Edenton, Jany. 14th, 1786.
Dr. Sir:
As the Assembly have again done me the honor of electing me a Delegate, impressed with a just sense of the Respected Marks of Confidence conferred on me, I am determined to give my attendance in Congress if requisite, agreeable to the promise contained in my last letter to your Excellency, altho, I do not find the Condition on which that promise was made has been attended to. I therefore request your Excellency to inform me what arrangement of the Delegates has been adopted and whether my attendance during the last six months of the present year will be required; in which case I request your Excellency will furnish me with a Commission as Delegate both for the present and succeeding year.
In my last letter to your Excellency I took the liberty of informing you that neither Bills nor Specie could be brought here with paper money, nor is there any other mode of procuring Specie but by Shipments to New York. Tobacco is the article that can be shipped with least loss but it cannot be purchased nearer this place than Halifax; purchasing and getting it down the River Roanoke will take some time, and if delayed until summer is then generally impracticable; Shipping, carrying to New York and selling there, will also take up some time, all which must be done before I set out; for these reasons I submit to your Excellency whether it will not be expedient to furnish me with warrants immediately for the full
amount of my salary for six months and allowance for travelling to and from Congress; if the Warrants are delayed until the time of my setting off unavoidable delays must ensue when my presence in Congress may be necessary, and it will be expected that I should proceed when it will be impossible for me to do it. Should I set out before my remittances are entirely made, as there will be some difficulty and a good deal of trouble in negotiating the Warrants, purchasing, Shipping, &c., I might possibly be disappointed, and a failure would render my situation very disagreeable. Permit me to observe that the Warrants may be more easily collected from the Sheriffs if they are granted for small sums.If your Excellency could spare time I shall be obliged to you for any information you can favor me with respecting the Continental Affairs, particularly what has been done in Compliance with any requisitions or resolves of Congress laid before the Assembly, what number of Auditors Certificates have been granted, how much our charge against the Continent is supposed to amount to, how much of the Army debt is paid off; and as our Quota of the Continental annual expence seems to me enormous, I wish to be possessed of such circumstances as may tend to get it lessened; and authentic list of the number of Inhabitants in this State I think would be of Service for this purpose, as I cannot help believing they must have been greatly overrated.
As the time of purchasing Tobacco is elapsing I hope to hear from your Excellency as soon as possible, and am with great respect and esteem Dr. Sir,