The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-23

hereby certify, that was employed by the
Executive in the execution of the iron works for
the machinery of the manufactory of arms. from,
the commencement thereof. ard that during its
execution, was appointed by the executive, to
the office OF First Master Armorer," to that
establishment, in which capacity have continu-
ed to act ever since that appointment, SO that 1
have been constantly employed at the manufacto-
ryof Arms from the commencement of the iron
WORK Tor its machinery, in the year 1900, to this
date. also certify, that large portion of the
bar IRON, purchased for making arms, between
the hrst OF May 1901, and the end of the wear
1903, was applied to the making of numerous
tools, apparatus and machines, to a large amount !;
And to the making of the iron work for the ma.
chinery, anc for various fixtures for the works ::
And also to the repairing of old public arms -
The last OF which articles has required consi.
derable portion of all the materials used in the
making OF new arms. And further certify, that
beside bar iron so used, the various kinds of
work, above specified, has also required conside
rable quantities of coal. nail rods sheet iron, &c
which were purchased for making arms The
reason why this done, is, that the best of the
BAR IRON and other materials, were applied to the
making of ne-v arms, while the inferior parts of
those materials were applied to the several kinds
OF other work above specified. Such materials
therefore, as were of quality unfit for making
arms, were wrought into the various kinds of O..
swered perfectly. we'll, and saved the expence of
purchasing other materials for those purposes
And further certify, that conceive it to have
1ceh impossible that any accurate account could
have been kept so as to- distinguish with precisi
on, the amount of those materials used upon the
several objects to which they were applied for
even, II every scrap or parcel of the materials
which were used upon other work than that of
making arms, had been weighed and measured,
the qualities thereof being inferior to those parts
OF the materials used in making arms, they must
not only have been weighed and measured but
mast also have had value set upon them, &C
cording to their qualities TO do which accurate
81, conceive would have been impossible but
IT It had been practicable, i. would have requi.
req more than the services of one man to have
attended to the cutting off, weighing or measur-
! ing OF each OF the many thousands of the parts
or portions OF the materials, which although .pur
Chased Tor making arms were used for the var-
Gus purposes above stated. The materials be-
longed to the public, and all the work 10 which
they were applied, also belonged to the public,
ard it was certainly more economical to apply
| them IN the manner they have been applied, than
to have purchased other materials, while the pub.
| lie possessed such as wsuld answer those purpo.
ses, but which would not answer for making
arms.
In testimony whereof have set my han
this lth day OF November, in the year
one thousand eight hundred and nine.
GEORGE WILLIAMSON.
Hea-ieo County, to 4sit:
The above certificate was sworn to before me
this II In November, 1909.
WILLIAM PRICE.
The committee stated, tina, " the amount could
not be precisely sscertaiHed, owing 10 bar iron
and sheet iron being blended ia The accounts rem
dered" From this II might he inferred that the
accounts which l, IS upefintrnlsut had render.
ed, were sDconfused, tb&t he exact amount OF a
| ny of the articles could not b.. sscertaised. 7
know NOT wlist sccounts arc here alluded TO. {
rendered nppe 60 tie cnmlnitlqc, nor do rccol.
lect 70 have seer, any before ,,rs sissd s,a