Sir In compliance with your wishes, which you did me the honor to communicate yesterday, I have made the necessary examinations to ascertain whether any of the documents referred to in the original book of notes made by the late Chief Justice Yates, of the proceedings of the General Convention of the U. S. had been received with the book, and I am firmly persuaded I received none.
When I obtained the book from Mrs. Yates, the widow of the Chief Justice, I expressly stipulated to transcribe it, and furnish her with a copy in a month, which was accordingly done, and from the shortness of the intervening time, I am perfectly satisfied a copy of all I received, was delivered to her-as to furnish a copy of every part was in the spirit, if not in the express terms, of the stipulation; and it could not possibly have escaped the recollection of that lady, her family, and myself, if any had been omitted.
At the time I became possessed of the notes, it was of some personal interest to me to have them in my power, though to acquire the copyright never was my intention, and it was reserved to Mrs. Yates. While copying the notes I was tempted to add marginal notes, explanatory or corrective to the text, the matter of which might have been extracted from my own notes, made on the same occasion, but I refrained from doing so, and made the transcript verbatim, without the least mutilation or other alteration.
After the copy had been completed it was carefully compared with the original, and, as I have no doubt of its correctness, I think I may venture to vouch for its accuracy.
I am, Sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, John Lansing, Jr.