[Letter to Mr Burns =dated 30 Septr 1785] Your favor of the 23^d Inst is come to hand — considerable difficulties appears to arise in ascertaining the sums now due to the lines of Virginia — principally on account of the incorrectness in the arrangements and the numerous claims [undecipherable: being] by Officers soon after they were discarged — the prin-[undecipherable] [undecipherable] Officers, and [undecipherable] on which you have admitted the claims of those who were not arranged with [undecipherable] suffering [undecipherable: his] previously however, [undecipherable: permission] to [undecipherable: pressing] these [undecipherable: amounts], for which reasons, I am to request that you will be pleased to forward to me a copy of the [undecipherable] or arrangements which have guided you, and the [undecipherable] whether therein, or [undecipherable: certificates] which you have accepted as vouchers for your [undecipherable] — the any great number of Officers whose pay appears is continued to them after they were out of service, appears to have prevented the effects of any arrangements and to have burdened the public with an immense debt and may perhaps involve any Officer in a charge of improper [undecipherable] payments. John Pierce