Certificate of Expenditure for John Mason, 14 May 1813 (Abstract)
§ Certificate of Expenditure for John Mason
14 May 1813, Washington. In accordance with “the second Section of the act entitled ‘an act to ascertain the Compensation of Public Ministers,’ passed May 10th 1800,”1 certifies that John Mason has expended $19,000 under JM’s direction “for the Contingent Expences of foreign intercourse the particulars of which expenditure it is not deemed advisable to specify.” Given as a voucher so Mason can “settle his accounts at the Treasury conformably to the act aforesaid.”
Ms (DNA: RG 217, First Auditor’s Accounts, no. 27,298). 2 pp. In a clerk’s hand, signed by JM. Written beneath and attached to Mason’s 11 Jan. 1813 statement of account with the United States for $19,000. JM issued a similar voucher to Mason for $6,693.74 on 8 Aug. 1813 (ibid.).
1. For the act, see , 2:78–79. The second section required the president to cause foreign relations expenses to be accounted for “specially in all instances wherein the expenditure thereof may in his judgment be made public, and by making a certificate of the amount of such expenditures as he may think it advisable not to specify.”