To Alexander Hamilton from Charles Lee, 29 January 1790
From Charles Lee1
Alexandria [Virginia] 29th January 1790
Sir!
| The amount of my fees under the collection law2 from the 1st. of August 1789 to the 1st. of Jany 1790 | $294.40 | |
| Amount of my fees, under the coasting law3 within the same period |
 |
46.40 |
| Amount of my Commissions, on the sums paid,4 within the same period |
|
23.42 |
| 364.22 |
Having stated above the gross amount of the emoluments of my office suffer me to add an account of the charges which have been incurred on account of the office, within the same period of time.
| Amount of Stationary including Books | 79.43 |
| An Iron Chest | 52.50 |
| An Office at the rent of 60 Dollars per ann. for 5 months | 25.00 |
| A clerk, at the rate of 270 Dollars per annum for 5 months | 112.50 |
| Net proceeds to the 1st. of January 1790 | 94.79 |
| 364.22 |
Though the Iron Chest and Office Books seem to me to be proper articles of debit against the United States, I have not charged them least they should be disallowed and I thought it better to wait for your approbation. According to the present system of Duties I expect the annual amount in this District will be 40.000 dollars. Total amount of Surveyor’s5 fees from the 1st. of August 1789 to the 1st. of January 1790. $182.56 and, as he is at no expense of office the collector being his Clerk, it may be considered as the net produce.
I have the honor to be Sir! Your most Obedt. H’ble Servant
Charles Lee, Collector at Alexandria
Copy, RG 56, Letters to and from the Collector at Alexandria, National Archives.
1. This letter was written in reply to “Treasury Department Circular to the Collectors of the Customs,” January 20, 1790 (, VI, 204).
2. See Section 29 of “An Act to regulate the Collection of the Duties imposed by law on the tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandise imported into the United States” ( 44–45 [July 31, 1789]).
3. These fees were stipulated by Section 31 of “An Act for Registering and Clearing Vessels, Regulating the Coasting Trade, and for other purposes” ( 64 [September 1, 1789]). For the text of this section, see Lee to H, November 21, 1789, note 20 (printed in this volume).
4. Section 29 of “An Act to regulate the Collection of the Duties imposed by law on the tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandise imported into the United States” ( 45) allowed collectors “one per centum on the amount of all monies by them respectively received and paid into the treasury of the United States.”
5. Samuel Hanson.