no pains to render it as perfect as possible. The typography is the best that could be procured in this place, where I was compelled to publish it, for the purpose of revising...
9William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 21 November 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Being about to announce the publication of the first Volume of the Statutes at Large, I cannot suppress the anxiety which I feel to accompany it with the testimonials of some literary Characters whose recommendations would tend to introduce it. The Judges of the Supreme Courts, at this place, with the members of the bar, have offered their sanction to the utility of the work; but knowing the...
10Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 1 December 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
After my return from Richm od ond I took a journey to Bedford from which I have been returned but about a week. that time has been occupied by an accumulation of letters during my absence which required answers, & have left me time to cast but a cursory eye over the volume of laws you were so kind as to send me. this prevents my being more particular in the inclosed letter , which however is...
11Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 1 December 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly recieved the 1 st vol. of your collection of our statutes at large, & return you my thanks for it. the opinion I entertain of the importance of the work may be justly inferred from the trouble & expence I incurred during the earlier part of my life, to save such remains of our antient laws as were then still in existence. the compilation appears to be correctly & judiciously done...
12Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 11 March 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress having concluded to replace by my library the one which they lost by British Vandalism, it is now become their property, and of course my duty to collect and put in place whatever belongs to it. this obliges me to request of you the return of the V th vol. of my Collection of the Virginia laws, being that in which the Sessions acts were bound together. should there be in the volume...
13William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 15 March 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
Previously to the receipt of your letter of the 11 th Ins t I had carefully packed up all your M.S.S. with a view to return them to you by the first safe conveyance.— The V th Vol. containing the sessions acts was all that I meant to retain; and that only, till I could complete the publication of that part. I had finished the 5 th Vol. of the Statutes at Large; and had made considerable...
14Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 25 March 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
I would do any thing rather than defeat the invaluable collection you are making of our statutes and will therefore undertake to apologize to the library committee of Congress for the detention of the V th volume of the laws, and it’s safe delivery in time. but I must pray you to send off the rest without delay, as within 10. days or a fortnight an agent will be on from Washington to recieve...
15William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 1 April 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this moment placed in the hands of the stage-driver from this to Charlottesville , your M.S. laws of Virginia, and paid him not only his price, for transportation, but that of the driver who succeeds him, at Tinsley’s , in Goochland :—They are made up in three parcels, each parcel securely packed, under three courses of strong wrapping paper, which, by being more elastic, the driver...
16Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 8 April 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly recieved the MS. volumes which were forwarded by the stage, and in good condition. these were as follows one marked 43 of laws from 1629. to 1633. one marked F . laws from 1639 to 1667. MS. copies by myself from Mercer ’s MS of the laws of 1661. the Charles city MS. laws from 1661 to 1702 the 2 d
17William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
I should have answered your letter of the 8 th by the return of the mail, had I not found it necessary to occupy much time in searching for the two MS. Vol s , which you say are still wanting.— I have such a strong impression that the thin M:S, marked A. was put up between the two thin boards, sent up, that I cannot help thinking it may yet be found there.—I have made very diligent search...
18Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 25 April 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 15 th never came to hand till yesterday . you may be assured that the MS. A . is not here. every book in the library has past twice thro’ my own hands, and twice more thro’ the hands of the numberer and packer , and we all are confident this is not among them. it is exactly the one described in the 1 st vol. of your statutes pa. 121. With respect to the MS. D . your...
19Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 15 September 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
The Committee of Congress , on the purchase of my library having chosen to take it as stated in the Catalogue, I was not at liberty to retain a single volume. consequently those of your collection of the laws, which you had been so kind as to send me, all went. I have therefore to ask the favor of you to send me a compleat collection of all the volumes you have published, and to have the bill...
20William W. Hening to Thomas Jefferson, 23 September 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 15 th was delivered to me, after the arrival of the last mail only ; and I have not lost a moment in complying with its contents.— I send you by the Charlottesville stage-driver, the three first volumes of the Statutes at large.— Unfortunately the sheets of the 4 th Vol. which had been sent to Petersburg , to be bound, were all destroyed by the dreadful conflagration at that...
21Thomas Jefferson to William W. Hening, 12 October 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
I thank you for the 3. first volumes of your statutes which are safely recieved, as I shall also do for succeeding ones as they come out. with respect to the MS. volume in your hands, as it belongs to Congress , it will be best when you are done with it, to forward it by the stage to Washington , addressed to mr George Watterston , librarian of Congress . you would oblige me at the same time...