Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 23, November 7 1785-November 5 1786
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library

| Table of Contents for this work |
| All on-line databases | Etext Center Homepage |

Charles Thomson to To: Richard Claiborne


Sir
Office of Secretary of Congress. May 10th. 1786

   Your petition of 5th July 1785, stating "that You served as Deputy Qt Master from the 12th of Sept 1778 to the 5th of August 1780 -- that during near two Years service, You recd in value only 334 30/90 dollars


-277-

-- that at the conclusion of Your commission You settled Your accounts & received the balance in nominal money and passed a rect in full for the same -- but hope this will not deprive You of the benefit of a settlement by the scale of depreciation; and praying that a resolution may pass to authorise the Commissioner who settles the accounts of the Qt Masters department, to revise and liquidate your account, and issue a certificate for the balance that may be found due" has been duly recd. and communicated to Congress. And due deliberation having been had thereon, it is become my duty to inform You, that the inconveniencies which would attend the revisal of accounts which have been closed, are too great to be hazarded; and as the Act of the 10th April 1780, which first granted depreciation, does not comprehend Your claim, the prayer of Your petition cannot be granted.(1)

   I am, sir, Your Obedt. humble servt.


Note: LB (DNA: PCC, item 18B).

1 Claiborne's petition is in PCC, item 41, 2:183-86. For the recommendation of the committee of the week against Claiborne's appeal for a depreciation allowance, which Congress endorsed October 19, 1785, and referred "to the Secretary of Congress to take order," see JCC, 29:634, 842. There is nothing in the journals or records of Secretary Thomson to indicate why he delayed carrying out this order until this day, but for a similar case see also the following entry.