I return you the nominations of Gansevoort and Forsyth approved. I send you also a letter from a mr Shaw who asks emploiment, & one from a Lieutt. Sebastian to whom I will ask you to give an answer, if one be proper. your letters of the 11th. 14th. & 16th. were recieved yesterday only, by the missing certainly of more than one mail.   with respect to the office of librarian, I have thought it best generally to give it to the clerk of the H. of R. who being dependant on the house, is of course bound to be complaisant to the members. in the present case I am strongly disposed to depart from the rule in favor of W. Duncanson—he was in the very worst days of terror one of the 4. or 5. who alone stood their ground as republicans in Washington & Georgetown. he is I think a very honest man, came here a very wealthy one, has been swindled out of his whole property, & is now in real distress. he is warm in his temper, and on account of some communications with Colo. Smith in Miranda’s affair and perhaps some acquaintance with Burr, might, I fear, be rather unpopular with the members: but my confidence is that he would be, & has been, an honest man in all his purposes. I am a little puzzled therefore between doubt & inclination. Affectionate salutations.