1To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Lincoln, [November–December 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
At our last interview you expressed a wish that I would make such remarks on the impost laws as in my opinion would have a tendency to increase the revenue in a way as little burdensome and as conformable to the wishes of the people as possible. The cheerfulness discovered by the merchants in general doing business at this Port in paying the established duties on merchandise evinces to me that...
2To Alexander Hamilton from Tench Coxe, 30 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
It was my wish to have forwarded to you sooner, the enclosed paper, No. 6, by way of answer to the queries I had the honour to receive from you, the 26th of last month, but I could not revise the facts with sufficient care, till this time. You will observe, I have pursued a mode different from that which the form of the queries pointed out, thinking that “ a present state of the navigation of...
3To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 30 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
The letter of Octob. the 7th. which you did me the honor to write me was delivered two days ago by Mr. McCartey, & yesterday I received the duplicate by Count de Moustier. Some time before, the debt of the United States to France had been brought into view by Mr. Necker in a memorial which he delivered to the national assembly on the subject of their finances, & which I inclosed in my No. 10...
4To Alexander Hamilton from Joseph Whipple, 30 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, November 30, 1789. Asks “whether Bonds for Duties shall be put in Suit immediately after they shall fall due or whether one or more days notice shall be given.” LC , RG 36, Collector of Customs, 1789–1790, Vol. 1, National Archives; copy, RG 56, Letters from the Collector at Portsmouth, National Archives.
5To Alexander Hamilton from Thomas Willing, 30 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Yours of the 25th. did not reach me till yesterday noon. I call’d the Directors at 9 oClock this Morning and by the enclosure to the Treasurer with the Post Notes also sent him you will see that your application for a further Loan of twenty thousand dollars has been complied with; and I have no doubt that you will send forward a Treasury Warrant indorsed by the Secretary for the Amount...
6To Alexander Hamilton from Oliver Wolcott, Junior, 29 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
The principles of a plan for adjusting the accounts of the sevral States with the United States, which by your permission, I submit to your consideration is founded on these Ideas that I believe it will appear from an examination of the Acts of Congress, that All the requisitions upon the States for money contain the following conditions. 1st. That the sums required, shall not be considered...
Proportions of 500. as required by the Act of Congress of the 22d. of Nov. 1777. Balances of Recs. and expenditures as stated by Comrs. of Accounts Balances chd. as quotas of the several States Credits on final settlemt. not transferable. New Hampshire 20 24. 20.
8To Alexander Hamilton from James Madison, [20–28 November 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
The bearer will deliver two of your books which have been some time in my hands. I add to them a pamphlet recd. not long since from France. I can not recommend it because I have not read it. The subject tho’ a hackneyed is an interesting one, and the titles of some of the chapters promising. You will soon discover how far it may be worth your perusal. The inclosed letter to Genl. Schuyler...
9To Alexander Hamilton from Tobias Lear, 28 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
The President of the U States being very desirous that the several Accots. of those Articles which were furnished by directions of Saml. Osgood & William Duer Esqr. in pursuance of a resolution of both houses of Congress of the 15th. of April 1789. and deposited in the house provided for the President of the United States, for his use, should be settled & paid. He has therefore, directed me to...
10To Alexander Hamilton from Samuel Osgood, 28 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, November 28, 1789. Acknowledges Hamilton’s letter of November 16, 1789. Sends a detailed report on the present condition of the Post Office Department with suggestions for improving its efficiency and increasing postal revenue. LC , RG 28, Records of the Postmaster General, Letter Books, 1789–1794, National Archives. Osgood was appointed Postmaster General on September 26, 1789....
11To Alexander Hamilton from Beverley Randolph, 28 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Severe Indisposition prevented my answering your Favour of the 29th. of October, sooner than the present Moment. I now do myself the Honour to transmit an Abstract of the Public Debt of Virginia. No Funds have ever been established for the redemption of any part of the Principal, but the Legislature have heretofore made annual provision for the payment of the Interest. While the state...
12To Alexander Hamilton from Thomas Mifflin, 27 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, November 27, 1789. “… the Comptroller General of this State hath made considerable Progress in the Statement of the public Debts of Pennsylvania … and I … will … transmit to you in four weeks from this Date all the Information required.…” Hazard, Pennsylvania Archives , XI Samuel Hazard, ed., Pennsylvania Archives (Philadelphia, 1855). , 641. This letter is in reply to “Treasury...
13To Alexander Hamilton from Joseph Whipple, 26 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, November 26, 1789. Asks that a uniform ruling be made on “the propriety of measuring Foreign Vessels that have Registers.” Requests instructions on the levying of tonnage and import taxes on foreign ships that enter Portsmouth but also intend to call at other United States ports. LC , RG 36, Collector of Customs at Portsmouth, Letters Sent, 1789–1790, Vol.1, National...
14To Alexander Hamilton from William Bingham, [25 November 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
Some particular Avocations that have engaged my Attention Since the receipt of your Letter of the 10 October, (with which I was honoured) have prevented my Sending an earlier Communication in reply to it. Inclosed are Answers to the Several Queries, which I hope will embrace the Objects you were desirous of being more fully acquainted with. I have made Some Observations on the Operation of the...
15Enclosure: [Answers to Queries Concerning the Navigation of the Several States], [25 November 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
Answers to Queries concerning the Navigation of the Several States, & foreign Nations 1 Vessels built in this State for the West India & European Trade, are generally betwixt 180 & 300 Tons, & are not So flat bottomed as those of G Britain Holland & Sweden & are Somewhat fuller than those of France. They do not carry quite as much according to their Tonnage, as the British Dutch or Swedish...
16To Alexander Hamilton from Meletiah Jordan, 25 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Frenchman’s Bay, District of Maine, November 25, 1789. On December 24, 1789, Jordan wrote to Hamilton : “I wrote you the … 25th of November last.” Letter not found. ]
17To Alexander Hamilton from Timothy Pickering, 25 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have this day recd. your letter of the 19th. instant. It is in some sort anticipated by mine of last week. But the inclosed letter to Mr. Peter Anspach is to request him with Mr. Wolfe’s assistance to present you with a statement of the debts intended to have been provided for by the anticipation you mention, & which yet remain unsatisfied. The documents are in his hand. I remarked in my...
18To Alexander Hamilton from John Davidson, 24 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Annapolis, November 24, 1789. On December 8, 1789, Hamilton wrote to Davidson : “I have duly received your letter of the 24th of November.” Letter not found. ]
19To Alexander Hamilton from Nathaniel Gorham, 24 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
[ November 24, 1789. On December 8, 1789, Hamilton wrote to Gorham : “I am favored with your Letter of the 24th of last Month.” Letter not found. ] Gorham was a Charlestown, Massachusetts, legislator and merchant.
20To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Grymes, 23 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have to address you on an interestg subject to my self, and am happy that fortune has placed you in the station, to render your Country the service you will undoubtedly do her. I am to acquaint you that I am entitled to 1/6 of a Ship called the Aurora chartered 10 or 12 years past by Mr. Morris in behalf of the Country, Mr. Morris inform me he is likely to get his accts settled this winter...
21To Alexander Hamilton from Tobias Lear, 21 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I am directed by the President of the United States to enclose and send to you, a letter addressed to him from Thomas Newton Junr. Esquire of Norfolk, dated October 24th. 1789, containing an estimate made by Commissioners appointed by the States of Maryland and Virginia of the cost of building a lighthouse on Cape Henry in Virginia—an account of materials which were placed on the spot for that...
22To Alexander Hamilton from John Witherspoon, 21 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Saturday last in the Afternoon I went to New York & called upon you that Day & next Day agreeably to my promise in my Answer to Yours which I hope you received, but was not so fortunate as to find you at home & therefore must put off my intended Conversation to a future Opportunity which I hope will be very soon. In the mean Time I take the Liberty to inform You that I have been told Mr Sharp...
23To Alexander Hamilton from Meletiah Jordan, 20 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Frenchman’s Bay [ District of Maine ] November 20, 1789 . “Received yours of the 14th. of September this day.… I must inform you there is but one vessel belonging to this District that follows coasting, neither is there one that follows foreign trade. The vessels in this Port consist of fishing and as it is forbidden that no foreign vessel shall bring or land goods in this District you must...
24To Alexander Hamilton from James Madison, 19 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I was too much indisposed for some time after the receipt of your favor of the 12 Octr. to comply with the request in it, and since my arrival here and recovery I have till now been without a conveyance to the post office. The supplemental funds which at present occur to me as on the whole most eligible are 1. an excise on home distilleries. If the tax can be regulated by the size of the Still...
25To Alexander Hamilton from Timothy Pickering, 19 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have recd. a letter of the 6th ult. from Mr. Anspach, stating the necessity of his being furnished with two or three thousand dollars, to pay some arrears due to himself, Mr. Wolfe, Mr. Dill, & a few others who were employed in the late department of the Quarter Master General—that the payment of those arrears, particularly his, Mr. Wolfe’s & Mr. Dill’s will enable them to complete the...
26To Alexander Hamilton from Otho H. Williams, 19 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Baltimore, November 19, 1789. Encloses for Samuel Meredith one thousand dollars in “the previous parts of the Notes mentioned in the within list.” ALS , RG 53, “Old Correspondence,” Baltimore Collector, National Archives.
27To Alexander Hamilton from Thomas FitzSimons, 18 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, November 18, 1789. “Our Collector is much embarrassed on Account of the dutys on the Goods imported into this port between the 1st. of August when the Continental Impost was to take place and the 7th when he received his Commission. He Continued to act as an officer of the State till the latter Period and took bond for the payment of the dutys during that time. I need not point...
28To Alexander Hamilton from Richard Harison and Samuel Jones, [18 November 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
In Consequence of the Application of the ninth Instant made to us by the Secretary of the Treasury, we have considered the several Questions proposed upon the Act for registering & clearing of Vessels &ca. passed the 22d Day of last September, and are of Opinion 1. That Vessels of less than twenty Tons licenced as the Act directs, are exempt from Tonnage, because the Act having declared that...
29To Alexander Hamilton from William Smith, 18 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Boston, November 18, 1789. “I have the honor to inclose you a Letter from the Boston Marine Society with a Letter for the President of the United States from the Merchants of Boston.…” ALS , RG 26, Lighthouse Letters Received, Vol. “B,” New Hampshire and Massachusetts, National Archives. Smith was secretary of the Boston Marine Society. Mungo Mackay to H, November 16, 1789 .
30To Alexander Hamilton from Thomas Willing, 18 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have just received your Favor of the 14th Instant. the explanation you have drawn up in the Official Instrument now sent me, is Substantially ye purport of the Original Agreement as we understood it. I have now the pleasure to return you one of the two papers executed under the Seal of this Institution and my own Signature as president. We had never any Idea of passing the produce of the...