In transmitting your Recruiting acct to this Office it is necessary that you should forward also an acct Current shewing what balance (if any) may remain in your hands, in order that the proper transfer thereof may be made to the Pay Master General — June 7 [undecipherable] Caleb Swan Esquire Accountants Office Pay master Gen. December 4^th 1799 Sir Your two letters of yesterday I have before me — The one enclosing the account & vouchers of Alexander & Edgar most respectfully. The other enclosing an informal abstract of facts on the subject of the payment of the Troops on the frontiers — In reply to the first I have to observe that you have been furnished with the regulations established respecting extra allowance to Officers and have been required to conform your abstract of such accounts thereto. The second article in these regulations provides for extraordinary cases for which greater allowances may be indispensable and directs that they be referred to the special [undecipherable] of the Secretary of War. It does also [undecipherable] to be submitted also accounts of an [undecipherable] nature not expressly provided for by law — his functions thereto [undecipherable] I cannot [undecipherable] to your payment and accordingly return you the acct for that purpose. As relates to the other letter I have to observe that in the examination of your account as Pay master General that Deductions by which you are to be governed in the execution of your duties will be strictly observed — that if there should be any payment not in strict conformity with those instructions I shall require competent authority therefor previous to admitting it — that at this time I do not receive any act authorized either