Washington Feb. 3d 1822Dear Samuel,

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Your letter of the 17th ult. and one from your Mama of the same date did not arrive until last evening, by what means they were so [      ] retarded on the way I cannot conceive. However they were not [   ] less acceptable on that account. It gives me sincere pleasure to learn by them that your health remains as good, and that of your Mama has inproved since I left home. You mention the coldness of the winter - I had anticipated [         ] favorable account on that head. The weather generally, since I have been in this place, has been much more severely cold than any of the former winters I have spent here. It is true that there have beensome moderate days and some rain, but soon turned cold again. For some days past it has become more moderate, thawing and muddy in the day time, and freezing very hard at night. I am sorry the new stove is found to be too small sufficiently to warm the front room in very cold weather. This I think I can remedy by another winter by adding to the length of the pipe in the room; ten or twelve feet of additional pipe would probably keep the room sufficiently warm in the coldest weather.

I wish you would inform me how you make out for wood, grinding &c, and how they hay holds out &c &c

You have not mentioned in any of your letters whether the Intelligencer is received more regularly than last summer. I have many documents of a public nature which you might find interesting. These I shall transmit to you , so soon as I can spare them, which after reading I wish to be laid by.

The subject which has particularly engaged Congress for the week past, has been to apportion the representations among the several States, agreeably to the late census. The whole difficulty has been in agreeing upon the ratio. No number can yet be found which will [     ] a majority. A ratio of thirty nine thousand will give Vermont her present representation, that is 5. several other states are in favor of the same number. This number has been tried in several shapes, but always without success. 45, 44, 43, 42, & 41 thousand has also been tried and with the same success. I am inclined to believe, from present appearances, that 40,000 will finally prevail, which will give Vermont but five representatives, and leave a fraction unrepresented of a number almost sufficient for antoher; which will be unfortunate, as it will lessen the political weight of Vermont in Congress, and in our electoral votes for President, from about 1/35th part, our real proportion agreeably to the Census, to about 1/42d part. I wrote last week to your Mama & to Mary, which letters I hope will go safe.

Present my most affectionate remembrance to your Mama and inform her, I will write to her shortly. Give my best love to Mary - also to the family.

and if I find any preferably to yours I will procure it.

Mr S P Crafts

Yours affectionatelySaml C Crafts