Papers of John Adams, volume 21
In consequence of the information I received from you on
the first Wednesday in January that the list of votes for President &
Vice President were received at the seat of government from all the states
except that of Kentuckey, I sent a special messenger to the District, judge
of Kentuckey for the list of the votes of that state lodged in his custody,
and by the return of the messenger received yesterday the enclosed letter
for you, which he informs me contains the list.1 I have only to observe that tho’
the term between the first Wednesday of January and the second Wednesday in
February was obviously insufficient at this season for the performance of
the journey yet the law made it my indispensable duty to send the messenger.
/ I have the honour to be with the most perfect esteem & respect / Sir /
Your most obedt. / & most humble servt.
FC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); internal address: “The Vice President of the US.”
Kentucky district judge Harry Innes’ 8 Feb. letter to
Jefferson explaining the reason for the delay in delivering the 1792
presidential electors’ votes to Congress has not been found, nor has the
enclosure to this letter. At a cost of $150, Jefferson sent a special
messenger to clarify the issue and collect all the votes, which were
read in Congress on 13 Feb. 1793 (Jefferson, Papers
, 24:698–699; 25:306, 310;
Annals of
Congress
, 2d Cong., 2d sess., p. 874–875).