[Copy] Comm^rs Report to the Board of Treasury. on the Petition of Lewis Nichola and others Agents 22^nd Sept^r. 1785 The Commissioner of the Army accounts to whom was referred the Petition of Lewis Nichola Agent for the Invalid Regiment and Richard Lloyd Agent for Moces Hazen's Regiments, in behalf of themselves and the Agents of Armand's Corps, the Regiment of Artificers and the Corps of Sappers & Miners, begs leave to report, to this Honorable the Board of Treasury, That the Agents of these Corps' were appointed to settle the accounts and to receive the and distribute the certificates of the final balances that were due to the officers & men that belonged to their respective Corps, in consequence of the orders of the commander in chief. That they entered upon and have executed the duties of their appointments so far as to complete the settlements, received the securities of their corps' and that some of them have accounted with your Commissioner for the purpose of the certificates. That the act of Congress of May 27. 1785 has provided for the Agent of the lines appointed under the same authority; but there was unprovided for as the corps did not appertain to any State. That the duties of regimental agents necessarily took up in a considerable time their whole attention [undecipherable] receiving and keeping the regimental certificates was confidential and hazardous. Your Commissioner is therefore of opinion that the Petitioners are entitled to a reasonable allowance; but the duties of the Agents referred to in the Petition being very different, their allowance therefore be presumed, be considered [undecipherable] [undecipherable] them individually on the finally closing their respective accounts — he therefore begs leave to submit for consideration — that the Board be invested by Congress with the power to determine the allowances of each agent, on the particular report of your Commissioner ascertaining the nature and extent of their respective services, and that the Board take order for the payment. Your Commissioner takes the liberty also to suggest that the resolves of Nov 3. 1783 & of May 27. 1785. have directed that the certificates which remain not delivered on the agents settlement not be lodged with the supreme executive of the state to which the agents belong, with an intention as he presumes that the [undecipherable] proprietors may have a more easy method of obtaining their certificates — that as far as the settlements have been made with the Agents of the corps not belonging to any State, the unsigned certificates have been lodged in this Office, which from the distance from many of the states, may subject the proprietors to a great expense in obtaining their certificates — he therefore submits the propriety that these certificates be also lodged with the supreme executive of the States, to which the original proprietors belong— Sept^r 22. 1785.