PrC (DLC); several words overwritten in a later hand. The repetition of the signature and date suggests the possibility that TJ letterpressed two different memorandums onto the same sheet.

TJ had previously submitted the consular appointments at Demerara and Malaga for the President’s consideration in a memorandum of 28 Feb. 1793 that differed significantly from the one printed above. Although the paragraph about Demerara is virtually identical, TJ left blank the name and state of the nominee in the otherwise similar paragraph on Malaga, below which he wrote:

“The Candidates are:

<Samuel Cooper Johonnett. See Mr. Thayer’s letter.>

Michael Murphy (of Ireland). See letters of Mr. Viar

Mr. Leamy.

Wm. Kirkpatrick (of Scotland) see letter of Mr. Cabot

Wm. Douglas Brodie see letter of Willing Morris & Swanwick

The President will be pleased to decide between the three above candidates for Malaga” (MS in DNA: RG 59, MLR, entirely in TJ’s hand, with signature and date clipped, but endorsed by Tobias Lear as dated 1 Mch. 1793; PrC in DLC, dated 28 Feb. 1793, partially overwritten in a later hand; entry in SJPL: “Consuls”). The letter recommending Samuel Cooper Johonnet was George Thatcher to TJ, Philadelphia, 23 Feb. 1793 (RC in DLC: Washington Papers, Applications for Office; at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Secretary of State”; endorsed by TJ as received 26 Feb. 1793 and so recorded in SJL). The letters of recommendation for Michael Morphy were Josef Ignacio de Viar to TJ, 25 Feb. 1793 (RC in same; at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esqre. &ca &ca &ca”; endorsed by TJ as received 26 Feb. 1793 and so recorded in SJL), and John Leamy to TJ, Philadelphia, 27 Feb. 1793 (RC in same; at foot of text: “The Honorable Thomas Jefferson Esquire Secretary of State”; endorsed by TJ as received 27 Feb. 1793). The letter recommending Kirkpatrick was George Cabot to Washington, Beverly, Mass., 29 Jan. 1791 (same). The letter recommending Brodie was Willing, Morris & Swanwick to TJ, 8 Sept. 1791.

Washington nominated Johonnet, Morphy, and Greenleaf on 1 Mch. 1793 and the Senate confirmed them the next day (JEP description begins Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States … to the Termination of the Nineteenth Congress, Washington, D.C., 1828 description ends , i, 135–6). TJ wrote a brief letter to them on 2 Mch. 1793, advising of their appointments and enclosing their commissions as well as “a copy of the Laws of the United States, together with the copy of a Circular letter written to our Consuls and Vice-Consuls the 26th. August 1790, to serve as their standing Instructions” (FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI; at head of text: “To Michael Murphy Esqr.”; at foot of text: “The same to the following Gentlemen—Samuel Cooper Johonnet Junr., consul for the Port of Demarara. James Greenleaf, consul for the Port of Amsterdam in the United Netherlands”; not recorded in SJL). Morphy’s commission is dated 2 Mch. 1793 (same, Presidential Commissions). Washington did not sign the commissions of Morphy, Johonnet, and Greenleaf until 9 Mch. 1793 (Washington, Journal description begins Dorothy Twohig, ed., The Journal of the Proceedings of the President, 1793–1797, Charlottesville, 1981 description ends , 83). TJ wrote a brief note to Viar on 15 Mch. 1793 asking him “to give a passage to the dispatches to Mr. Murphy, by any occasion which he may think safe” (PrC in DLC, undated but recorded under 15 Mch. 1793 in SJL; Tr in DLC, 19th-century copy). The PrC is letterpressed on the same sheet as TJ’s brief notes of 15 Mch. 1793 to Leamy, asking him to forward the dispatches he had entrusted that day to Viar if an opportunity arose, and to George Meade, requesting that he forward dispatches to Benjamin Hamnell Phillips, who had recently been appointed consul at Curaçao (PrCs in DLC; Trs in DLC, 19th-century copies transcribed on one sheet with Tr to Viar; note to Meade not recorded in SJL).