“ Congress shall rise. it can only be done on an examination of the several volumes & their contents. in republishing the MS. laws, I think the various readings of different MS.S should be noted. I hope you will publish in 8 ^vo. the folio volumes are too unwieldy and are now giving place to 8 ^vos. the different collections of our laws latterly printed in Virginia are really, from their paper & type, a scandal to our state. in N. York, Philadelphia, Baltimore & this place as good printing is done as in Europe, and much cheaper than the wretched samples of Richmond. if you cannot get the work well done there, would it not be better to have it done at one of those places. the difference of price will amply pay any additional trouble it may give you . . . ”

On May 17, Hening wrote: “Perceiving from the public prints, that you have lately left the seat of Government on a short visit to Monticello, I am desirous of arranging with you, while there, the materials for the edition of the Statutes at Large, which I am about to publish . . .”

On May 24, Hening wrote to announce his departure for Monticello the following week, and added: “I believe that I have now collected every MS volume of our laws extant, which are not in your library; and I have been so fortunate as to procure several acts which you state to have been lost from your collection.--With the aid which you have been so obliging as to offer I shall be enabled to bring this great work to a tolerable state of perfection.”

On June 7, Jefferson made a list headed Manuscripts of the laws sent to m( ^~ r) Hening June 1808

1. a MS. marked A. given me by Peyton Randolph in his lifetime, attested by R. Hickman, containing the laws of 1623/4 Mar. 5.

2. a MS. marked 43 purchased with the library of Peyton Randolph from his executors containing the laws of 6. sessions from 1629. Oct. 16. to 1633. Aug. 21.

3. a MS. marked F. purchased from the executor of Rich d Bland dec d. containing laws of 1639. 1642. 1652. 1653. 1654. 1655. 1656. 1663. 1666.

4. a MS. copy by myself of the laws of 1660/1 Mar. 23.

5. a MS. given me from the Charles City office, containing the laws from 1661/2 Mar. 23. from chap. 31. to 1702. Aug. 14.

6. a MS. marked B. purchased with the library of Peyton Randolph containing the laws from 1662. Dec. 23. to 1697. Oct. 21.

7. a MS. given me by John Page of Rosewell, containing laws from 1705. to 1711. this had belonged to his grandfather Matthew Page who was employed on one of the revisals.

8. a 2 d. MS. given me from the Charles city office with the laws of 1705.

On April 23, 1809, Hening wrote: “I have not sooner acknowledged the receipt of the MSS which you were so obliging as to send me, because I was unwilling to trespass for a moment on your time, which was incessantly occupied with the cares of government . . .

"The first volume of MS. which was in such a decayed state, has been transcribed by myself, and is in print, with the omission of a few words, which were entirely obliterated.--I expect to publish the first volume in about three months.”

On July 8, 1809 Hening wrote: “. . . I have progressed, in printing the Statutes at Large, as far as the March session 1657-8 . . .

"The publication of the statutes at large, will unfold a volume of history, hitherto unexplored . . .

"As soon as the gentlemen appointed for that purpose shall have compared the printed laws with the MS., I will return at least three of your volumes; which have been transcribed, and the matter printed.--They contain some valuable State papers, which may be useful to some future historian.--After the year 1699, (to which date my collection is complete,) I shall have to trouble you for a further supply of sessions acts.”

Jefferson replied from Monticello on July 25: “ . . . on observing that you would want sessions acts (printed) I examined the state of my collection, & found ”