1

Knoxville 26^th august 1803

Sir

I received a letter about nine month ago from
M^r Wheelen Purveyor of public supplies stating that
he had sent on a Box containing ^a number of copies of the laws of the
United States passed at the (then) last session of
Pittsburgh Congress Pittsburgh to be forwarded to this place
for the use of the State of Tennessee
They have not yet arrived here, nor have I heard
any thing respecting them since The laws passed
at the last Session of Congress have not been
received. I state this We have thus
been deprived of the Opportunity of becoming
acquainted with the laws of the Gen United
States, otherwise than thro' the medium of the
newspapers. Permit me to sollicit your attention
to this subject with a request that those laws sent the copies
for the use of this state may not be sent hereafter
by the Circuitous [?] public Waggons which pass
thro' this town ^on their way to South west point rather then ^and not by
the circuitous route which M^r Wheelan has chosen

Ihave the Honor to be with high
Consideration and respect
Your Most Obedient Sevant

Archibald Roane

Hon^ble James Madison