But presuming that I would speedily be officially charged with the execution of duties, which would draw along with them the compensations attached by the law to the station, I have acted on that presumption. I have discontinued my practice as attorney and solicitor, from which I had derived a considerable part of my professional profits; and I have applied no small portion of my time to preliminary investigations, in order to the collection of the best lights for forming a system of tactics and discipline as perfect as exists any where else.

The very circumstance of my having accepted a military ap pointment, from the moment it was known, withdrew from me large portion of my professional business. This, it will be perceived, was a natural effect of the uncertainty of my being able in the progress of suits to render the services for which I might be engaged, at the customary previous expense to the parties.

The result has been, that the emoluments of my profession have been diminished more than one half, and are still diminishing, and I remain in perfect uncertainty whether or when I am to derive from the scanty compensations of the office even a partial retribution for so serious a loss.

Were I rich, I should be proud to be silent on such a subject. I should acquiesce without an observation as long as any one might think the minutest public interest required an accumulation of sacrifices on my part. But after having to so advanced a period of my life devoted all my prospects of fortune to the service of the country, and dependent, as I am, for the maintenance of a wife and six children on my professional exertions, now so seriously abridged, it is essential for me to forego the scruples of delicacy, and to ask of you to define my situation, that I may determine whether to continue or to change my present plan.

It will easily be imagined that I should not accept compensations withheld from any other in a similar situation. If actual employment is to be the criterion in any other instance, it must be so in mine; but then it is material to me to understand whether, in the contemplation of the Executive, I now am, or immediately am to be employed, or not. In the negative of this, my

honor will compel submission to the consequent sacrifice, so far as it is unavoidable; but my arrangements will be different from what they are at present, and will aim at making the sacrifice as small as possible.

An early answer to this inquiry will particularly oblige me.
With great respect, &c.

DEAR HAMILTON:

MCHENRY TO HAMILTON.

9th January, 1799.

An official letter of this date fixes the commencement of your pay and emoluments. I shall, as soon as possible, define your duties and command. In the meanwhile I should be glad to have your own ideas on the subject. You will proceed in your report for a system of tactics and discipline. You will also endeavor to ascertain the best positions for your recruiting parties, and general rendezvous, &c., within the several grand subdivisions and will not forget the bill conformably to my report. Church's nomination is concurred in-several of the nominations for inferior grades postponed by the Senate for further information.

DEAR SIR:

MCHENRY TO HAMILTON.

WAR DEPARTMENT, 10th January, 1799.

I wrote you on the to request you to prepare conformably to the propositions contained in my report of the 24th of December, ultimo, to the President. This morning, General Gunn, of the Committee of the Senate, to whom this report has been committed, waited upon me with a request from the Com

mittee, that I should prepare and furnish them with a draught of two bills, one comprising whatever in the report relates to new provisions for the regular peace and war establishment, the other all new matters appertaining to the provisional army. He added, if I thought it proper, I might comprehend in these bills all the existing provisions relative to the provisional and regular army. I think the idea judicious; and request you to be so kind as to turn to the existing laws and incorporate into the two bills all that ought to be retained of them.

DEAR SIR:

MCHENRY TO HAMILTON.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Jan. 11, 1799.

Permit me, in addition to what I said yesterday, to request, that laying aside other business you will occupy yourself on the two military bills only. The session is short, and but little of it to come. If possible, let me have the bills by Monday's mail, or at furthest Tuesday's.

I have not been able to ascertain what part some of your friends in the House mean to take respecting the appropriations necessary for the new army. Upon an examination of the laws, I was obliged to relinquish the opinion that they had provided for other expenditures on account of the new army than what might be incurred before the end of the next session of Congress, that is, the present. You know the causes and obstructions which have prevented me doing any thing to carry the law for raising the army into effect during the last year.

HAMILTON TO MCHENRY.

DEAR SIR:

NEW-YORK, January 15, 1799.

I find I cannot have ready for this day's post the bill for the provisional army. Inclosed are some additional clauses relating to organization, consequently to be inserted in the bill sent by yesterday's post. You will easily determine their proper position there. They are necessary to systematic propriety. General provisions of this kind will prevent continued repetitions in every new law respecting the military force.

HAMILTON TO M'HENRY.

NEW-YORK, January 16th, 1799.

DEAR SIR:

You will receive herewith the draft of a bill for a provisional army. It includes only those things of a former bill which are appropriated to this object; the other parts of that bill being now in full force. The operation of the bill, which has been already sent you, renders the repetition of several clauses in the present unnecessary. The aim, indeed, ought to be to have a fundamental arrangement which will attach of course upon all subsequent provisions of force, so that the law for every augmentation need only define the number to be raised, and the duration of service, and the mode of raising.

An eye has been had to this in the draft of the first bill, and one of the two additional clauses now sent for the same bill has the same view. This will be more deliberately and correctly attended to in the plan of a bill which I shall begin to work upon from this time, but which cannot be ready for a considerable time. A bill for the hospital establishment will follow in two or three days.

P. S. The considerable mutilation of the nominations proposed by the Commander-in-Chief, as it appears in the result, naturally excites curiosity. It ought to be presumed, and yet the mind naturally distrusts the presumption, that there are good reasons for it, and that the service will be finally benefited. But I confess it would be a relief to me to know a little in detail, what has influenced the departure, how the unfitness of those who have been declined, has appeared, and what means are in train to do any better. Pray be particular, and confidential. You will not consider any letter of mine, beginning "Dear sir," as official.

Measures in the War Department which it may be expedient to adopt. To organize anew the militia, on a plan something like the following, viz.:

To be divided into five classes.

First class, consisting of all unmarried men from 18 to 25, except apprentices under 21 to merchants, mechanics, and manufacturers, and students under the same age in universities, colleges, and academies, and of divinity, law, and medicine.

Second class, consisting of all unmarried men from 25 to 40. Third class, consisting of all married men from 18 to 25, except as excepted in the first class.

Fourth class, consisting of all married men from 25 to 40. Fifth class, consisting of all men above 40, and not exceeding 50.

Each class to be formed into corps of infantry, artillery, and cavalry, combined into legions to consist of four regiments of infantry, one regiment of horse, and a battalion of artillery. All who choose to enter into the cavalry and provide themselves with horses, arms, and accoutrements, to be at liberty to do it. Each class to be called out in succession as numbered; in whole or in part, liable to serve for a year. None of a higher number to be called out until all of any preceding lower number have been called out and served their tour.