Report [undecipherable] [undecipherable] 19 [undecipherable] [signature: undecipherable] [25838] --- 1 The Commissioner of Army Accounts upon the Petition of Joseph Tucker, Thomas Hollis Candy & Robert Williams & Samuel Armstrong referred to him by the Secretary of War respectfully Reports That the Petitioners [strikethrough: were appointed] soon after the termination of the War were appointed as Agents to sundry regiments of the State of Massachusetts for the purpose of receiving from the Pay M^r Gen^l Certificates of final Settlement for pay due the officers and Soldiers of said regiments and in virtue of this their appointment [strikethrough: did receive] Certificates were delivered from the office of the P[ay] M^r G^l to Joseph Tucker 576,615 dollars to Tho^s Hollis Candy 70,993 dollars to Robert Williams 579,580 dollars and to Samuel Armstrong 184, 110 Dollars — In the 27^th May 1785 Congress resolved That the Legislatures of the respective States to which the regimental agents belong'd be requested to cause the finances of the State agents to be examined and make them such allowance as they may think them entitled to and charge the Same to the United States and at the same time directed that such agents deposit the Certificates remaining in their hands with the supreme executive of the State agreably to the resolution of the 3^d Nov^r 1785 — That the late Board of [undecipherable] in conjunction with the Commissioner of Army Accounts in estimating the value of the service of Agents to regiments or corps not appertaining to any State agreed upon an allowance of one percent upon the amount of Certificates actually issued and payable in Certificates of the [undecipherable] — from these several circumstances the Commissioner is of opinion that the State of Massachusetts has not made the Petitioners [strikethrough: adequate] compensation propor- tionate to their service they have a right to expect from the United States and in ascertaining that compensation the Commission of one per cent is perhaps an equitable allowance but the result of the calculation is not ascertainable by the Commissioner as he is unpossess'd of returns shewing the amount delivered by the Petitioners to the direction or orders of the Executive Authority of the State — [strikethrough: The result of a calculation upon this principle is not ascertainable by the Commissioner as he is unpossess'd of returns shewing the amount delivered by the Petition[ers] to the directions or orders of the Supreme Executive But he is of opinion that it may be fairly inferred that the sum stated in their petition to have been [undecipherable] was not proportionate to their service and when compared with the allowances made by other States is far short of an adequate provision — But the Comm[issioner] is of opinion the recommendation of Congress to the respective States which includes the case of the Petitioners consequence of that action [undecipherable] must be consider'd as transferring the State the right of decision upon their service the compensation proper to be made and as a Settlem[ent] has been made in consequence of such recommendation that the Petitioners have no remedy but an appeal to the Justice of the Legislature of Massachusetts — all which &c —] The result of a calculation upon this principle is not ascertainable by the Commissioner as he is unpossess'd of returns shewing the amount delivered by the Petition[ers] to the directions or orders of the Supreme Executive But he is of opinion that it may be fairly inferred that [strikethrough: the sum stated in their petition] to have been [undecipherable] was not proportionate to their service and when compared with the allowances made by other States is far short of an adequate provision — But [strikethrough: whether] the Comm[issioner] is [of opinion the] recommendation of Congress to the respective States which includes the case of the Petitioners [strikethrough: and the the] [strikethrough: consequence of that action] [undecipherable] must be consider'd as transferring the State the right of decision upon their service [strikethrough: with] the compensation proper to be made and as a Settlem[ent] has been made in consequence of such recommendation that the Petitioners have no remedy but an appeal to the Justice of the Legislature of Massachusetts — all which &c — [signature: HC]