[107] The Sec^y of War Accountants' Office Sir April 25^th 1800 In the course of the examination of the accounts rendered to this Office, by the Agents of the Quarter master Generals in addition to the extra [undecipherable] out to you in my letter of the [undecipherable]^th ult: are discovered charges for compensations highly exorbitant, to certain individuals for services in the Quarter master Department, several of whom are officially appointed by the Secretary of War to discharge the general duties in the War department. Persons whose pay is [undecipherable] have been allowed the enormous commission of five p [undecipherable] on purchases made by them; in addition thereto others whose commissions are regulated and certain rates at two & one half p [undecipherable], in others at [undecipherable] have been allowed five p [undecipherable] for similar services. The ground on which these exorbitant allowances appear to be founded, is none other than that the individuals advanced their proper monies on the public service; a [undecipherable] which as it appears to me in some cases never existed, that economy cannot countenance nor properly sanction; the agents have generally in their hands, surplusages of public money and sums sufficient for the expenses of the Quarter master Department, have [undecipherable] than [undecipherable] by the Quarter master General or even at his expense. The agent of the Quarter master General, assures that he is authorized to make these allowances from the nature of his appointment, & from the general authorities vested in him, by the War Department, to what extent he is authorized I am not left to know; I have therefore thought it my duty to submit this