[Nos. 3203-3204-3205.]

COLONEL UDNY HAY'S VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS. Appointed Deputy Commissary General of Purchases for New York He Submits to the Governor His Views, the Result of Experience. Poughkeepsie 7th Sept'r 1780.

Sir, Though acquainted by Colonel Pickering, lately ap pointed Qr. Master Genl. that my Continuance in that Department is only to be for a Short time, yet from a Sincere desire of Serving the United States and puting my Successor on as good a footing as lyes in my power, I take the liberty of representing to your Excellency the Necessity of reviving the laws for obtain. ing firewood for the use of the army, for empowering the justices to call out teams for public Service, and for empowering Genl. Officers upon Certain occasions to grant warrants of impress, in which last Permit me to observe to your Excellency, the Necessity of allowing the officer to whome the Warrant is directed to depute another for the execution thereof, with a Copy of the warrant certified by him, he being responsible for the Conduct of the Person he so deputes.

From an Inclination to bring my accounts in the Qr. Master's Department to as Speedy a Close as possible, as well as to do justice to the many Individuals within this State to whom I am Indebted on account of Services rendered in that Department, I am farther Induced to request your Excellency will lay before the Legislature the necessity of requesting Congress to come to an immediate adoption of some certain pointed plan for the Settlement of damages done by, and necessaries furnished, to the army by the Inhabitants of this State for which regular Certificates have never been given, though full and Satisfactory proof can be made, that the articles were furnished and the

damages were realy rece'd and did not arise from a wanton exertion of power, but from Circumstances that rendered the Prevention of them absolutely impossible, without endangering the well being of Some part of the army; amongst cases of this nature which will be exhibited the burning of fences, and losing or killing Horses & Oxen when Impressed for the use of the army, will be Some of the most Important. It is a matter likewise that ought to be fully & Clearly determined, whether old debts yet unsettled are to be paid by the nomenal Sum they appear to have been Contracted for, or if any allowance is to be made for the Depreciation of the money and what that allowance ought to be, as well as for fixing some mode for giving the Public Creditors notes upon Interest if money cannot be obtained for their Immediate Satisfaction. I have the Honor to be your Excelency's most obt. & very humble Serv't

His Excellencey Governor Clinton.

Udny Hay.

HIS APPOINTMENT AS DEPUTY COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PURCHASES OF NEW YORK.

Poughkeepsie 7 Sept'r 1780.

Sir, Having lately been appointed Dep'y Commissary Gen!, of purchases for this State, I beg leave to represent to your Excellency, the necessity of immediately adopting some mode for laying up within the State (exclusive of Quotas demanded by Congress), a magazine of flour for the use of the army of the United States, the necessity of which is strongly impressed on my mind by the late opportunity I have had of viewing the distresses of the army from a want of that and the other necessary articles of subsistance, and the immense expence that accrued from the method which was found necessary to be taken for

procuring them an immediate supply, owing totally to the want

of proper magazines.

Fully sensible of the many disinterested and truly patriotic exertions of this State and the inhabitants thereof in almost numberless instances since the commencement of the present war, and of the many hardships they have laboured under in consequence of these exertions, and unwilling to propose any mode by which their real sufferings might be further increased, with all due submission, I beg leave to hint to your Excellency, that it might be proposed to Congress to lay up as soon as conveniently can be done (an assessment being made for the purpose and before the present embargo is taken off) forty thousand barrels of flour, to be paid for at the highest medium price given for that article within the States of Pensylvania, Jersey, Massachusetts, & Connecticut (allowing for transportation to the two latter) betwixt the day of delivery and the day of payment, and for enabling the State to pay for the same a sufficiency of that part of the new mony issued by the State, which becomes the property Congress should be retained and delivered to the purchasing officer for that purpose, Congress crediting the State for the amount thereof, and at the same time advancing a quantity of Salt for the use of the Inhabitants of this State at Boston, Philadelphia or some of the intervening Posts, with orders to distribute the same in as impartial and equitable a manner as possibly can be done, and charging for the same the then current price of that commodity in the Post where it shall be delivered, to be allowed in part payment of the flour, upon the delivery of the whole of which your Excellency to be authorized by the Legislature immediately to take off the embargo.

In my instructions as Deputy from the Comm'y Genl, I am ordered to allow the Purchasers one and a half per Cent upon all expenditures of mony passing thro their hands; this mode I know is not only obnoxious to the people at large, and, there fore, ought to be avoided, but may be attended with bad consequences; would, therefore, beg your Excellency to point out the propriety of the Legislature passing an act prohibiting every public Officer acting within this State from being paid a commission upon the expenditure of mony (unless authorized thereto by a special resolve of Congress subsequent to the Law), in which case as the board of war have fully approved of the mode I have adopted for the payment of the State officers, I should think myself Justifiable in following the same mode with respect to the purchases I might make on account of the public. I have the honor to be with the highest respect, your Excellency's, most Obed't and very H'ble Serv't

Udny Hay.

Governor Clinton.

TOUCHING HAY, CATTLE, IMPRESS WARRANTS AND SUPPLIES FOR OUR ALLIES.

Fiskill Sept'r 7, 1780.

Sir, In transacting the business of State Agent I have made some observations which I must take the liberty of requesting your Excellency to lay before the Legislature, not doubting but that Honorable body will make such amendments on the subject as by them shall be deem'd necessary.

By the supply bill it does not appear we have a right to refuse any cattle above two years old; and the inhabitants taking an undue advantage thereof, deliver scarce any but what are nearly of that age, which greatly reduces the quantity of beef the

Legislature expected the quota would produce; this I beg leave to suggest, might be remedyed by the assessors being empowered not only to affix the number of cattle each individual should furnish, but also to declare that each creature so furnished should not be less than a certain weight.

In the meantime, permit me to request your Excellency to grant an impress warrant for taking from each precinct which has been assessed such a number of fat cattle as will make up the deficiency betwixt what that precinct has furnished and what it would have furnished if each creature they delivered had weighed four hundred and fifty pounds.

Permit me likewise to observe that a great saving would arise to the State from each person who was assessed, being obliged by law to drive the Cattle he was assessed, at such time and to such place as the Purchaser should direct, not exceeding ten miles from his own house; nor would this law be attended with any great inconvenience to the inhabitants.

I am sorry being constrain'd to complain of the negligence of some of the assessors and request your Excellency to order the Attorney Genl. to prosecute them; the letters 1 deliver, herewith, will put it in your power to determine how far my complaints and requests are Justifiable. Though I shall in all probability be able to procure a larger quantity of Hay than what is demanded as the quota of the State, yet the quantity I can purchase will be so very short of what will be wanted. for the army within this State, that I must request your Excellency to lay before the Legislature the necessity of making an assesment of that article, in which I doubt not proper regard will be had to those who have already voluntarily parted with their quota of the assesment.