[Vol. 10 No. 35] 35. War Department 30^th June 1798 Sir, I have assigned, and given due notice thereof, to the Secretary of the Treasury, for the pay of the Clerks, in your Office, for the present year 5641 ⁵/100 dollars. This sum exceeds by 100 dollars, the assignment of last year, for the same purpose; the excess is designed, to compensate, for his services, from the 10^th of May ult^o. to the 1^st of July, a Clerk, whom you have employed, on your own authority, at a salary of 700 dollars per annum. It is incumbent upon me to mention, that your attempt, to appoint, and fix the salary of an additional Clerk, without consulting me, or receiving my assent thereto, is considered an act of insubordination, which I cannot overlook: were such practices, to be countenanced, they would effectually disorganize the Department. This appointment being fundamentally wrong, and in every view improper, as it respects our relative stations, the Clerk is to be dismissed. I am Sir your obedient servant James McHenry William Simmons Esq^r. Act^t. to the War Dpt^mt.