[undecipherable] [undecipherable] [On right margin: No 8. Dec: 30. 97 / President &c. / Jan: 1 &c. ?] War. office 30^th [undecipherable] 1797. The Secretary of War begs leave to su[bmit] [undecipherable: to present] various facts and considerations which respects [undecipherable: tention of his] department. 1. That the appropriation for the Salary of Clerks in this War Office is [undecipherable] thousand and forty Dollars. 2. That this Sum was for a certain time thought [P]sufficient for [undecipherable] Clerks. 3. [undecipherable] finding it inadequate to their support it became neces- sary in order to retain those best qualified to reduce their number to five. 4. That the appropriation is distributed as follows viz: To the principal Clerk Twelve hundred dollars, to M^r Jones Nine hundred to M^r Lewis ten [undecipherable] Seven hundred and Seventy; to M^r Burt[on] Seven hundred and [undecipherable], to M^r Abra[ham?] [undecipherable] Three hundred[s]. With these five Clerks the Secretary has endeavoured since the N^o. December [undecipherable: 1795] to conduct the business of the Office. He now thinks it incumbent [upon] him, as well with reference to the public interest as his own [undecipherable], to [undecipherable] that the [undecipherable] must unavoidably, [undecipherable] in regard of appropriation, to add to their number. It renders the fact more apparent it may be proper to notice the general business assigned to each Clerk. The principal has a charge [of?] examination, in the first instance, of the claims to military bounty lands un[der] the ag[reement?] [undecipherable] by the State of Virginia to the United States, to make [undecipherable] cause for final decision, to superintend the exami- nation of all other claims to bounty lands due the officers and [soldiers?] of the [undecipherable] the late [continental?] army, and in like manner to furnish th[em] with statements when difficulties arose for final decision. He [was] charged with the general [superintendence?] of the [bureau?] of [their] [undecipherable], and with the distribution arrangement [undecipherable] keeping public letter, papers, record, and books. He is occasionally, to an- swer for the Clerks, means of keeping accounts and [entries] in [undecipherable] public office and to report in writing respecting the various [undecipherable] to the appropriate [Clerk?] to copy and record letters [that] come [undecipherable] [passing?] into the public Books. M^r [Jones?] [undecipherable] to the [third?] Clerk in the [bureau?] [undecipherable] and recording [undecipherable]. He is also required to this office to [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] others required to [undecipherable] the time when received a [undecipherable] of these commands, to examine [undecipherable] for office [undecipherable], to draw [money?] [undecipherable] and the returns [from?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to copy orders on the [undecipherable] military [undecipherable], keep a rec- [ord?] [undecipherable] for military appointments, and make out and [report?] [regular?] [commission?] [forms?]. M^r [Lewis?] [undecipherable] prepares army [undecipherable] [fills up?] [warrants?] for service for the late and Indian [undecipherable] department[s] [undecipherable] and all letters if required [are?] addressed to the [Secretary?] [Treasury?] for money. He [was?] [also?] [undecipherable] warrants for [land?] for [undecipherable] [soldiers?] of the late Army and [pays?] [small?] accounts [in?] the [undecipherable] of the late and Indian [undecipherable] also [undecipherable] [undecipherable] difficulties [undecipherable] accounts between [undecipherable] M^r Burt[on?] is charged with the [undecipherable] of [those?] [undecipherable] warrants [undecipherable] and letters respecting the Invalids. He is also to [undecipherable] the [current?] warrants respecting Indians [undecipherable] with the justice of the Indian trading [license?], and to [make?] [undecipherable] account of the state of [such?] [undecipherable] from the office of the [day book?] and [quarterly?] [undecipherable] Inventories. M^r [Louis? Mason?] is employed in repr[e]ss[ing?] and recording [undecipherable] Letters. The Secretary remarks [upon] the [undecipherable] situation of the [Clerks?] that they cannot accomplish a reasonably [equal?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] business [undecipherable] that it is [undecipherable] unnecessary on this [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and that the [bureau?] of this department [undecipherable] in this [undecipherable] to the [Clerks?] continued either is [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] by the Secretary alone. It will be obvious that in no wise circumstances [undecipherable] concerning and affecting the public interest may arise and be [unavoidable?], [when?] the situation [demands?] to prevent them. [That?] [undecipherable] there has a Secretary [undecipherable] [entrusted?] on whom a mass of business is constantly, and increasingly [forced?], that might be [safely?] participated with [Clerks?] in addition to business which [give?] it [undecipherable] nature must be executed through all old forms [that] [require?] exclusively by himself. And what can more [sufficiently?] [undecipherable] to national economy than to [put?] [into?] the power of the head of an important department to [exercise?] a proportionate [undecipherable] [undecipherable] by [relating?] him adequate [undecipherable] to the higher func- tions of this office; and to these systems, plans and arrangements, which involve in a life [undecipherable] dependence and [order?] of the public economy, as they are inevitably [undecipherable] all continue as [objective?] [decisions?] is complete? It may be further proper to mention the [undecipherable] manner in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] not [undecipherable] in this [undecipherable]. This [counterpart?] a [undecipherable] of business and [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] Clerks to assist in its management. In this brief state of his office the Secretary will only add, that he considers the present salaries of the subordinate Clerks [in?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] have little expectation of being able to procure other and able [undecipherable] [undecipherable] at their rates of compensation. All which with the utmost deference is respectfully [undecipherable] James McHenry