To James Madison from Hazlewood Farish, 27 November 1819
From Hazlewood Farish
Fredericksburg, 27th Nov. 1819.
Sir:
Agreeably to the wishes of the President and Directors of the Potomac Steam Boat Company, I herewith beg leave to hand you a copy of their proceedings on the 25th instant,1 and have to request your attendance at Mr. Davis’s Hotel, in the City of Washington, at 12 o’clock, on Thursday the 16th of December, either in person or by proxy. I am, very respectfully, Sir, Your most obed’t serv’t,
Hazlewood Farish,2
Secretary to the Pot. S. B. Company.
RC and enclosure (NN). The RC is a printed circular letter. Addressed in an unidentified hand to JM at Montpelier and franked. Postmarked at Fredericksburg ⟨3?5?⟩ Dec. For enclosure, see n. 1.
1. The enclosure is a two-page printed copy, docketed by JM, of the report of a meeting, held on 25 Nov. 1819, of the president and directors of the Potomac Steam Boat Company, at which two resolutions were made. The first resolution stated that the president, Phineas Bradley, and the secretary, Hazlewood Farish, “are hereby authorised to convey the Steam Boat Washington, with her privileges and charters, in trust to Thomas Munroe, Esq. with authority to sell the said boat at public auction” provided that Bradley pay $3,000 to the Bank of the United States and $1,000 to John Tayloe, “or, in case the said notes for four thousand dollars, drawn by Phineas Bradley on account of the Steam Boat Company, shall be renewed, the Trustee, as before named, shall have the power of selling the Steam Boat Washington, &c. &c. at any time within 30 days after the notes shall have remained due and unpaid.” The second resolution stated that the stockholders be apprized of the meeting of 16 Dec., “inasmuch as, on that day, business closely connected with the existence of the company will then be laid before them.” The directors of the company were listed as John Tayloe, Wilson Allen, John Davis, William Brent Jr., and William O’Neal.
2. Hazlewood Farish was a Fredericksburg resident with whom JM had dealings from time to time. Farish also held a contract to deliver the mail from Fredericksburg to Charlottesville in the years 1814–16 (Fredericksburg Personal Property Tax Rolls for 1798, 1813, and 1815; Daily National Intelligencer, 13 Mar. 1821).