[undecipherable] the Secretary of War has the honor to submit to the President of the United States his opinion, with those of the other heads of Departments, on the propriety of [undecipherable] of a qualified person to visit and [undecipherable] into the actual State of the [undecipherable], [undecipherable] Trading Houses or Factories, and [undecipherable] property in the North Western [undecipherable: Territory?], on the Mississippi and on the Frontiers of Tennessee and Georgia Should the President approve of the plan, the Secretary requests that he will be pleased to appoint a person in order that instructions may be made out accordingly. Signed James Mc Henry War Department 23 May 1800 The President of the United States The The Secretary of War has the honor to submit for the consideration of the heads of [undecipherable] the propriety of [undecipherable] Selecting and [undecipherable] a qualified person to visit [and] on [undecipherable] into the actual State of the Garrisons, Indian Trading houses or Factories, and Public property of every description, with the [undecipherable] of preserving or disposing of the same, for use or consumption, in the North Western [undecipherable: Territory?], on the Mississippi, and on the Frontiers of Tennessee and Georgia. It is stated that it has been the practice throughout the Western [undecipherable: country?] of the United States, for military commanders to hold talks with the Indians, to give rations to them, occasionally to supply them with ammunition and [undecipherable], and sometimes to make them other presents, and [these] without [undecipherable] [undecipherable] previous restriction. that the Secretary has given orders to restrain the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] at Military Posts, to abstain [undecipherable] [undecipherable] military commandants from interfering in Indian concerns, and [undecipherable] exclusively if possible to [undecipherable] to Territorial Governors and or [their] Superintendants of Indian [undecipherable]. That the intent of these orders was not only to lessen the public expenditure, by curtailing the Issues of Rations, and the [undecipherable: present?] of public property to Indians, but to obviate the ill consequences and confusion to the peace [undecipherable] from two distinct Authorities. Military Commandants and Indian Superintendants acting at the same time, and without concert on the same subjects — and [undecipherable] to secure a more perfect Control over the Indians by an uniform System to be acted upon by one and the same authority, to which such concerns [undecipherable] were solely committed. that as far as these orders have been observed beneficial effects have apparently resulted — But certain military officers have notwithstanding suggested the impossibility of resisting the application of Indians for Rations and [undecipherable: presents?] and that powerful reasons exist why military Commandants should not be precluded from their heretofore [undecipherable: usual?] connection with the Indians or from the power of retaining them in their interests by acts of Bounty. That a question accordingly [undecipherable] and requires to be definitively settled — Whether military commandants except in cases of extraordinary urgency, of absolute necessity and upon their strict and exclusive responsibility, should be permitted to [undecipherable] public property to Indians, [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Territorial Governor or other Superintendants of Indian affairs — [undecipherable] whether a satisfactory [undecipherable] cannot be [undecipherable] by a communication into [undecipherable] [undecipherable] along the western Frontier, by [undecipherable] authorized to make and to report the results of his [undecipherable: inquiries?]. [undecipherable] it is stated that it is conceived [undecipherable]. That Government should [undecipherable] from time to time [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable], and the [undecipherable: quantity?] and quality of the [undecipherable] through other channels than the responsible agents or [undecipherable: Agents?] [undecipherable], and that to an intimate knowledge in particular of the manner in which the Indian [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of the Stock on hand and of the prospect of [undecipherable] them as [undecipherable] [undecipherable] those Establishments, that the [undecipherable] may not be diminished, information [undecipherable] otherwise than through the agents [undecipherable] themselves is absolutely necessary. It is submitted whether an actual Examination by the some intelligent and disinterested person respecting the [undecipherable] objects, authorized to make the same and to report the results of his inquiries would not be extremely Beneficial to the public and useful to the succeeding Secretary of the Department of War, [undecipherable] furnishing in one view a mass of [undecipherable: information?] more complete than is otherwise attainable. and certainly in as imperfect [undecipherable: degree?] with considerable research and experience in the Department and whether it would not give him the clearest conviction of Errors where they have occurred or faults where they have been committed in order to their remedy All which is respectfully submitted War Department Signed James Mc Henry May 23, 1800 May 26^th 1800 I concur in the opinion and recommendation of the Sec^t of War as above expressed Signed Oliver Wolcott Sec^t of the Treasury M^r Lee and M^r Stoddert also concurred