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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Knox, Henry (1750-1806) to Robert Morris

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03357 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter Date: 30 November 1786 Pagination: 2 p. ; 32 x 20.2 cm. Order a Copy

Writes that the Board of Treasury will write to Morris by this post regarding the proposed contracts. Intimates that not enough members of Congress are seated yet, but believes that by the time Morris and Wadsworth, as well as the Board of Treasury, sign the contract, Congress will be in session and will pass the contract easily. Discusses the merits of the measure but laments the time it will take to pass the measure through Congress. See GLC02437.03354 for a related document. Marked "private."

[draft]
New York Novr 30 1786 - (private)

My dear Sir
Agreably to my intimation [struck: of] [inserted: on] the 26 [struck: th] instant the board of treasury will write to you by this post, on the subject of the proposed contracts - I hope the manner will be perfectly satisfactory As yet there is no Congress, nor is it certain when there will be a sufficient number of members assembled, to make one of seven states, perhaps not much before the 1st of January.
After the contracts are made, and the papers are signed by the board of treasury, yourself & Colonel Wadsworth, the ratification thereof by Congress will I am persuaded be obtaind without difficulty.
I have written to Colonel Wadsworth on the subject of his journey to Philadelphia, as soon as the board shall have received your answers, and can transmit it to him.
I cannot easily express my anxiety of mind on this delay - nothing on my part has been left unanswered, but the length of time taken for consideration has been unavoidable in the state of things. But as Congress have not been in session the delay hitherto has not been so important as otherwise it would have been -
When the contracts shall be happily arranged, I flatter myself that the vigor of the preparations [2] will in a great degree compensate for the loss of time occasioned by the previous arrangements -
You will I am persuaded be of [opinion] [struck: of] with me, that the advertisement of the board of treasury for a partial contract for rations will rather tend to illustrate, than obscure, the honorable point of view in what your conduct in this transaction will be placed -
I am my Dear Sir &c.
The Honorable
Robert Morris Esqr -

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Morris, Robert, 1734-1806

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