To James Madison from John Ott and Daniel Bussard, 25 August 1812
From John Ott and Daniel Bussard
George Town Augt. 25. 1812
Sir
Permit us to represent that the appointment of one or more additional Magistrates in George Town would promote the speedy administration of Justice be a convenience to the People and a relief to those in office who have at present for want of assistance more than their share of the Burthen. We beg leave to name Daniel Reintzel1 as a proper person for the appointment, he at present devotes much of his time in settling disputes among The Citizens and from his having formerly been in Commission has experience to add to his accustomed Industry. Respectfully Your Obedt. Servts
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1809–17, filed under “Reintzal”). A note on the cover indicates that Reintzel was “appointed.”
1. JM nominated Reintzel as justice of the peace for the County of Washington, District of Columbia, on 12 Nov. 1812 (, 2:303).
2. John Ott, a Georgetown druggist, was justice of the peace for Washington County, District of Columbia, and became president of the Board of Common Council shortly after its formation in 1812 (Oliver W. Holmes, “The City Tavern: A Century of Georgetown History, 1796–1898,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society …: The Fiftieth Volume [1980], 24; , 2:305).
3. Daniel Bussard, owner of a blanket factory in Georgetown and a fulling mill in Bladensburg, was named by Congress as one of the incorporators of the Georgetown Lancaster School Society in 1812 (Van Horne, Papers of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 3:384).