Joseph Jones to the Auditors, with James Hayes’ Account and Jefferson’s Memorandum, 16 March–[5 April?] 1781
Joseph Jones to the Auditors, with James Hayes’ Account and Jefferson’s Memorandum
Phila: 16th. March 1781
Gent.
I inclose you an account delivered me by Mr. Dunlap for the hire of three waggons to transport the Printing Materials to Virginia and the amount of 7 dozen Parchment for the use of the Legislature. Mr. Dunlap assures me he engaged the waggons upon the best terms he could. They are to deliver their loads at Richmond and return to Fredericksburg with any loads the State may furnish. From thence they are to come to my House to transport some necessaries for my Family to this place but if the State can furnish them a back load to Philadelphia this part of the engagement may be void. If they are to return by my House the Country should be credited for such proportion of the waggonage as may be reasonable from Fredericksburg to Philadelphia and charged to me. I have desired Mr. Hays to receive the money for the waggon hire and parchment and after furnishing the waggoners what they want transmit the balance to me to settle with them here. I have advanced them thirty pounds of the new money equal to Specie at the regulated exchange and also twelve hundred dollars Virga. State paper or they would not move and Mr. Dunlap assured me he could not furnish the money. I am Gent. yr. most obed. Servt.,
Joseph Jones
Enclosure
The hire of the three Waggons containing the Printing Apparatus from Philada. for the use of this State is Sixty-five Pounds State Money of Pennsylvania each which amounts to
£ 195 | |
Exchange of that @ 75 for one | 14625 |
7 Dozn. Parchment @ 1000 Dollars &c. | 2625 |
The Ferriage of the waggons, which by agreement are to be paid exclusive of the above coming and returning |
705.10 |
£17,955.10 | |
Exch. 20 ⅌ Ct. off is | £14364.8/ |
Jefferson’s Memorandum
The expence of transporting the printing materials of Mr. Hayes from Philadelphia here by land was taken on the state rather than run the risk of their being lost a second time if brought by water, and that to be again made good.
Th: Jefferson
RC in Contingent Fund Vouchers (Vi); addressed: “To Messrs. Archer Wood & Randolph Auditors Richmond Virga.” The enclosed account of Hayes, with TJ’s Memorandum (without date and written in his hand below Hayes’ account) is filed with Jones’ letter and is endorsed: “April 5. 1781. Jas. Hayes. £ 14364:8 Contingent.”
The auditors probably issued payment to Hayes on 5 Apr., the date in the endorsement, and TJ’s memorandum was, doubtless, written about that time. On 9 Apr. 1781, the proceedings of the Council record the following: “The Board being informed that Mr. Hayes, agent for Mr. Dunlap, is nearly ready to begin the publication of his weekly gazette, which by Contract with the executive was to consist always of a full sheet of the size and type of Dunlaps Philadelphia paper containing intelligence, useful essays and public notifications on the part of government, publishing a separate lief for private advertisements, and it being represented that it must frequently happen that there will not be a sufficiency of Intelligence useful essays and public advertisements to fill a sheet, do consent that the vacant space in the principal sheet may be filled up with private advertisements until the board may otherwise order” (ii, 330–1; see also TJ to the Virginia Delegates in Congress, 31 Aug. 1780; James Hayes to TJ, 18 and 23 Jan.; Jones to TJ, 6 Feb.; Virginia Delegates to TJ, 20 Feb. 1781).
,