[J Howell esq^r] — Gen^l Post Office Jan^y 14, 1709 Sir The bearer has called upon me with some certifi= cates respecting M^r Clarkson as Postmaster to the army under the marquis de la Fayette — all I know about that business is that M^r Clarkson was Postmaster at Williamsburg, & probably the army business fell into his hands, but I never knew that he had a seperate commission for that purpose, he is still indebted to the public as post master at Williamsburg. I suppose here it will be just to discount that from his pay as post master if any allowance is made him on that a— [signature illegible]