To George Washington from Alexander Hamilton, 12 March 1791
From Alexander Hamilton
Treasury Department March 12th 1791
The Secretary of the Treasury has the honor respectfully to submit to the President of the United States a Contract which has been recently transmitted from South Carolina for the Keeping of the Light-house in that State.1 The terms are somewhat less than those of the Ligh[t]house Keeper at Cape Henlopen, and considering the expences of living in south Carolina it is humbly conceived they are not immoderate at this time. The Secretary, however, begs leave to suggest the expediency of confirming the Contract for one year only from its commencment, as there appears some reason to expect a diminution of the highest of this class of compensations.
Alex: Hamilton
LB, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosed contract has not been found. At this time Edward Blake was serving as superintendent of lighthouses in South Carolina and Thomas Hollingsby as lighthouse keeper. Tobias Lear wrote to Hamilton on 14 Mar. 1791 indicating GW’s approval of the contract (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Letters Received, “Segregated” Lighthouse Records).