[19 March 1800 To Genl Hamilton] [Confidential] 19 March 1800 Dear Sir I recd. last night your letter inclosing the draught of a letter of instruction to the officers of your ar[my]. I made out two draughts of rules for the military Academy, one on the most enlarged plan with limitations, which insured against any extension beyond the fundamental School and School of Engineers & Artillerists until any appropriation for the purpose— [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] do nothing on the subject. Whatever institution the army is in some way or other counteracted. I have not answered to your public letter of the 13^th in my letter of that date. Wherefore? Mr. Simmons has refused three different accounts of extra allowance to officers beyond their emoluments. The first [undecipherable] one allowance for [undecipherable] Macphersons table on the late expedition. Another— an allowance to a Surgeon of a Regiment for attendance on specially [strikethrough: appointed to attend] the Indians at the treaty of Greenville and since the Indians frequenting Detroit. and lastly, the extra expenses incurred by an Indian agent in the execution of his trusts — in the Indian service. He considers that no allowance by my authority or any authority short of Congress can be made to an officer beyond the emoluments fixed to his office by law. This is I believe a new doctrine. Weigh you [undecipherable] subject in your mind and give me your ideas. I shall as soon as possible bring the matter before the President and must request you to wait the decision before I answer to those claims which you have referred to me requiring my [undecipherable] and sanction. Yours truly JMcH W[ould] it be to show the inclosed papers [undecipherable] have been referred [by the] President [who] has handed them to me. The [undecipherable] of the proceeding of the accountant is very great, and the irregularity in that of the President to be [strikethrough: as derived from the constitution of the department and the powers of the [undecipherable] combined with the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] as the [undecipherable] disputes most suitably] [strikethrough: undecipherable] I must again request you in the [undecipherable] of a letter to the President making [undecipherable] opinion. Send me the inclosed papers after you have read them and made your notes. (Yours) McH