[Duplicate] [Col'd, off. 2^d to March 20. 1795] Sir, Your letters of January 10 and 28 were duly received. The completing of the building you call a Barrack for the purposes mentioned, will be desirable. But my [undecipherable] in public [undecipherable] which you think should be permitted convinces me that they could only be a bill of [undecipherable] without adequate advantages, and that the public goods could be transported cheaper and at least as safe in private as in public teams. There may be the same objections to the fidelity of the Waggoners as the [undecipherable] teamsters have, known by [undecipherable] and competition. You say the public arms whose repairs — is there no measures to be obtained on the spot? As tools and materials wanting? If you will give particular information in this matter, what is necessary shall be done. It will doubtless be useful to furnish you with the old invoices of Forts [undecipherable] done in this state, that they may be accounted for. They shall be [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] from the If the quantity of clothing which you mention applying at M^r. [undecipherable]'s [undecipherable] is found to be considerable, it will be well for you to go and examine it yourself. [undecipherable] this is impracticable, to avoid some one to do it in whom you can depend, and of [undecipherable] transporting to have it transported before it finally [undecipherable] The principle of proportioning the Officers to the number of men they command, is a very just one. [undecipherable] legislative and executive acts for [undecipherable] the militia, must be presumed to have [undecipherable] to this principle; and I think you authorized in conforming to it. And have no idea that an act of Congress passed in 1775 for regulating the Army there can be of any validity at this day. The business you here is [undecipherable] requiring assistance, I approve of your employing [undecipherable] to the [undecipherable] in a person whom you've so strongly recommend, considering the cheapness of living in that Country, [undecipherable] you are, I should suppose three hundred dollars a year an adequate compensation. And better than five hundred at Philadelphia — [undecipherable] are the same persons employed in the Territory [undecipherable] not so useful? I beg you to communicate [undecipherable] whatever information may correct abuses and save a monthly expense of money. Economy has at no time been more necessary on account of the extraordinary demands on the Treasury, especially to defray the heavy expenses of the expedition for [undecipherable] insurgents in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of Pennsylvania. Colonel Otway Muster Master for those Districts has been liberally [undecipherable]. As it appears to place entire confidence in him and think the office of Paymaster may be carefully combined with that of Muster Master, let him be so employed. But I think for future he ought to perform both duties for the rate of pay hitherto allowed him as Muster Master. Instead of that the [undecipherable] for militia will be so much diminished, as to render it unnecessary to keep a Muster and Pay Master on constant pay. I think it sufficient proper [undecipherable] to pay for the quantity of [undecipherable] services which shall be actually [undecipherable] and that this should be the rate of compensation from the time to which Colonel [undecipherable] since [undecipherable] paid which was the thirty first day of December last. The whole sum appropriated by Congress for the defensive provisions of the [undecipherable] of our frontiers during the current year is One Hundred and Thirty thousand. Your estimate for [undecipherable] has been [undecipherable] by M^r. [undecipherable]. The balance of it until they be called before the Secretary of the Treasury. If the motion of [undecipherable] disagreement with [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] in the request [undecipherable] general [undecipherable] direction last January, with which you are to [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] part of the [undecipherable] company [undecipherable] on the frontiers and of the [undecipherable] particularly [undecipherable] and the [undecipherable] which do not [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] to the [undecipherable] most [undecipherable] is to be established for the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [Endorsement on wrapper: War Office / March 21- 1795 / Secretary War. / Duplicate]