[W. D.] C M— Aug 31, 1793 It has been intimated to me that you are desirous of being informed of the principles of an arrangement made by the Treasury with M^r Robertson &c by which it is necessary that a [undecipherable] should be advanced to him by a Warrant of the Sec^y of War. to be charged on the books of the [undecipherable] and for the [undecipherable] account of the [invalids?] & [contingent?] expences of your Department. — It has appeared in the course of [undecipherable: settlements] which have been made with M^r Robertson, that he has been authorized to enter into contracts & make disbursements for various objects in relation to the military establishment and troops. — To save the trouble & expence of remittances to & from the Treasury — he has been authorized to advance money out of the proceeds of the revenue collected in the District of Savannah — It is however necessary that all the whole [produce?] & all expenditures of the Revenue should appear in the Treasury Accounts, charging only those which are charges attending the collection — To accomplish these objects, it has been [authorized?] for M^r Robertson to remit his own, or the Contractors Rec^ts as [payments?] into the Treasury — for the amount of those Rec^ts counter Warrants are to [issue?], one all in favour of the Treasury on M^r Robertson & another all in favour of the M^r Robertson or the Contractors on the Treas^y — The rec^ts remitted by M^r Robertson are annexed to the Warrants on the Treasury and delivered to him, who at the same time endorses the Warrants in his favour as evidence that payments have been made into the Treasury — By this operation the same objects are accomplished, as [though?] M^r Robertson had remitted to the Treasury, the whole produce of the Revenue, & as if the Treasury had remitted to the M^r Robertson, the sums sufficient for his agency and respects to the Troops. the forms of the Treasury are preserved in respect to the rec^t & disbursements of money to this [undecipherable] to them & [risqued?] which would attend [double?] remittances to & from Georgia are avoided — It has appeared that certain sums of money have been advanced, as I presume according to instructions, for the necessary services, of provisioning & supporting [troops?] — These objects of expence are also cognizable in the first Instance by the Accountant, that is to say, it was also presumed that it would be in [the?] [last?] degree a natural consequence of M^r Robertson's agency, that other advances would be made, for which would render it necessary, that accounts should be spread in the books of the War Department — It has been accordingly recommended that the Treasury should advance to the War Department, sums equivalent to the disbursements of M^r Robertson, for objects approvable by the [undecipherable: Accountant] the Accountant & that the Sec^y of War should issue Warrants on the Treasury & for [conveying?] funds for this purpose, & holding the receivers & [such?] monies accountable to the proper Department — I have the honor to be &c The Honble W. Knox Esq^r [docket: Aug 31. 1793 — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Comptroller [undecipherable]]