[Page 1 of the document is illegible.] [address leaf:] James Ash April 16^th 1800 [postal stamp: APR] FREE The Honorable James M^cHenry Secretary at War Philadelphia Post. Baltimore 16. April 1800 Dear Sir I would be very much obliged to you, to let me have the use of your Library, which I presume is still in Baltimore. It becomes more necessary than ever, to make a judicious disposition of my time, between reading and Business. There was a curious circumstance, happened to me, about two years ago, in Baltimore County Court. The case in itself, being rather singular and unprecedented, I will tell it, [undecipherable] uninteresting, which I know it must be to you. Upon making a motion, on behalf of a client (Henry Ridgely — W^m Winchester, and W^m Owings, presided) when the Court told me to apply to M^r Martin — I answered that I did not know M^r Martin in the Capacity of a Court; and that my motion came in a qualified shape before the Court — The Court repeated again to apply to M^r Martin. I said "if motions were to be [undecipherable] whom [undecipherable], that the Court was a mere [undecipherable: cipher]"; which would be entirely true on the admission of such a principle — The clerk was then directed to strike my name from the list of attorneys of that Court. I think the proceeding was contrary to all Law, that we practice under, in the State of [undecipherable: Maryland], and I believe I shall be able to prove it so, before the [undecipherable] General Court, when I intend to apply for a mandamus to reinstate me. me. at all events, taking from me, my only hope of industry, obliged me to apply to the Last General [undecipherable] for an act of [undecipherable] Insolvency, very contrary to my wishes. The injury fell not then on me alone; but extended to the Community in General, in consequence of contracts variously intended — partly on my own account, and partly on account of my Cate=[undecipherable: chism] Scholarship in Virginia; both of which would have been paid to the last Shilling, by this Court of Justice had not determined differently, by taking from me the only means of industry. The Day after being Struck off, I went to Court, to be Sworn to the Grand Jury — I was directed to apply to M^r Martin — I asked this worshipful trio of Science and erudition, that if I wanted to [undecipherable] M^r Martin, whether an application to him would be proper — I was then [undecipherable], because it could not be [undecipherable], to be sworn. I had not then any intention to go to the Grand Jury, but I wished to show the folly (if ignorance can be [undecipherable] convinced) of the conduct in a delicate manner. For every Court is entitled to [undecipherable: delicacy] and respect, while this [undecipherable], if it were a Court, composed of Thorns. But there is something more, in this transaction, than impartial [undecipherable: Justice]. Something [undecipherable] perhaps with persecution, and a desire to injure my professional prospects, in Balti=more, which [undecipherable] have been [undecipherable] with [undecipherable], (but for this blow, which I [undecipherable] from this vulgar [undecipherable]) from the Slow, but certain system, which