To George Washington from the Commissioners for Settling Accounts Between the United States and the Individual States, 29 June 1793

From the Commissioners for Settling Accounts Between the United States and the Individual States

Office of the Commissrs of Accots Philada June 29th 1793.

The Commissioners appointed to execute the several Acts of Congress, to provide more effectually for the settlement of the Accounts between the United States, and the Individual States,1

Report,

That they have maturely considered the claims of the several States against the United States, and the charges of the United States against the individual States.

That they have gone through the process prescribed in the 5th Section of the Act of Congress passed the 5th day of August 1790, (the particulars whereof will be found in Book A. lodged with the papers of this office in the Treasury Department)2 and find that there is due, including interest to the 31st day of decembr 1789, to the State of

New Hampshire,	Seventy five thousand, and fifty five dollars.
Massachusetts,	One million, two hundred forty eight thousand, eight hundred and one dollars.
Rhode Island,	Two hundred, ninety nine thousand, six hundred and eleven dollars.
Connecticut,	Six hundred and nineteen thousand, one hundred and twenty one dollars.
New Jersey,	Forty nine thousand and thirty dollars.
South Carolina,	One million, two hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and seventy eight dollars.
Georgia,	Nineteen thousand, nine hundred and eighty eight dollars.3

And that there is due including interest to the 31st day of Decemr 1789, from the State of

New York,	Two million, seventy four thousand, eight hundred and forty six dollars.
Pennsylvania,	Seventy six thousand, seven hundred and nine dollars.
Delaware,	Six hundred and twelve thousand, four hundred and twenty eight dollars.4
Maryland,	One hundred and fifty one thousand, six hundred and forty dollars.
Virginia,	One hundred thousand, eight hundred and seventy nine dollars.
North Carolina,	Five hundred and one thousand, and eighty two dollars.5

Which several sums they by virtue of the authority to them delegated, declare to be the final and conclusive balances due to and from the several States.

Signed, Wm Irvine

John Kean

Woodbury Langdon.

I certify the above to be a true copy from the original.6

Bw Dandridge.

Secretary to the President of the United States.7

Copy, in Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr.’s writing, DNA: RG 46, Third Congress, 1793–1795, Senate Records of Legislative Proceedings, Committee Reports and Papers; LB, DLC:GW; Copy, DNA: RG 53, Records of the Bureau of the Public Debt; Copy, in Thomas Jefferson’s writing, DLC: Jefferson Papers. The copy at DNA: RG 53 is included in the signed minutes of the commissioners’ meeting of 27 June 1793. The commissioners enclosed this report with a brief cover letter to Thomas Jefferson of 29 June asking that the report “be delivered to the President” (DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters).

1. For legislation pertaining to this commission, see “An Ordinance for settling the Accounts between the United States and Individual States,” 7 May 1787, JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 32:262–66, and “An Act for settling the Accounts between the United States and individual States,” 5 Aug. 1789; “An Act to provide more effectually for the settlement of the Accounts between the United States and the individual States,” 5 Aug. 1790; “An Act to extend the time limited for settling the Accounts of the United States with the individual States,” 23 Jan. 1792; “An Act in addition to, and alteration of the Act, entitled ‘An Act to extend the time limited for settling the Accounts of the United States with the individual States,’” 27 Feb. 1793, 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 ., 49, 178–79, 229, 324.

2. In a letter of 22 June, GW instructed the commissioners to deliver their books and papers to the Treasury Department, and Thomas Jefferson noted their delivery on 29 June in a letter of that date to James Madison (Jefferson Papers description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. 41 vols. to date. Princeton, N.J., 1950–. description ends , 26:401–4).

3. At this point, Jefferson added in pencil a total of $3,517,584 to the copy he made.

4. Jefferson omitted the Delaware account from the copy he made.

5. At this point, Jefferson added in pencil a total of $2,905,156 to his copy. After including the Delaware account, the total is $3,517,584.

6. GW sent this report to Jefferson on 15 July and instructed him to have copies prepared for submission to the next session of Congress (JPP description begins Dorothy Twohig, ed. The Journal of the Proceedings of the President, 1793–1797. Charlottesville, Va., 1981. description ends , 198). On 13 Aug., Tobias Lear wrote Jefferson asking that he return the report so that it could be filed at the Treasury office (ibid., 219; Jefferson to GW, 13 Aug. 1793, n.1). Tobias Lear enclosed this report in his letter to Hamilton of 19 Aug. 1793. GW mentioned this report in his address to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate of 3 Dec. 1793, and Congress received a copy on 5 Dec. 1793 (ASP, Miscellaneous, description begins Walter Lowrie et al., eds. American State Papers. Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States. 38 vols. Washington, D.C., Gales and Seaton, 1832–61. description ends 1:69).

7. Dandridge’s statement of certification also appears on the letter-book copy at DLC:GW.

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You Are Looking At

Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from the Commissioners for Settling Accounts Between the United States and the Individual States, 29 June 1793
Authors: Commissioners for Settling Accounts Between the United States and the Individual States
Irvine, William
Kean, John
Langdon, Woodbury
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 29 June 1793

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from the Commissioners for Settling Accounts Between the United States and the Individual States, 29 June 1793,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-13-02-0110. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 13, 1 June–31 August 1793, ed. Christine Sternberg Patrick. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2007, pp. 154–156.]