[Baltimore 24 July 1799 Sam Smith Esq^re fortifications at Baltimore] [address leaf: John Adams, Esq^r President of the united States [undecipherable]] Baltimore 24 July 1799 S^r The myself the honor to Inclose you a publication of the Marine Committee of this City. whether It will have the effect contemplated I cannot yet [strikethrough: determine] — The following Expression induced me to address you — "We are informed by the Sec^y of War that the Finances of the U. S. did not admit of a larger appropriation than twenty thousand Dollars towards the Fortifications to be erected near our City. — This Information is certainly not Calculated to make a very favorable impression on the public Mind — What will foreign powers think, when they are told from the Sec^y of War that our finances are Such that more than twenty thousand dollars cannot be Spared to fortify the City known to be of the Commercial Consequence of Baltimore — But is the Secretary Correct — Concerning to the Appropriation Laws, I find that in May 1798 the Sum of two hundred & fifty thousand dollars were appropriated for the fortifying the Ports & Harbours of, in June following a further Sum of Seventy five thousand, making together with the Amount unexpended of former appropriations a sum between $420 & $440 thousand dollars, of which there remained unexpended on the 31 September last agreeably to the report of the Sec^y of the Treasury 326 thousand doll^rs. And of this last Sum I am inclined to believe a Considerable [strikethrough: proportion] remains Still unexpended. — From this Statement I cannot but hope & believe that you will be of Opinion that a larger Amount than Twenty thousand doll^rs Ought to be granted. — I am informed that the last Estimates States 60 thousand Dollars as the Sum required — however I presume that twenty five thousand in Addition to that already expended would be as much as Could be expended this Summer. With the greatest Respect I have the Honor to be your Obed^t S Smith