[undecipherable] [Received from State Dep't. Nov. 24 1804. R.P.O. 4013 O.] Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r [undecipherable] Nov. 1795. Philadelphia, May 25^th 1795. Sir, As you are now about making permanent arrangements in your Department, and rendering every person in it responsible for the public Stores, & property of every Species which may be put into their keeping, as well as, for their conduct and proceedings relative to those Stores and property, — Permit me this, (while I thank you for the confidence which you place in me,) to make an Observation relative to myself on the occasion. — and this, as you are pleased to have it in contemplation to put the public Stores in this place into my keeping, & for which I am to be made responsible, let me ask of you this — such a Salary, as will be proportionate to the degree of responsibility, be attending it, — I conceive this, that my attention & Industry will be more loudly call'd in this, than in any other business whatever, I know of. — And when I take into consideration the Salaries of some Subordinates, in the Department who have been appointed under the immediate direction, of the [undecipherable] of War, and take a comprehensive view of the business which they are to attend to, with that of the charge of [undecipherable] — I flatter myself that I shall not be [undecipherable]. The Superintendants of the Armour[undecipherable] — The Clerks of the Navy Yards, & the Clerks of several public Offices, together with several subordinate [undecipherable] Offices under Government are not any of them so responsible, nor so [undecipherable] to that strict attention to business, as [undecipherable] be, yet receive a Salary much greater than [undecipherable] proposed for me; — I think therefore, [underline: 65 or 70 Dollars] per Month for them, must be (in the view of Justice) too much, & the sum proposed respecting me, too little; — I wish for no more than a proportion with others in the Department, in fact, I cannot ask for that, for I conceive there is a very great disparity, between the Characters before specified, & the business of the person who takes charge of those Stores. — I submit my Case to you Sir, — not doubting, but you will do every thing in your power, for me consistent with the principles of Justice & Equity. I am Sir, with Esteem, your most Obed^t Servant. J.W. Harris Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r [undecipherable]