[270] Office of Army Accounts New York March 9^th 1787 Sir, I beg leave to inform your Excellency Congress — That I have now in my hands in certificates which I principally received from the regimental agents under the act of Congress of Octo^r 11^th 1783 the sum of 33,305 ⅞ Dollars — That I have written to the different executives of the States requesting them agreeably to that resolution to apply to me for the certificates belonging to their citizens in consequence of which I have detained to a considerable amount, but that the sums now on hand appearing not to be demanded and being undefaced subject to the United States or myself to the hazard of a loss in case they meet with any accident and it being also reasonable that a period should be assigned when those claimants for them should be pointed I take the liberty therefore to request that Congress will be pleased to direct the manner by which I am to dispose of them That I have independent of these a further [271] sum of 37,309 ⅞ Dollars in certificates and two hundred & Ninety three Dollars in Indents which I have detained & which I received from different persons for their [undecipherable] mistaken returned for stoppages in consequence of a [undecipherable] offered against them and in some instances for misjoinders which had taken place in the settlements which certificates are considered as so much of the public debt but ought as they are cancelled to be deducted from it — I have therefore to request that the Comptroller or some other person may be authorized to receive these certificates and that I may be discharged from them — I beg leave also to suggest that the act of Congress of November 3^d 1783 having directed me to deliver to the regimental agents the Certificates for the amounts due to the army that I took the agents receipts in the following words: "Rec^d of J.P. ............... certificates amounting to "............... numbered from — to — all which "certificates I do hereby promise to deliver to the individuals "to whom they respectively belong, or deposit them for their "Benefit as the supreme executives of the State of — [272] "shall direct, agreeable to an act of Congress Nov. 3, 1783" of his [undecipherable] which receipts or obligations I have transmitted to the respective executives but I am informed that some of the States have only called on the agents to deliver the remaining certificates without obliging them to take [undecipherable] higher vouchers from the individuals that they had [undecipherable] from and which they did not return which [undecipherable] proceeding has left the agents at liberty to impose on the [undecipherable] who has originated either from a mistaken construction of this resolution and of the one of May 17^th 1785 or it might yet to be the duty of some Officer to call them to account for which reason I have to request the attention of Congress to the subject that the duty of the States or the Officer of Congress may be clearly appointed — And I beg leave also to suggest the [undecipherable] that some provision be fixed when the States shall return into the continental Treasury the remaining certificates received by them from the ones which must unavoidably remain on hand and will eventually be the property of the United States — [273] I beg leave to inform your Excellency that the demands on my office being principally settled that the act authorizing being [undecipherable] a Commissioner is now to take the accounts of a number of Officers who have received public monies and some instances have considerable balances against them from some of whom I have made stoppages whose pay was due but that they are mostly either Dead or have [undecipherable] dispersed, now at such a distance from the Office that little can be expected in return for the trouble and expense in bringing them to account, at a loss therefore how to conduct myself and how far it is advisable that they should be further pursued. I have taken the liberty to request the direction of Congress that if any directions can be given I may receive them — J. Pierce His Excellency The President of Congress —