James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from Jacquelin Ambler, 17 May 1783

From Jacquelin Ambler

RC (LC: Madison Papers). Letter unsigned but in Ambler’s hand. Cover addressed to “The Honobl. James Madison of Congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “May 17. 1783.”

Richmond Virga. 17. May 1783

Dear Sir

Mr. Newton has at length sent the first Bills which I now transmit you, two of £500. each.1 I was alarmed at the first view of them, being drawn at a very long period after sight, but I observe they were accepted as long ago as September last & of course payable immediately. As Mr. Mercer’s order for £100. has been paid here; & Mr. Jones, I presume, will also expect to draw Money out of the Treasury on his arrival, I think it highly reasonable you should draw, in addition to your share of the present Remittance, a part of the arrears due to you.2 this I hope you will be able to effect. in aid of this Mr. Attorney has drawn by warrants upon the Auditors £300. on your Accot. which he has commissioned Mr. Webb to remit to you.3 I had procured three Bills of £100. each on Messrs. Inglis & Co. not doubting but the Auditors would on Mr. Randolph’s first application issue warrants for £300. on your Accot. but it seems they have lost the Account I was at so much trouble to state for them & they now fancy the Balance due to you even to this time does not exceed the £200.4 I kept no Copy of that Accot. but I hope you have & shall be obliged to you to send it by next post.5 I hope on sight of it to be able to satisfy the Gentlemen that you are under the Mark. The extreme hurry of business must apologize for this scrawl.

Be so good as forward an acknowledgment from the Gentlemen of the Sums each have drawn in the several Genl. Dividends & request the favor of them to state their Accots. to the 31st March inclu. & transmit them to the Auditors directing warrants to be made out.6 there is no other mode of adjusting their Accounts

1Ambler to JM, 3 May 1783, and nn. 1, 2.

2Ambler to JM, 10 May 1783, and n. 1. These bills were drawn on Lacaze and Mallet, merchant-importers, on Water Street, between Arch and Race streets, Philadelphia (Delegates to Auditors, 28 May; Pennsylvania Journal, 8 Mar. 1783). For Jones’s arrival in Richmond on 20 May, see Jones to JM, 25 May 1783.

3Ambler to JM, 10 May, and n. 2; Randolph (“Mr. Attorney”) to JM, 24 May 1783. Foster Webb, Jr., was commissioner of the state treasury of Virginia (Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , IV, 173, n. 12; V, 266, n. 1).

4On 31 December 1782 the balance due JM had been £865 8s. 3d. Including the £200 which he would take as his share from the bills of exchange enclosed in the present letter, he had been paid £475. Thus there was still owed to him £390 8s. 3d. and his daily stipend of £2 3s. ($8.00) since 1 January 1783 (Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , VI, 326, n. 3; 379; 455, n. 2; JM to Bland, 6 May, hdn., and n. 1; Statement of Receipts, 28 May 1783).

6The Virginia delegates were obligated by a statute of 1 July 1782 to submit quarterly financial statements (Hening, Statutes description begins William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia, from the First Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619 (13 vols.; Richmond and Philadelphia, 1819–23). description ends , XI, 31–32).

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