[Draft] [undecipherable: probable reading "Hamilt[on]". 1800] Herewith you have the draft of a Bill respecting the corps of Engineers & Artillerists. I vary in mode but not in Substance from your report by defining the Regiment of Artillerists at its Complement (say four batalions &c.) and suspending the organising & raising of one batalion — This comes to the same result & appears to me most correct & systematic. I leave a blank for the privates, supposing there may be a mistake in printing as I cannot make out the principle of 700 privates to three batalions 65 (an odd number) to a company — Perhaps the actual establishment is a preferable Standard say 48 per company excluding Artificers which for a full Regiment will amount to 768 I cannot endure your two Colonels to a Regiment of Engineers, "It is "Monstrum horrendum informe &c." — I am preparing a third Y^rs truly Bill A Hamilton [Hamilton] [corps of Engineers from Alex. Hamilton with letter / March 8 — 1800] An Act for the better organizing the corps of Artillerists and Engineers to be hereafter denominated "The corps of Engineers and Artillerists" Be it enacted &c. That instead of the present establishment of the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers the same shall hereafter be composed of a Regiment of Engineers, a legion of Horse Artillerists and a Regiment of foot Artillerists. That the functions of the Engineers and Artillerists shall be separate and distinct; those of the former relating to the service of [undecipherable], those of the latter to [undecipherable] and other military constructions, and to the attack and defense of fortified places. — Provided always, That this alteration shall not be understood to prevent a Commanding Officer from designating the Officers of one [corps] to perform duties peculiar to the other, when special circumstances shall in his opinion require it. And be it further enacted that a Regiment of Engineers shall consist of two Lieutenant Colonels one first and one second, three Majors, twelve Captains, twenty four first Lieutenants, twenty four second Lieutenants and twenty four Cadets, to which shall be attached four companies of Miners and Artificers to be formed as hereafter mentioned — And be it further enacted that a Regiment of Artillerists whether Horse or foot shall consist of four batalions, each of four companies, and of [undecipherable] Officers and men (to wit) one Lieutenant [Colonel] Commandant, four Majors, one Adjutant, one Quarter Master, one Pay master, each being a Lieutenant, one Surgeon, and two Surgeons Mates, sixteen Captains, thirty two Lieutenants besides the three above mentioned, thirty two Cadets, sixty four Sargeants, sixty four Corporals, one chief [undecipherable], sixteen other Musicians and privates — But that the organising and raising of one Battalion of each by the said Regiments shall be suspended — And be it further enacted that the Officers and men, excepting the Artificers of the two Regiments heretofore established, shall be incorporated into the Regiments of Artillerists to be organized pursuant to this act — that such of the Officers as upon examination may be found best qualified for the corps of Engineers may be transferred to that corps and that supernumeraries, if any there be, may with their consent be transferred to the Infantry in grades corresponding with those which they [undecipherable: probable reading "now hold"], [strikethrough: or the Infantry,] or may remain attached to the Regiments of Artillerists and file according to their respective ranks [future] vacancies in batalions and companies as they shall accrue. And be it further enacted that the Artificers of the present Regiments shall be formed into four companies two of Miners and two of Artificers. That a company of Miners or Artificers shall consist of one Captain one first, one second Lieutenant four Sargeants four Corporals and fifty six privates — That the Commissioned Officers of these companies shall be Officers of the Regiment of Engineers to be assigned by the Commandant of that Regiment — And be it further enacted that the pay and [they] allowances of the Regiments of Engineers and Artillerists, according to the establishment hereby prescribed, shall be similar to those of the Regiments to which they are to be substituted. And be it further enacted that in case open War shall break out between the United States & any foreign European power or in case imminent danger of invasion of their territory shall in the Opinion of the President be discovered to exist, it shall be lawful for him to organize and cause to be raised two Regiments of Horse Artillerists in addition to that provided for by this act together with the two Battalions of Artillerists suspended as aforesaid and for this purpose, if in the recess of the Senate, to appoint alone the Officers thereof and to borrow upon the credit of the United States from the bank of the United States or any other body or bodies politic or persons whosoever a sum not exceeding dollars — And be it further enacted that the corps of Engineers and Artillerists shall be under the chief command of a General —