New-ark October 25^th 1785 Dear Sir Your letters respecting the propositions you had before [strikethrough: you] assigned to the Surgeon accounts have been considered by me. It may be necessary first to offer an Apology to you for interfering in this business, which was occasioned by the repeated remarks made on your letters at the Secretary and by the Members of Congress and in particular by an observation of one of the latter, in the House, that not a full thing [alluding to [undecipherable: continuing] the subject he was speaking of] would be clear even to the clouded mind of M^r Doniscent. On reviewing your letters I find two faults in their composition, the first is that you use words sometimes in a different sense than any other person and the second is that you affect a style of play and writing — whereas you would write with enough if your sense was conveyed in the most simple & common language, unadorned with any ornament and as near conversation as possible — all letters ought to be clear and plain and take our common discourse except a little more correct — I delayed writing until this time in hopes the grand Committee before whom yours and all the Commissioners doubts and difficulties are laid, had reported to Congress.