To George Washington from Edmund Randolph, 4 March 1794
From Edmund Randolph
Philadelphia March 4. 1794.
Sir
I have to request you to issue a warrant on the treasury of the United States for the payment of so much of the sum, voted for the relief of the inhabitants of St Domingo, as you mean now to distribute. You will be pleased, sir, to recollect, that you determined the other day to apportion ten thousand dollars only. Since that time, a report has been made from Delaware, and an additional one from Connecticut, which will probably render it expedient to take for the former five hundred dollars, and for the latter One hundred dollars in addition, from the remaining five thousand dollars.1 I beg leave to suggest the following form of a warrant.
United States March 4. 1794.
To the Secretary of the treasury.
Pay to the Secretary of State, in pursuance of the act providing for the relief of such of the inhabitants of St Domingo, residing within the United States, as may be found in want of support, ten thousand six hundred dollars; to be by him remitted according to his report to me on the 27th day of february last, and his letter to me of this date.
Given under my hand this fourth day of March 1794.2
I have the honor sir, to be with the highest respect yr mo. ob. serv.
Edm: Randolph.
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, Reports of the Secretary of State to the President and Congress; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.
1. “An Act providing for the relief of such of the inhabitants of Saint Domingo, resident within the United States, as may be found in want of support,” 12 Feb. 1794, appropriated an amount not exceeding $15,000 for this purpose (. 6:13). In his first letter to GW of 27 Feb. Randolph suggested that only $10,000 be distributed at first, thus reserving $5,000 “to redress any inequalities, which may be found on a more precise knowledge of the numbers.” For the report from Delaware and the funds distributed as of 11 April, see Randolph’s second letter to GW of 27 Feb., and n.1 of Cabinet Opinion, 22 April. The report from Connecticut has not been identified.
2. This suggested form was used for GW’s letter to Alexander Hamilton of this date (LB, DLC:GW). The form does not appear in the letter book for GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.