Thomas Jefferson to John Lenthall, 14 July 1805
To John Lenthall
Washington July 14. 05
Sir
I recieved yesterday the inclosed petition from sundry persons engaged as laborers in some of the public works, in which, they complain that the wages allowed them are too small, considering the actual price of bread & other necessaries. I ought to do nothing in this case which I should not be ready to do on application from every work-yard in the US. this single reflection will convince them that such a superintendance would be impracticable. their agreements are of necessity made with the particular director overlooking the work. his proceedings are under the controul of a more general officer, who settles his accounts at the treasury: but they never come to me, nor are known to me. the law has fixed the channel for the government of these details, without my interposition as it would therefore be entirely out of my sphere. I do not go into an enquiry as to the grounds of their petition, to which indeed I should be very incompetent. as I presume the petitioners may be within your department, I inclose you the petition, to do in it what your duties will permit, and with a request that you will inform them of the grounds on which I am forbidden to interfere in the case. Accept my salutations & best wishes.
Th: Jefferson
PoC (DLC); at foot of text: “Mr. Lenthall”; endorsed by TJ. Enclosure: John Moore and others to TJ, received 13 July 1805, not found (Appendix IV).
Prior to addressing the president, a number of laborers under the direction of the Irish carpenter Clotworthy Stephenson first petitioned Benjamin H. Latrobe for a reduction of the length of the work day and a longer midday break. On 18 June, Latrobe responded to the masons and bricklayers employed at the Capitol, refusing a reduction of work hours, as that would constitute a pay raise and result in the public paying more for labor than private contractors paid. Latrobe did concede an extension of the noon meal break to two hours through the summer. He stated that he could make no concessions or reparations for “time lost by the deficiency of material” (Benjamin Henry Latrobe, The Journal of Latrobe [New York, 1905], 127-30; Paul F. Norton, Latrobe, Jefferson and the National Capitol [New York, 1977], 118-19; , 1:601).