23791To Thomas Jefferson from Mary Jefferson, 23 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I received your affectionate letter when I was at presqu’isle but was not able to answer it before I came here as the next day we went to uncle Bolings and then came here. I thank you for the pictures you was so kind as to send me and will try that your advise shall not be thrown away. I read in don quixote every day to my aunt and say my grammer in spanish and english and write and read in...
23792From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 23 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
A lingering head-ach still prevents me from answering fully your favors of April 23. and May 3. Having taken the bark till it ceased to produce any effect, I discontinued for some days. I shall resume it to day, and hope it will remove the small and feeble returns which still keep me from business. In my letter of the last week to Patsy, I mentioned the state of the President. He is now...
23793William Short to John Jay, 23 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The constitutional question of the right of war and peace , which I mentioned to you in my last, has occupied the assembly without interruption since that time. It was finally decided yesterday evening as you will see by the articles of the decree which I have the honor to inclose you. It seems to have given general satisfaction. The ministry and aristocratic party are contented because they...
23794Enclosure II: Memorial of James Piggot and others to Arthur St. Clair, 23 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
We your Petitioners, beg leave to represent to your Excellency the state and circumstances of a number of distressed but faithful subjects of the united States of America, wherein we wish to continue, and that under your immediate Government; But unless our principal agrievance can be removed by your Excellency’s encouragement, we shall despair of holding a residence in the State we love. The...
23795To Alexander Hamilton from William Allibone, 22 May 1790 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, May 22, 1790. “I herewith Transmit … five several Contracts for supplies and services for the establishments in the Bay and River Deleware.… There will be two others sent forward as soon as they can be effected one for Keeping the light House & one for repairs of Piers.” ALS , RG 26, Lighthouse Letters Received, Vol. “A,” Pennsylvania and Southern States, National Archives.
23796From Alexander Hamilton to Benjamin Lincoln, 22 May 1790 (Hamilton Papers)
Treasury Department, May 22, 1790. “You will be pleased to examine and settle the Account, of Mr. Devens for supplying the Light Houses in your District, and for expences since the 15th of August, and so far as found right, & duly Vouched, to pay the same. The acct. & Vouchers you will then be pleased to transmit to this Office. I observe the opinion of the Attorney for the Massachusetts...
23797To George Washington from Thomas Wignell, 22 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
Mr Wignell, with the utmost respect and deference, has the Honor of transmitting to the President of the United States, two copies of the Contrast. AL , DLC:GW . Thomas Wignell (d. 1803), an English actor, was a cousin of actor and theatrical manager Lewis Hallam. After performing in David Garrick’s Drury Lane Company, Wignell came to America in 1774. He performed with Hallam’s American...
23798To George Washington from George Clinton, 21 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
With this I do myself the Honor to inclose You Copies of Letters from Lieut. Colonel Woolsey, Judge Platt, Justice Moor, and other Inhabitants of this State residing on the West Banks of Lake Champlain containing all the Information which I at present have on the Subject to which they relate. Your present Indisposition will not permit me personally to attend You on this Business and I have...
23799To George Washington from Ebenezer Thompson, 21 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
Tho I am not insansiable that your Excellency must be troubled with many applications of this nature, Yet as it is probable that this state will in a few days adopt the Constitution and Laws of the Union, I take the liberty to request that you will be pleased to appoint me to the office of Collector of the Revenue for the port and District of Providence, an office which I now Sustain Under the...
23800Enclosure: William Davies to Beverley Randolph, 21 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
In consequence of an Order of the House of Representatives, that the Commissioners of the General Board should report the amount of the Claims of the several States, mr Gilman and mr Kean, Genl Irvine being absent, thought proper to report no. 1, which mr Madison calls a libel on the State. North Carolina and Georgia are also Stigmatized, but their Vengeance seems more particularly directed at...
23801To Thomas Jefferson from George Gilmer, 21 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your request respecting our mutual friend Col. Lewis, should have been complied with long ago, but immediately on his being emancipated from the medical department, A Cardinal fit of the Gout, agreable to my prayer, seized me, with unusual violence, which relieved all my other complaints; having been under an horrid arrest for Six weeks, in which time Col. Lewis has not been seen but once, I...
23802To Thomas Jefferson from De Lormerie, 21 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Lorsque je donnois a Monsieur Le Marquis de Marnésia la Lettre de recommandation que j’ai Eu l’honneur de vous Ecrire pour lui, un de ses amis M. Didier notre Vicaire Apostolique en Sçioto, me témoigna le plus grand Desir de participer au même avantage. Quoique je n’aie le Plaisir de connoitre ce Monsieur que par M. De Marnésia, le Caractère public dont il est revètu le rendent recommandable...
23803V. Second State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [April–20 May 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
The Secretary of state, to whom was referred by the house of representatives to prepare and report a proper plan or plans for establishing uniformity in the currency, weights and measures of the U.S. in obedience thereto makes the following report. To obtain uniformity in measures, weights, and coins, it is necessary to find some measure of invariable length, with which, as a standard, these...
23804John Jay’s Charge to the Grand Juries of the Eastern Circuit, 12 April–20 May 1790 (Jay Papers)
The Charge of Chief Justice Jay to The Grand Juries on the Eastern circuit— at the Circuit Courts held in the Districts, of New York on the 4 th .— of Connecticut on the 22 Day of april, of Massachusets on the 4 th . and of New Hampshire on the 20 Day of may 1790.— Whether any People can long govern themselves in an equal uniform & orderly manner, is a Question which the advocates for free...
23805From John Adams to William Smith, 20 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your agreable favour of the 24 th of April, was brought to me in season and I thank you for it; though my thanks are not in good season.—Your sentiments concerning the assumption of the State debts, the encouragement of American navigation and the establishment of a national bank, are conformable to those of about one half The Continent and contrary to those of the other half. How shall we...
23806To Alexander Hamilton from Stephen Higginson, 20 May 1790 (Hamilton Papers)
Since I had last the pleasure of writing to you, I have learnt with uneasiness, that some gentn. in Congress have had an Idea of stopping the progress of the funding System, with a view to compell an assent to the assumption of the State Debts. This Idea demands a very careful & cool attention before it be practised upon. The situation of things is to me critical & important. Shd. the question...
23807To Alexander Hamilton from Beverley Randolph, 20 May 1790 (Hamilton Papers)
I have had the Honour to receive your Letter of the 8th. instant. As soon as Colonel Carrington shall report to me the spot upon which the Light House is to be erected the cession to the United States shall be compleated. I am respectfully &c. LC , Archives Division, Virginia State Library, Richmond; copy, RG 26, Lighthouse Letters Received, Vol. “A,” Pennsylvania and Southern States, National...
23808Treasury Department Circular to the Collectors of the Customs, 20 May 1790 (Hamilton Papers)
An opinion that it will conduce as well to the public convenience, as to that of your Office, has induced me to direct, that the Monies you may receive after this letter shall get to hand, be remitted from time to time, and untill further orders to the Bank of North America established in Philadelphia there to be passed to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States. It will be necessary...
23809To George Washington from Arthur Fenner, 20 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
Having been lately elected, by the Freemen of this State, to the office of their first Magistrate, I therefore embrace this early oppertunity of assuring you of the sincere regard which I, in common with the Citizens in general, feel for your Excellency personally. Admist the Universal Applause and the grateful Acknowledgements of United America singular indeed would it be, if the Citizens of...
23810From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 20 May 1790 (Jay Papers)
I arrived here last Evening, and this morning rec d . your Favor of the 13 th . Instant, together with the Packets mentioned in it, and which I am glad were sent on; there being among them some Dispatches of a public Nature which are interesting. I had hoped that you and our little ones would have escaped the Influenza; and feel no little anxiety at learning that has not been the case. The Day...
23811To James Madison from Edward Carrington, 20 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
It is probable some establishment of a Military Nature under the United States may be made at the Point of Fork, at present the grand deposit of the State. This deposit has for several years been under the care of Major Langham whome you lately saw at New York. He did much business of the kind in the Army, and frequently under my own direction. He has since given great satisfaction to the...
23812To James Madison from William S. Grayson, 20 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
I am sorry to trouble you at present with a letter considering your Time must be employed in greater matters, but, relying on your good Disposition I trust you will pardon it. But my father being lately dead you are the only effectual friend which I dare hope for any thing. I will explain to you my Situation with candour and hope you will comply with the request I have to make, from my fathers...
23813To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 20 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your last favor. It relieved me much. But an event of yesterday has given me a full view of my arrangements. Very unexpectedly a diminished fœtus appeared; manifesting, that it had lost every energy of life for more than four months. The gloom of our house is converted into general satisfaction, at the escape of our friend from the most critical danger. I have this moment...
23814To James Madison from John Witherspoon, 20 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
I have just received a Letter on a very singular Subject which I will not write but inform You of at our first Meeting. It comes from a Clergy man of Nova Scotia of the Episcopal or roman catholic Church (for he does not say which) altogether unknown to me & contains a packet directed to a Mr Sterling Pleasant Mercht in Mecklenburg County Virginia with whom he says he is informed I am in...
23815Queries concerning Jefferson’s Report on Weights and Measures, [ca. 20 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Quer. if a fixed temperature might not be got by referring to a thermometer—the freezing point—being the natural standard Quer. as to the inaccuracy of English calculations of London Pendulum. Quer. if mode of distributing actual standards thro’ the States sd. not be suggested at the close of the report. Quer. would not uniform cylinders be as eas[i]ly measured & judged of, as squares. Quer....
23816To Thomas Jefferson from James Monroe, 20 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your friends have been made uneasy by a report of your indisposition, but flatter themselves it has been remov’d ere this, as they hear it was a periodical complaint you have had before and which was never accompanied with any dangerous symptoms. I have just return’d from Albemarle whither I went lately from the chancery to qualify in the circuit court of the U. States. The Judges were...
23817VI. James Madison’s Queries Concerning the Report, [ca. 20 May 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
Quer. if a fixed temperature might not be got by referring to a thermometer, the freezing point being the natural standard. Quer. as to the inaccuracy of English calculations of London Pendulum? Quer. if a mode of distributing actual standards thro’ the states should not be suggested at the close of the report. Quer. would not uniform cylinders be as easily measured and judged of, as squares....
23818From John Adams to William Ellery, 19 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 13 th , as I did that of march in due season— One wishes to be informed of all facts in which the public is interested: but the detail of Rhode Island manœuvres is distressing. The Senate yesterday passed a bill, which cutts off all communication with Rhode Island, if she chooses such a solitary selfish and unsocial system. The bill passed by a great majority,...
23819From John Adams to Benjamin Lincoln, 19 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have duly received but not duly answered your favor of April 3 d . It is a misfortune that a man can never be spoken to by a projectors without being misunderstood or misrepresented I told M r. Forbisher that if he expected any thing from the general government, he must apply to it by petition. But I never told him, that I had the least suspicion that the general government would ever do...
23820From Alexander Hamilton to Sharp Delany, 19 May 1790 (Hamilton Papers)
The establishment of Custom house boat⟨s is⟩ as you are informed, under the consideration of Congress ⟨at⟩ this time. But the circumstances which led to the tem⟨porary⟩ arrangement in your district appears still to be of so ⟨much⟩ weight, as to induce to a continuance of the measure ⟨till⟩ the proposed establishment shall be completed. I am with respect Sir Your obedt. Servt. LS , United...