From Benjamin Franklin to J.F. Frin & Co., 18 July 1781
To J.F. Frin & Co.9
Copy: Library of Congress
Passy le 18. Juillet 1781.
Je reçois dans l’Instant, Messrs. votre Lettre d’hier.1 J’ai examiné mes Livres de noveau et je trouve qu’effectivement la 4me. de la Traite en Question a été acceptée le 12. May 81. presentée par M. Le Ray de Chaumont.
Comme vous avèz entre vos Mains, Messieurs, la premiere de la dite Traite que j’ai refusé d’accepter, ayant dejà rempli cette formalité à l’Egard de la 4me. et que vos Recherches pour trouver cette 4me. ont été infructueuses, Je pense que vous verrèz fort bien de former l’Opposition que vous projettèz chez mon Banquier, afin de decouvrir la Fraude, s’il y en a.
J’ai l’honneur d’être tres parfaittement, Messrs. Votre &c.
Mess. J f Frin & Co.
9. Business associates of Daniel Crommelin & fils of Amsterdam, for whom they were acting in the present matter; see XXXI, 269n.
1. In this letter Frin & Co. reported having received a July 11 letter from Crommelin & fils questioning BF’s rejection of a $200 letter of exchange on William Alricks & Co., which the Dutch firm had sent its French associates to cash. At the beginning of June BF had refused the bill, as Frin & Co. now reminded him, because another copy of it, the quadruplicate, already had been accepted by Chaumont. Crommelin & fils could not account for the copy and suspect either that there had been a mistake by the assignor or that the signature was forged, possibly by the British. Frin & Co. warned BF that for both Crommelin’s interest and their own they believed it best “de former opposition chez M. Grand au paiement de cet effet.” APS. In fact, a number of bills of exchange drawn on William Alricks & Co. were missing: JCC, XVII, 800–1.