From Alexander Hamilton to Robert Morris, [9 October 1782]
To Robert Morris
[Albany, October 9, 1782]
Sir,
I wrote you a hasty letter by the last post which arrived late and set out very soon after its arrival.
Since that I have received two thousand dollars all in your bills on Mr. Swanwick in favour of Messrs. Sands & Co.1 One half the sum is in bills payable in February ⟨next⟩ exchanged by them for specie with one of the County treasurers. I am sensible there is an inconvenience in this in different ways; but it appears by your letter of the 19th. of July that you mean to have those bills received upon the same footing with your [notes] and the bank-notes, without regard to the time they have to run. I have however induced the treasu⟨rer⟩ to write in a manner that I hope will discourage like exchanges in future, without giving any unfavourable impression. Besides the inconvenience from this practice which I mentioned in a former letter, there is another which I am persuaded will result. People will get into a way of discounting your bills & notes with the treasurers and collectors to the injury of their Credit.
Probably you are apprised of a fact which however I think it my duty to mention; it is that the bank notes pass pretty currently as Cash with a manifest preference to your Notes.
I have not yet received the other papers relative to the account of supplies I have sent you.
I hope to be able to inclose you a copy of the address ⟨of⟩ the public creditors in this town to the rest of that denomination ⟨in⟩ this state. It inculcates the ideas, which ought to prevail.2
I have not yet heard of your Messenger, Mr. Brown. I presume his circuit is regulated by ⟨y⟩our occasional direction.3
I have the honor to be &c
ADf, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. See Morris to H, April 15, 1782.
2. For information on the address of the public creditors, see H to Morris, September 28, 1782. See also address “To the Public Creditors of the State of New York,” September 30, 1782.
3. John Brown of Philadelphia was often employed by Morris. On May 15, 1782, the Superintendent of Finance informed the receivers of the taxes in the states “Eastward of Hudsons River” that he had “appointed Mr. Brown to be the Messenger by whom you are from Time to Time to transmit the Bank Notes which you may receive” (Morris to H, May 15, 1782).