To James Madison from John W. Taylor, 3 February 1817
From John W. Taylor
House of Representatives February 3. 1817.
Sir
I have the honor to enclose for the perusal of the President of the United States a letter from Gov. Tompkins relative to the employment of the State Prisoners of New York in the construction of certain military roads on the terms therein mentioned.1 Very respectfully Your Mo. obedt
John W. Taylor2
RC and enclosure (DNA: RG 107, LRRS, T-45:10); draft of RC (NHi: John W. Taylor Papers). For enclosure, see n. 1.
1. The enclosure was Daniel D. Tompkins to Taylor, 25 Jan. 1817 (2 pp.), stating that members of the New York legislature wished to employ state prisoners on the construction of frontier military roads, “from the Fish house on Sacondago, the one to four corners in Malone, near the Chataugee river, & the other to Madrid on the St. Laurence; where the general Government contemplates the erection of a formidable work.” The legislature would be willing to feed and clothe the prisoners, provided the United States provided guards for them from its military posts. Tompkins requested Taylor to inform either him or Nathaniel Pendleton whether the president or the Secretary of War would accept this offer.
2. John W. Taylor served as a Republican representative from New York between 1813 and 1833.