His Excellency the Minister of France having informed me on the part of his Court, that no extraordinary sums will be paid to the Ministers of the United States in Europe, I must request that you will furnish me with an account of the several salaries payable to the foreign Ministers and their Secretaries; and I will make out bills in your favor on the Banker of the United States in Paris, for the last quarter, commencing with the present year. I must, at the same time, pray you will require of those gentlemen, the state of their several accounts with the public for salaries, that the whole may be adjusted, and all future expenses of that sort be classed under the proper head of the Department of Foreign Affairs. I have the honor to be, &c. ROBERT MORRIS. * * * * * TO THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND. Office of Finance, April 30th 1782. Sir, I had the honor to receive your Excellency's letter, dated In Council, Annapolis, April, 1782, previous to which I had in mine of the 15th instant, transmitted the Acts of Congress, which you mention. I hope they will meet the wishes of your Excellency and of the State, so that a speedy compliance with them may forward the great business they are formed to accomplish. I am much obliged by your Excellency's observation, as to the propriety of stating how much money is to be expended. The estimates of the current year were formed by Congress; the accuracy of them I cannot answer for, but rather incline to think they will fall short of the object proposed. The loose manner in which business has formerly been conducted, did indeed render it impracticable to frame very precise estimates. That those adopted are not exorbitant, will easily be seen, by comparing the sum total with the expenditure of former years. It is my intention to show by the exhibition of clear accounts, how the public money intrusted to me has been expended. This shall be done publicly, and then estimates formed agreeably so such accounts will be clearly understood, and convey that satisfaction to the mind of every candid man, which I am desirous of imparting. Your Excellency will easily perceive, that the primary step must be to grant money, and the accounting for it a secondary one. I presume that by the American Constitution, the determination on sums to be appropriated must be vested in the supreme representative, and I hope there is so much confidence in the wisdom and integrity of that body, as to believe that they do not ask for sums which are unnecessary.