I owe you an apology for my long silence & especially as I have two letters of yours unanswered. My Cirt. did not end until the latter part of June, & I have ever since been overwhelmed with pressing private or public concerns, which have obliged me to postpone all other business. In addition to my other labours I have been obliged to prepare a Discourse to be delivered this month before a Literary society (the P. B.

I received your letter a few days past & ought immediately to have answered it; but when you reach my age you will find that when a man is engaged as I am at present, a thing postponed is very apt to slip the memory & to be longer neglected than it ought to be. I concur with you in the opinion that the clerk can be appointed only when the court is in session, & I suppose there would be an impropriety if indeed there would be a power to make the appointment at the August term. I wish most devoutly that the business was over.

Your Letter of the 30th of May reached me this morning— I believe the general impression of the Judges has been, that all acts reqd to be done by the Court, are to be done in term— I have hitherto acted upon that construction of the Laws, though I confess myself not perfectly satisfied with it— I should distinguish between acts strictly judicial, & those which are ministerial.