[Vol. 25 No 30] [30] Treasury Department February 18^th 1797 Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of [strikethrough: yesterday] the 15^th instant covering a Resolution of the House of Representatives of the same date. I now transmit a Statement which exhibits the Expenditures for the Military Detachment during the year 1796, as particularly as could be done, without a Specification of each Warrant, which would have been attended with an [strikethrough: the] inconvenient delay. The Sum which remained undrawn of the Appropriations for the Military Establishment on the first day of January 1796. was D^rs 182,547.81 The Appropriations made by the Acts of March 12^th & June 1^st 1796 exclusive [strikethrough: of Military] Pensions & the sum granted for the fortification at West point were. [strikethrough: 1,199,614.] 1199. 614. Total of Appropriations Are $. 3,382,161.81 The Warrants issued during the year 1796 & charged to the appropriations for the Department of War amounted to.... $. 280,479.55 On the first day of the present year 1797. the sum remaining unexpended was therefore [strikethrough: undecipherable] $[undecipherable],682.26 The amount last mentioned has been expended during the present year, together with an additional sum which has been advanced by the Bank of the United States. It is well known to have been [the] practice of this Department since its establishment, to consider appropriations for the Military establishment as general grants of money liable to be issued according to exigence under a responsibility of being applied & accounted for according to law. This being the principle of construction and the funds heretofore appropriated being exhausted, it follows that the sums known to be due for services & supplies in the year 1796 can be considered in no other light, than as deficiencies to be provided for by a subsequent appropriation? I have the honor to be with great respect Sir your Ob^dt Servant [THE CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY stamp] The Secretary of War