The Memorial of Benjamin Eyre of Phila Shipwright humbly representing That his Petition of the 24th October ² last preferred to Your Honours for the Payment of certain Services by him done together with his Bill of Charges for the same Services has been by Your Order referred to the Board of Treasury — And they by stating that Account upon a postulatum or principle by them for similar Cases adopted have reduced Your Memorialists said Account to a Sum less than half that which he thinks his said Services are worth in Justice and reason — The Difference between his said Bill and the Taxation thereof made by the Board of Treasury is clearly appearing on the face of the Synopsis of both Accounts hereunto Subjoined —

Your. Memorialist solemnly disclaims all those vague pretensions and presumptions of Artists & Tradesmen in favour of their own Knowledge and Deserts: He only begs leave to make one or two Observations upon the Reduction Account of the Board of Treasury and to.appeal from their Settlement of his Account to the Wisdom and Justice of the Delegates of .the States of America.

1./ First and principally Because Your Memorialists Charge of building Row Galleys at a certain Price per Ton is made agreeable to the Usage and Custom of Shipbuilders in the Old and New World But Your Board of Treasury reduces and confines him to accept of daily Wages and Rations: Which Rule of ascertaining the Quantum merait could never be establish'd against the constant Custom without a previous Contract between the Employer and the Workman — And that Resolve of Congress to pay the Journeymen Carpenters £ 13 and the Master Builders double that Sum per Month and to allow them stated Rations was made a Month after Your Memorialist setting out for New York and could have no Retrospect to bind him or fix upon him an express Contract, When he at the desire of Brigadier General [Thomas] Mifflin and on his promise that he should be handsomely rewarded left Philadelphia without making any Contract at all —

2./ Secondly Because the Board of Treasury have allowed Your Memorialist Rations which he can in no wise. accept of — When he arrived at New York he did not choose to live in that great.Town like as in a Camp or Barracks He hired a House furnished it and kept regular House and one Horse constantly employed in the public Service All which in the Dearness of times has actually cost him more than 15/ — per day and this he spent the freer as he never expected to be at any Charge to the public for his daily expences but to be paid for his work by the Ton.

Therefore Your Memorialist most humbly submits to Your Honours Whether his Charges of 25/ P Ton for three Row Galleys finished and 15/. for the one not finished are too high? He left his own Yard and his Work in hand unfinished, by which if he had stayed at home he might well have earned more than what he has charged for his Work abroad —

And Your Memorialist as in duty &c

Benfamin Eyre

The Synopsis in the within Memorial referred to