Thomas Jefferson Papers

From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Russell, 16 March 1793

To Benjamin Russell

Philadelphia March 16. 1793.

Sir

Be pleased to correct the following typographical error in the 1st. Section of the Act intituled “An act to alter the times and places of holding the Circuit Courts in the Eastern District, and in North Carolina, and for other purposes.” To wit “for the district of Massachusetts, at Boston, on the seventeenth day of June”; strike out the word “seventeenth” and insert in lieu thereof the word seventh.

Th: Jefferson

If you have not published the above mentioned act, its publication with the above correction will be sufficient.

PrC (DLC); in the hand of George Taylor, Jr., signed by TJ; at foot of text: “Mr. Benjamin Russell.” FC (Lb in DNA: RG 59, DL). Tr (MHi: Robert Treat Paine Papers); partly in Taylor’s hand; lacks postscript; endorsed by William Cushing.

The act in question became law on 2 Mch. 1793 (Annals description begins Annals of the Congress of the United States: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … Compiled from Authentic Materials, Washington, D.C., Gales & Seaton, 1834–56, 42 vols. All editions are undependable and pagination varies from one printing to another. The first two volumes of the set cited here have “Compiled … by Joseph Gales, Senior” on the title page and bear the caption “Gales & Seatons History” on verso and “of Debates in Congress” on recto pages. The remaining volumes bear the caption “History of Congress” on both recto and verso pages. Those using the first two volumes with the latter caption will need to employ the date of the debate or the indexes of debates and speakers. description ends , iii, 1449–50). On 16 Mch. 1793 TJ also wrote a letter to the justices of the United States Supreme Court notifying them of the error and enclosing copies of his letter to “Mr. Russel of Massachusetts who publishes the laws of the United States in that District” (RC in MHi: Robert Treat Paine Papers, at foot of text: “Judge Cushing,” in Taylor’s hand, signed by TJ, endorsed by William Cushing; PrC in DLC, in Taylor’s hand, unsigned, with “Judge Iredell” at foot of text, next to which Taylor added in ink “No. Caro.” and above which he added in ink “Chief Justice Jay & associate Judges Paterson—N.J. Wilson—Penna. Cushing—Massa. Blair—Virga.”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DL, at head of text: “Chief Justice Jay and associate Judges”).

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