I have been honoured with your very kind & obliging letter of the 4th Inst.1 and shou’d Sooner have replied, but I am kept here in a kind of Suspense by the very slow manner of proceeding in the Assembly of this State. I am Financier Elect, but that is all, for had I taken the Oath & my Commission my Seat in the Assembly must have been Vacated, and I think it of the utmost consequence to preserve my right of appearing there, untill the Tender & Penal Laws are totally repealed. for I consider those Laws, as destructive of all Credit, even amongst private People in dealings with one another, but to the Public officers, after the experience we have had, it is Evident that the existence of Such Laws any longer must totally preclude them from every possibility of Credit, and in our circumstances the War cannot be carried on without it. I have already made Such an impression, on this Subject, that I feel pretty Sure those Laws will be repealed in this State within these Few days, and I expect that the other Legislatures will readily follow the example, I am also pressing our Assembly to Levy effective Taxes in hard Money, there are stronger objections made to this than the other measure, and they are more pertinaciously insisted on, but still they will either wholly or partially come into this also, and if once the Ice is broke they will see such advantages flowing from these foundations as will readily induce them to follow up the plans that evidently prove in the operation, how beneficial they are to the Country.2 Insuperable obstacles have hitherto prevented me from bending my course towards your Camp, and it seems yet uncertain when it may be in my power,3 for altho’ I stipulated with Congress that they should not rest any part of the present Campaigne on me,4 yet they cannot refrain and already much of my time and attention are engaged in that way. Not having taken any Commission prevents me from Calling on the Several departments for such returns as I should choose to have with me when I wait on your Excellency,5 for my objects are to reduce our public Expenditures as nearly as possible to what they ought to be and to obtain revennues in our own Country to meet those Expences as nearly as can be and then to Shew Foreign Nations engaged in the War, that we must look to them for the balance, and I am very confident that when they shall see exertion on one hand & Oeconomy on the other they will be willing to assist us all they consistently can.6 The promise you So chearfully make of granting all the Support in Your power increases my own Confidence and I will before long engage in the Duties of my Department with all the Energy I am master of, that is provided these Tender & penal Laws are done away. I have the pleasure to hear that Mr Lowry has Sent 1000 bbls of Flour to Camp, from Genl Schuyler I have not yet heard.7 I have the honour to be Your Excellency’s most devoted hble servt