[July 20^th 1795 / Secretary of War / Recorded] [Vol 30 No 40] [40] T D July 20^th 1795 Li I take the liberty to inform you that it will be exceedingly convenient to me [strikethrough: to be informed] to receive notice as soon as possible, of the Sums which will in your judgement [undecipherable] for the use of your Department during the ensuing year. If no objection occurs, I request that your estimate may be [strikethrough: divided] distributed into the following general & particular divisions, with a view to the forms which have been or which may be established at the Treasury. 1^st. General division, to embrace all funds, which relates to expenditures which are made by Warrants of the Secretary of War, & which are attested in the first instance by the Accountant, 2^d General division, to embrace all funds, which relate to expenditures for the War Department, [strikethrough: that] which are made on Warrants of the [undecipherable] the Treasury & which are [strikethrough: attested] by the Auditor & Comptroller without the intervention of the Accountant. Under the first head will of course be comprised, the estimates for the pay of the Army & all Militia which may be ordered into the public service, Subsistence of Officers — Bounties to Soldiers — Expenses of the Recruiting Service & the incidental & contingent Expenses of the War Dep^t — [strikethrough: these [undecipherable strikethrough lines]] Though the foregoing are all the objects which are by law expressly referred to the Accountant for settlement, yet by analogy & [undecipherable], & for the [undecipherable] of our respective Departments, it appears adviseable that the following objects of expenses [strikethrough: now] are would [strikethrough: be referred to] the same course of liquidation — The Pay & Subsistence of the Navy — The Pay & expenses of the [undecipherable] Departments [strikethrough] or of them [strikethrough: The pay the [undecipherable]] — Annuities & compensations in the Indian Dep^t & generally all expenses in or about [undecipherable], other than for the purchase of such Supplies, as are proper to be made by the Treasury, & [undecipherable] for, to the Superintendent of Military Stores & Supplies. Under the second general division, will fall all other expenses of the War Department which for the sake of order may be referred to the following heads. [strikethrough: Commissary, Quartermaster, Clothing Hospitals, Ordnance & the Military & Naval Stores.] Commissary Quarter Master Clothing [strikethrough: Hospitals] Ordnance & the Military Stores Indian } Departments & Naval } Expenses of Fortifications [strikethrough: National [undecipherable]] [strikethrough: Expenses of arsenals] [strikethrough: Military Pensions] Possibly it may be thought adviseable to [undecipherable] some heads [undecipherable] objects of expenditure [undecipherable] by me. [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] If it were practicable I request that your estimate may be formed on the anticipated charges of each of the Departments, that it may be seen whether the new appropriations which have been made are, more or less than adequate to the expenses which has or will be incurred to the close of the present year. [strikethrough: If in the course of your [undecipherable]] If in addition to what I have requested you [undecipherable] also to present me with a view of the [undecipherable] expenses of each permanent establishment, as appears requisite in your [undecipherable] [strikethrough] or any suggestion for improving the present system of procuring Supplies, by contract or otherwise the information will be very acceptable — a designation of the States, where indispensably that contracts appear and [undecipherable] on any [undecipherable] will be particularly convenient [for?] forming my arrangements. A principal object of this letter [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] information by which [strikethrough: [undecipherable lines]] The Sec of War