[W^m Bingham Esq^r] War office 28^th March 1798 Sir, I have the honor, in conformely with your request to subjoin an Estimate for building, rigging & Equipping one Ship of War to carry 22 Guns, one 20 Guns, & one 16 Guns with the cost of Manning & Victualing the Same for 12 Mo^s. — Agreeably to this Estimate an Armament of 20 Vessels, viz^t 2 Ships carrying each, 22 9 pounders, Eight carrying 20 & [undecipherable] carrying 16 Sixteen Six pounders completely equipped manned & provisioned for 12 mo^s, including contingent Expences will require an appropriation of 1,941,181 Doll^s This Estimate Supposes that the 22 & 20 Gun Ships will be built Frigate fashion, or with two decks, Quarter deck & forecastle. — It is probable however [interlineation: capable of] that some Ships carrying 22 or 20 nine pounders may be purchased and fitted up cheaper, than they can be built, or that they maybe built for a less Sum than is Stated in the estimates by constructing them without copper Sheathing, and with one Main deck for the guns and a light upper deck fore & aft, under which the Guns may be fraught By the act providing a Naval armament the pay of the 1^st Lieutenants is 40 Dollars P^r Mo^e and that of the Lieutenants of Marines 30 Doll^s per Month. This inequality of pay between Grades apparently equal, will occasion complaints and inconveniency which it is to be wished could be prevented by an additional clause to the present Bill, allowing to the Lieut^s of Marines, the same pay as to the other Lieutenants on board the other Frigates — With great respect I have the honor to be