To Isaac Norris; Pennsylvania Assembly Committee of Accounts: Report (II)
ALS: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Sir,

Philada. Feb. 15. 1763

It is now six Years, since, in obedience to the Order of the House, I undertook a Voyage to England, to transact their Affairs there.

Fifteen Hundred Pounds of the Public Money was at different Times put into my Hands, for which I ought to account.

The following Articles are vouch’d by the Receipts inclos’d, viz.

1758 Jan. 26. Paid Robert Charles Esqr. for the
Province 26 Guineas 27. 6. 0
April  20. Paid Richard Partridge Esqr.
for Ditto40. 0. 0
May 2. Paid Do. for Do. 30. 0. 0
Sept. 27. Paid T Osborne for 3 Vols.
Journals House of Commons. 10. 10. 0
And for Indexes to the whole 1. 1. 0
1759 Dec. 31. Paid Accounts for Printing sun-
dry Pieces in Defence of the
Province 213. 13. 0
1760. Dec. 2. Paid the Solicitor's Bill 470. 8. 8
£792. 18. 8
Deduct th of the Solicitor's
Bill it being charg'd in the 78. 8. 1
Trustees Account
£714: 10: 7

I made many other Disbursements for which I have no Receipts; such as for Postage of Letters and Pacquets, which were often very heavy, containing Bills and Duplicates, &c. under the Great Seal, brought by Post to London from the Out-Ports, which to compute moderately could not, I think, fall short of £15 per Annum. Also for customary New Year’s Gifts, and Christmas Presents to Door-keepers and Clerks of the Publick Offices, Tavern Dinners for the Lawyers and our other Friends at Hearings, Coach Hire, &c. for which I know not what to reckon, having kept no Account of such things.

I therefore can make no Claim of Allowance for them.

The House will therefore please to consider the Remainder of the £1500 put into my Hands, so unaccounted for, as now in their Disposition; for as to any Compensation for my Time and Pains in their Service, though I am conscious of having done faithfully every thing in my Power for the Publick Good, according to the best of my Abilities, yet as the House, when they appointed me their Agent at first, and afterwards from Year to Year, did not vote any particular Sum as my Salary, I am therefore not warranted to charge any thing, but do now, with the same Confidence I have ever had in the Justice and Goodness of the House, chearfully submit the same to their present Discretion.

With the greatest Respect and Esteem, I am, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant

B Franklin

Isaac Norris Esqr
Endorsed: Benjamin Franklin Letter, dated in Philadelphia Febry. 15th. 1763
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