Alexander Hamilton Papers

From Alexander Hamilton to William Short, 28 January 1792

To William Short

Treasury Department January 28th 1792

Sir

You will find herewith duplicate of my letter of the 30th of November last—Since which I am without any of your favours.

It is with sincere pleasure, I embrace the opportunity of congratulating you on your appointment to the Hague as Minister Resident.1 This will afford you a better opportunity of watching and appreciating the course of Circumstances. You will consequently be obliged less to rely on others, and I trust by seizing favorable moments, you will be able to reduce the rate of interest on such future loans as may be found necessary.

A bill has lately been drawn upon our Commissioners in favor of Mr Jefferson for 95,947½ guilders for the use of the foreign department.2

I send you herewith copy of a report of mine to the House of Representatives on the 23d instant, and of certain statements which accompanied the same,3 which will give you a view of the present state of Revenue and Expenditure.

Our frontier affairs by occasioning an encrease of the latter will call for an augmentation of the former.

With perfect consideration & esteem   I have the honor to remain Sir   Your Obedient Servt

Alexander Hamilton

William Short Esquire
Minister Resident of the
united States at the Hague

LS, William Short Papers, Library of Congress. A copy of this letter was enclosed in H’s “Report on Foreign Loans,” February 13, 1793; LS, marked “Third,” Widener Library, Harvard University.

1The appointment of Short, United States chargé d’affaires at Paris, as United States Minister to The Hague had been confirmed by the Senate on January 16, 1792.

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