The Secretary for the Department of War, to whom was referred the Resolution of the Legislature of Massachusetts, on the Petition of Charles Knowles and others, late Regimental Pay masters and Agents of that State's quota of the Continental Army, Respectfully Reports That the Report hereunto annexed, was made the 25^th day of May 1790, upon the application of some of the petitioners. But it now appears that it is the opinion of the Legislature of Massachusetts which originally established the compensation, that the Petitioners ought to receive a further sum. Upon the fullest investigation of this subject it appears, that the compensation actually received was utterly inadequate to the risk, time and trouble of distributing the certificates to the individuals of the Regiments, to which the Petitioners had been attached. If the opinion of the Legislature of Massachusetts should have a decisive weight upon this subject, it would be necessary by law, to authorize such further allowance as should be equal to the sum of one per cent allowed by the board of Treasury, to the Agents who did not belong to the lines of any particular State. But it is highly questionable whether such allowance would not involve applications from all the Agents who received a sum inferior to the said one per cent, formerly allowed by the Treasury. It would seem proper however, whether any additional allowances be made or not to the Agents who heretofore received certificates from the said State, that an allowance should be authorized to Ebenezer Storer, whom the said Legislature represents as not having received any consideration for his services. All which is humbly submitted to the Senate of the United States. H. Knox War Department, 27^th Feb^y 1793.