The Hon^ble Secretary of War Accountants Office June 15^th 1797 Sir In the accounts rendered by Caleb Swan P. M. G. now under examination there are a number of payments to Officers for doing the duty of three appointments viz: Lieut: Adjutant & Quarter Master — when claims of this nature have been presented at this Office for payment, the custom has been to deduct the Pay and emoluments of one of the latter appointments it being [strikethrough: deemed] unauthorized to allow Pay in more than one staff appointment, from an established rule founded on a Law under the former Government. But as the accounts now alladed to are all sanctioned by the commander in chief and his Warrants on the Paymaster General paid, it places them on a different footing from those originating in this Office and from which the deductions have taken place. I would therefore submit to you Sir the propriety of taking the opinion of the Attorney General on the Act of the 3^d March 1792, authorizing these appointments and request from him a decision whether that Act will authorize one Officer to receive the emoluments attatched to each of the appointments aforementioned. I am respectfully &c. W^m Simmons Acct.