Benjamin Franklin Papers

The American Peace Commissioners to Wilhem & Jan Willink, Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje, 22 May 1783

The American Peace Commissioners to Wilhem & Jan Willink, Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje8

Copies: Library of Congress (two), Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society

Paris may 22. 1783

Gentlemen,

Mr. Grand, has laid before us, a State of the affairs of the United States under his Care,9 and the Demands upon him for money to discharge the Bills drawn upon him, are such as to require some assistance from you, if the Demands upon you will admit of it. If therefore, the State of the Cash in your Hands compared with the Draughts made upon you, will allow of it, We advise you, to remit to Mr. Grand on account of the United States the Amount of five hundred Thousand Livres Tournois, and we doubt not that Congress and their Minister of Finances, will approve of it, although we have not in strictness Authority to give orders for it.

We have the honor to be, Gentlemen, &c

To Messrs. Wilhem & Jean Willink, Nicholas and Jacob Van Staphorst, & De La Lande & Fynge, Bankers of the United States of America at Amsterdam.

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

8The consortium of bankers who were underwriting JA’s Dutch loan: XXXVIII, 433n.

9XXXIX, 587–9.

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