Pay Master. The advance of pay & subsistence was made to him to enable him to leave Town for the Army. — I forward you those papers that you may be prepa red on his arrival at the Army to make the necessary deductions from the Pay Rolls, of which you will forward me in the usual form a Certificate of such Stoppages I am &c W^m Simmons Acct The Hon^ble Theodore Foster Esq^r Providence Rhode Island Accountants Office Oct^r 18^th 1796 D^r Sir I had the honour of receiving your letter of the 6^th inst on the subject of the Claims of the Administrator to the Estate of Peter Harris deceased, late a Soldier in the Rhode Island line, which I reported the 18^th of April 1792 as barred by the Acts of Limitation — a summary of which I have not enclosed herewith, enclosing Report by which you will see that the Act of the 23^d July 1787 required that a Abstract of the Abstract of all Claims should be exhibited within a certain given period, and that the Act of the 27^th March 1792, suspended the operation of the limitation only for two years ending on 27^th March 1794. All Claims rendered under those Acts were entered on a Register kept for that purpose, of which a Copy was found that immediately after the expiration thereof to the Department of the Treasury exhibiting a particular Abstract of each Claim — That of Peter Harris was not entered thereon, neither could it either from M^r Harris's letter of the 15^th of March or 2^d of April 1794. The Construction of the Limitation Acts has fixed an established rule in the Office, which cannot be deviated from short of an Act of Congress. I am &c W^m Simmons Acct Lieu^t John Saunders Fort Norfolk near Norfolk Virginia Accountants Office Oct^r 17^th 1796 Sir I received your letter of the 11^th Inst, enclosing a Certificate of the Contractor for your retained Rations, which arrived too late to forward the Money by this Post — it will however be sent to the Sup^t by the next Post, as well as your Pay for the months you have due you I am &c W^m Simmons Acct