[258] [H6 No 4] John Nicholas in Congress Accountants Office January 22^d 1801 Sir I had the honour to receive your note of [undecipherable] with the before enclosed relative to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Murdrick for a [undecipherable] - in reply I beg to state that the subject more properly directs itself to the Sec't of War. I have however endeavored to inform myself relative to the points and state [undecipherable] am made a question whether the Secretary of War will consider himself authoriz'd to grant the prayer, until the Legislature [undecipherable] a positive opinion is in favor of a formal [undecipherable] required. The Act of the 18 Feb'y 1793 may be said as having barred his claim and hence the Secretary may not consider himself authoriz'd to act without such formal authorization - at any rate the provisions of Congress not going against all Embarrassments - I return the before enclosed [undecipherable] am with respect [undecipherable] H.S. W.S.