[Jan^y 11. 1800 Sec^y of War (recorded)] [Vol 33 No 127] W. D. Jan^y 11. 1800 Sir I have rec^d your letter of the 11^th instant and consider it to be proper to mention that the Act of June 1^st 1796, requires that Military Land Warrants, have be registered at the Treasury for the purpose of obtaining Patents in any person or persons holding the same. — But a small proportion of the Warrants issued [strikethrough: undecipherable] have been either assigned or even endorsed by the persons in whose favour they were issued & I have no authority to investigate or decide on the [strikethrough: undecipherable] titles of the Patentees. — [strikethrough: The The] While [strikethrough: the] the circumstances which I have thus briefly mentioned, [strikethrough: will] [strikethrough: undecipherable] more the necessity of great caution in issuing the Warrants, they will I trust convince you, that the caveats which have been lodged at the Treasury will [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] will not justify me in refusing a registry in favour of the Patentees. I am The Sec^y of War.