1The Board of War to George Washington, 21 June 1776 (Adams Papers)
The Congress having thought proper to appoint us to the Board of War and Ordinance, we do ourselves the Honour to transmit you the foregoing Extracts from their Proceedings establishing a War Office for the more speedy and effectual Dispatch of military Business. You will percieve, on Perusal of the Extracts, that it will be necessary for you forthwith to furnish the Board with an exact State...
2To George Washington from James Wilson, 18 January 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from James Wilson, 18 Jan. 1777. In 1906 the American Book-Prices Current recorded the sale of Wilson’s autograph letter to GW with this description: “Carlisle, Jan. 18, 1777, to Gen. Washington. Recommending Col. [Ephraim] Blaine as a suitable person to prepare magazines of provisions in Pennsylvania” (ibid., vol. 12 [1906], 773). The letter was sold again in 1910 and 1941...
3To George Washington from James Wilson, 11 January 1778 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from James Wilson, 11 Jan. 1778. GW wrote Wilson on 23 Jan. : “I have received your favor of the 11th Instant.”
4To George Washington from James Wilson, 11 March 1788 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from James Wilson, 11 Mar. 1788. On 4 April GW thanked Wilson for his “favr of the 11 Ulto.”
5To George Washington from James Wilson, 21 April 1789 (Washington Papers)
A Delicasy arising from your Situation and Character as well as my own has hitherto prevented me from mentioning to your Excellency a Subject of much Importance to me. Perhaps I should not even now have broke Silence but for one Consideration. A Regard to the Dignity of the Government, over which you preside, will naturally lead you to take Care that its Honours be in no Event, exposed to...
6To George Washington from James Wilson, 18 October 1789 (Washington Papers)
Your Commission, appointing me one of the associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, and your very obliging Letter, with which it was accompanied, I have had the Honour of receiving. Be assured, Sir, that I entertain a just Sense of the delicate and pleasing Manner, in which you describe the Motives and the Objects of your Choice. Permit me to add—I hope I do it with Justice...
7To George Washington from James Wilson, 31 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
Agreeably to what you mentioned when I had the Honour of an Interview with you, I have reduced to Writing my Sentiments concerning a Digest of Laws for the United States. I enclose also the Copy of a Letter, which I wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania. This shews the Manner ⟨mutilated⟩ a Digest of Law ought, in my Opinion, to be executed. Any farther...
8Enclosure I: From James Wilson, 31 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
By the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania I am empowered to “ digest into proper Order and Form the Laws of that Commonwealth;” and “to report such Alterations, Additions and Improvements as the Principles and Forms of the Constitution may require.” In this Work I have made some Progress; during which it has occurred to me, that a similar Work with Regard to the Laws of the United States...
9To George Washington from the Supreme Court Justices, 20 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
We have taken into consideration the Letter written to us by your Direction, on the 18th Instant, by the Secretary of State. The Question “whether the public may with propriety be availed of the advice of the Judges, on the Questions alluded to?[”] appears to us to be of much Difficulty as well as Importance—as it affects the judicial Department, we feel a Reluctance to decide it, without the...
10To George Washington from Supreme Court Justices, 8 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
We have considered the previous Question stated in a Letter written to us by your Direction, by the Secretary of State, on the 18th of last month. The Lines of Separation drawn by the Constitution between the three Departments of Government—their being in certain Respects checks on each other—and our being Judges of a court in the last Resort—are Considerations which afford strong arguments...