[Comptroller's Office] William Simmons Esq^r. Ac^t of the War Department [8½ 62 15.52 17.50] [Comptroller's Office — dated 27 Dec^r 1797 —] [disbursing an appropriation to defray the expenses of two extra Clerks in the Accounts Office —] Treasury Department, Comptroller's Office December 27^th 1797. — Sir, In consequence of what passed in conversation between [strikethrough: you and my off on [underline: Saturday last,] I expected that your application] for the sum appropriated to defray the expense of extra Clerk hire in your Office would have been made to the Secretary of the Treasury who is intrusted by law with the power of originating warrants. My own opinion remains unchanged, that the regular co[undecipherable: urse] would be for each person entitled to additional compen[undecipherable: sation] under that appropriation to bring it into view with his f[undecipherable: ixed] salary for the last quarter of the present year; but if the Secretary of the Treasury thinks otherwise and chooses to issue a warrant according to your wishes, I shall have, as I stated before, no objection to it. — I am Sir, very respectfully Your Ob^dt Servant, [signature] William Simmons Esquire [undecipherable: Comptroller]