The last Mail brought me both your obliging Letters1— At this Moment I am constrained to write in Haste— When the present Governmt. was organized there were many interesting Papers of the former Congresses in the Hands of their Secretary Mr. Thompson— there was a secret Journal as well as a public one— I presume that the Heads of the Departmts. recd. from him the papers appertaining to them respectively— where are the Journals and the files of Letters &c. which did not ^immediately^ concern either of them? I do not recollect whether any and what order was given respecting those Papers— If they remain in his Possession, wd. it not be proper to direct him by ^a^ Law to deliver them to the secy of State, and to provide that they shd. so far be public Records as that the officers of State & members of both Houses have free access to them— Yours sincerely

perhaps all these papers are now in the Secy of State’s office— perhaps not all—