Robert Gilmor Esq^r Baltimore Sir Accountants Office July 22^d 1800 I have received your letter of the 10^th inst. with your accounts & vouchers accompanying the same for expenditures on account of the Fortifications at Baltimore for May & June last, which will be placed under examination with those before rec^d & you will be informed of the result. In the mean time I have to observe that there does not appear any evidence of the payment having been made by Mr George Sears to the individual Laborers &c as expressed in his Accounts, and the subordinate vouchers are no doubt in your possession you will be pleased to forward them as early as possible that the Settlement of your accounts may be perfected. In relation to the Paym^t of the Laborers in future, I would recommend that a Weekly Pay Roll of the Work performed be certified by the Engineer & the men paid on a receipt Roll conformably thereto, taking care that when a man cannot write his name, his mark must be attested by some respectable Witness. This mode will simplify the business as it prevents the necessity of a multiplicity of vouchers & will be found easy in its operation. Sam &c W.S. Caleb Swan Esq^r P.M. G. Sir July 23^d 1800 Since my report to you of the 30 May of the stoppages necessary to be made from the pay & emoluments of Officers — I have to inform you that by a General order of the Adj^t General dated 27 January & just rec^d from the Secretary of War I find that from & after that date, it is directed that the Cadets in the fortifications upon the Sea Boards & at West Point receive in future the same allowance of fuel as is granted to Lieutenants — from which circumstance I find it will be proper to diminish some of the stoppages which I then recommended for instance the object of the present letter is to request a diminution of the $222.84 which I then directed to be charged to Major D. Jackson's account. This Officer was therein charged for Seven feet of Wood over drawn in the M^r of February for a Cadet which is now to be rescinded, because by the late Orders he was entitled thereto, which at 7 D^rs p Cord is . . . . . . . . . . Doll^s 6.12½ together with the Commission thereon @ 2½ p^c . . . . . . . . 36¾ making . . . . . . . $ 6.49 for which sum you will please grant him a credit on the Books of the Pay master General's Office. Sam &c W.S. The Comptroller of the Treasury Sir Accountants Office July 23^d 1800 In compliance with a letter from the Secretary of War dated the 9^th instant, containing several questions on the subject of the accounts of the Quarter Master General, I addressed him in answer on the 11^th which I presume has produced his letter of the 16 Inst^t requiring that the accounts of the Quarter Master General & of M^r Ja^s O'Hara a Contractor, should without delay be laid before the Comptroller of the Treasury; with the statements due to be made in such cases, by his (the Comptroller) letter to me of the 30^th January 1799. I deem it proper Sir, to hand you copies of those letters, at the same time that I have the honor to state for your information, that the acc^ts of the Quarter Master General rendered to this Office, have received such examination as the nature of them would admit; but such are the innumerable objections which have occurred; chiefly from Payments made by him, which I consider to be unauthorized by law or established Regulations (of which he has been duly advised in order to their