Remission for Members of the Maryland Militia, [ca. 20 November 1816]
Remission for Members of the Maryland Militia
[ca. 20 November 1816]
Whereas it has been represented to me that 1 of the District of Maryland, have been adjudged guilty of violating the Militia Laws of the United States, whereupon they were sentenced to pay pecuniary fines to the United States, by Reason whereof they are now in the Custody of the Marshal for said District, having failed to satisfy the said fines or any part thereof. Now therefore be it known that I, James Madison, President of the United States, in consideration of the premises, and for divers good causes me thereunto moving, have remitted, and I do hereby remit, the fines aforesaid, and every part thereof, willing and requiring that the Marshal aforesaid discharge from his immediate Custody, or release from Prison, the Individuals, all and each of them, aforesaid.
In Testimony whereof, I James Madison, President of the United States, have caused the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed, and have signed the same with my Hand.
Done at the City of Washington this 2 day of in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred & sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States the forty first,
James Madison
By the President,
Jas. Monroe Secry of State.
MS (Gilder Lehrman Collection); letterbook copy (DNA: RG 59, PPR). Undated; conjectural date assigned based on evidence in n. 1. MS in a clerk’s hand, signed by JM and Monroe.
1. Left blank in MS and letterbook copy. On 13 Nov. 1816 James Monroe wrote to Thomas Rutter, marshal for Maryland, stating that JM had received a petition (not found) from members of the Society of Friends who sought release from imprisonment for refusing to pay fines after they had failed to perform militia duty. Monroe requested information on the following names: Joseph Hollinsworth, N. Ellicott Jr., William Ellicott, Thomas Hartly, Levi Hartly, Samuel Hartly Jr., and Seneca Parry (DNA: RG 59, DL). Rutter replied on 15 Nov. 1816 to the effect that he could confirm that some of these men were members of the Society of Friends but not others, and he noted that they were also very poor (DNA: RG 59, ML). On 20 Nov. 1816 Monroe sent Rutter a blank remission form for the marshal to grant remission to those men he believed were eligible (DNA: RG 59, DL).
2. Left blank in MS and letterbook copy.