1To Alexander Hamilton from Sylvanus Bourne, 1 November 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Boston, November 1, 1789. Asks Hamilton to “Give me leave Dr Sir to request the favr of being in your remembrance should any situation in the Treasury Department occur in which my abilities may be equal to rendering my Country service.” ALS , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. Bourne applied for several posts in the government in 1789 and 1790. In June, 1790, George Washington appointed him...
2To Alexander Hamilton from Sylvanus Bourne, 10 May 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I am in this moment favoured with a letter from Mr Bourne informing of my having lost my Object in the mint Department & I’ll assure you my Dr Sir the impression on my feelings is severe indeed—as I presume you had not the least doubt of my success from your conversation last had with me. I have on the strength made arrangments which will result injuriously to me—such as borrowing some money...
3To George Washington from Sylvanus Bourne, 28 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
As the Legislature of the United States, appears not to contemplate, either an adequate regulation of the powers of their Consuls, or reward for their services, and the present state of St Dominique, being less favourable to mercantile pursuits, than heretofore, I have reason to think that my return to that Country, would only tend to increase the weight of those Disbursments, which my former...
4To John Adams from Sylvanus Bourne, 18 August 1789 (Adams Papers)
It gives me sensible pain to be under the necessity of troubling you further with my personal Concerns amid the weight of your public Cares: but entertaining the fond hope that you are not totally disinterested in my welfare, I am prompted to observe to you, that upon my arrival here I found M r Keith had been pushing all possible force for the Marshalship of this District a place which I...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Sylvanus Bourne, 29 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Cape François, 29 Apr. 1791 . Arrived and presented credentials on 16 Mch. Still awaits recognition “but cannot obtain any decision of the business: being constantly put off by the most equivocal and evasive Conduct on their part. One Day am informed that the Convention does not extend to the Colonies—the next that as my Commission is unacompanied by a letter from the Secy. of State, they...
6To John Adams from Sylvanus Bourne, 15 August 1790 (Adams Papers)
Observing by the Papers that you are one of the Comm rs: appointed for purchasing part of the public Debt at Markett in which you will doubtless probably wish to employ an agent—if this should be the Case—M r Woodward occurred to my mind as a person well calculated for such an employ—both for integrity & a thourough acquaintance in this kind of buisness—having been for a long enrolled in the...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Sylvanus Bourne, 8 September 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I duly received the letter you did me the honour to write me of Augt. 14th. covering a duplicate of yours of May 13th. which I acknowledged the receipt of, in a letter dated July 5th that must probably have reached you before this. Prior to the receipt of your last I had concluded upon embarking for America soon as every prospect of obtaining a reception here had ceased. Particulars, I shall...
8To James Madison from Sylvanus Bourne, 1 December 1790 (Madison Papers)
Expecting in a few days to embark for Hispaniola under a Consular Commission from the United States—I feel very desirous to have the Consular Bill now pending in Govt. matured & passed as early as other public Interests will permit; wishing not to have gone till it was finished I requested leave of Govt to tarry yet a while but the Secy of State informed me it was “peculiarly interesting to...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Sylvanus Bourne, 21 September 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Being absent from this place on a journey I was not honoured by the receipt of your last favor till yesterday.—I perfectly acquiesce in your relation of the circumstances attending my acceptance of the Consulate of Hispaniola while I recollect that at the time you observed it was very uncertain what arrangements Government might think fit to make relating to our Consuls abroad you gave it as...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Sylvanus Bourne, 29 December 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
At the time I had the honour of addressing you last, I was in expectation of forming such a mercantile connection, as would have induced me to return to the west Indies; but the late repeated bad news from that quarter, has discouraged the Person who contemplated this connection with me from any further pursuit of it. I now therefore beg leave (agreably to your advice as to the mode of...