From Alexander Hamilton to Wilhem and Jan Willink, Nicholaas and Jacob Van Staphorst, and Nicholas Hubbard, 18 March 1791
To Wilhem and Jan Willink,
Nicholaas and Jacob Van Staphorst,
and Nicholas Hubbard
Treasury Department,
March 18th. 1791.
Gentlemen,
The Treasurer of the United States has been directed to draw upon you, a Bill, at ten days sight, in favor of the Secretary of State, for ninety nine thousand Guilders, which you will dispose of, according to directions to be given you by, Mr. Jefferson.1
I am &c.
Alexander Hamilton.
Messrs. Willink, Van Staphorst and Hubbard.
Amsterdam.
Copy, RG 233, Reports of the Treasury Department, 1792–1793, Vol. III, National Archives. This letter was enclosed in H’s “Report on Foreign Loans,” February 13, 1793.
1. On March 19, 1791, Jefferson wrote to Willink, Van Staphorst, and Hubbard: “Congress having appropriated the sum of 40,000 Dollars annually to the department of state in the transaction of it’s foreign business, I inclose you the Treasurer’s bill on you for 90,000 florins supposed equivelent to the before-mentioned sum of dollars. You will be pleased to open an account therefore with the ‘Secretary of State for the United States of America’ wherein you will credit him this draught. This arrangement being taken only this day, & the vessel by which this goes, sailing early tommorow morning I have only time to observe to you that the allowances to mr Short, mr Carmichael, Collo. Humphreys, & mr Dumas, with some special expences from the 1st. day of July 1790. to July 1, 1791. are to be debited to this account, as I shall more particularly explain to you by the first conveyance which shall occur: and that, till I send you such explanation, you are desired to answer any draughts of theirs for the above purposes. Colo. Humphreys will have to draw on you immediately for 4500. dollars his outfit, & about a thousand dollars salary, and it is principally to advise you of his draught and to authorise you to answer it that I hasten to forward the bill on you before I have time to direct specially what demands you are to answer from it, but this shall soon follow” (ALS, Thomas Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress).