[258] [H6 No 4 John Nicholls in Congress] Accountants Office January 22^nd 1801 Sir, I had the honor to receive your note of [undecipherable] with the before enclosed reference to [undecipherable] [undecipherable: Murdock] for a [undecipherable: pension] — in reply I beg to state that the subject more properly directs itself to the [undecipherable: Sec.] of War. I have however [undecipherable: endeavoured] to inform myself [undecipherable: relative] to its [undecipherable: merits] and state [I] am under a [undecipherable] whether the Secretary of War will consider himself [undecipherable: authorised] to [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable: particular] circumstances [undecipherable] private opinion is in favor of a formal [undecipherable: provision] by Congress. The Act of the [undecipherable] 1799 may be [undecipherable: adjudged] as having [undecipherable: barred] his claim and [undecipherable] the Secretary may not consider himself [undecipherable: authorised] to act without such formal [undecipherable: authorization] — at any rate the [undecipherable: provisions] of Congress are [undecipherable] against all [undecipherable: circumstances]. I return the [undecipherable: papers] enclosed and am with respect [undecipherable] [undecipherable] James Miller Esq^r Philad^a January 22^nd 1801 Sir, Your letter [undecipherable] [undecipherable] with the accounts of [undecipherable] Captain [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] for [undecipherable: extraordinary] [undecipherable] are received, and will be placed with those before [undecipherable] to be continued in course. [undecipherable]