heretofore been obliged to hire quarters when none were provided at any Post or Garrison where he was stationed — To enable me therefore to make any allowance, two things must be established — 1^st the necessity of hiring quarters, none being provided at the Garrison, & the 2^d. that the charge is a reasonable one. — As to the first it will rest with Lieut. House to shew by proper Certificate and as to the 2^nd, a certificate should be produced signed by two respectable persons in Baltimore of the price of a room suitable for the business in which Mr. House is engaged. — I accordingly return you the accounts with the observation that in my opinion the Sum exceeds a reasonable allowance, and if quarters are not now provided they ought to be at the Post or Garrison at which Mr. House is Stationed — The regulations to which I have referred I inclose you a sett of herewith, by which you will be governed hereafter. — The Contractor Mr. O'Hara has been furnished with them, and he no doubt, will direct those Contractors acting under him to conform to them agreeably to Instructions — Sam H. W.S. --- M^r John Mackey                          Accountants Office lately Paymaster &c at                          April 4^th 1800 — the Public Armoury — Harper's Ferry Sir I have received a letter of this date from the Sec. of War in answer to mine of the 1^st Inst. on the subject of your acc^ts.; by which I feel myself authorized to discharge you from responsibility in the case of the Warrants issued to Perkins & Brindly. But as respects the Warrant for $190. — in favor of Wm. Small, it was issued by The Secretary of War, expressly chargeable to your account of which you were duly advised by me, that you might make [full] account to you for the same on settlement of his pay, with you, as Pay Master; and it was fairly to be presumed that you had done so, as no difficulty on the subject has ever been suggested to me, till now, when it appears that you have neglected to make the requisite deductions from the Pay of Mr. Small, before he was discharged from public employ, altho' practicable regardless of your own responsibility, on the occasion, I cannot therefore relieve you from accountability in this case, without the express directions of the Secretary of War for that effect — Sam H. W.S. --- David Henley a.wd.                          March 28^th 1800. Knoxville Tennessee M^r. Henley was directed to pay the Claim of Cornet Davidson & detachment for services from the 19^th November to the 20^th January 1793. provided it appeared to him that the authority calling them into Service was equally competent to that which called out others for like services and were paid for by The United States. The pay and emoluments to be made up agreeably to law & his instructions, a pay Abstract to be formed from the Muster to effect which the Muster Rolls were returned to him. The receipt of M^r. Henley's letter of the 12^th March & that of M^r. Hillis of same date was acknowledged by the same letter. A sett of the following Regulations issued by The Sec. of War was enclosed to him, and he was expressly directed to conform thereto particularly as related to the last Clause in the "Regulations Respecting certain supplies and Respecting objects of Specials and extra expense" Viz "Regulations to be observed in the delivery and distribution of Fuel and Straw to the Garrisons on the Sea Coast, and beginning parties" "Regulations adopted respecting the allowances of Barracks or Quarters to the officers of the Army and of Fuel to General Officers, and the Staff of the Army" "Regulations respecting certain supplies and respecting objects of Special and extra expenses"