To Benjamin Franklin from Robert R. Livingston, 5 July 1782
From Robert R. Livingston
LS: University of Pennsylvania Library; AL (draft): New-York Historical Society; transcript:8 National Archives
Philadelphia 5th. July 1782.
Dear Sir
I have the honor to transmit you a letter from the United States in Congress to his most Christian Majesty, together with a copy for your perusal,9 I also enclose a Resolution of Congress on the subject of Mr Lee’s demands,1 which you will see carried into effect—nothing of moment has occured, since I last wrote you, it is very long since we have heard from Europe— We wait for your dispatches with some degree of impatience— I hope they will be sufficiently particular to answer our expectations.
I have the honor to be Sir with great Respect & Esteem your most obedt. humble Servant
Notation: Mr Franklin No. 14. 3plicate
Endorsed: No 14. Mr Secry. Livingston July 5. 1782 Wm Lee’s Affair
8. Which notes that the first copy was delivered to La Luzerne, the duplicate was carried from Baltimore by the ship Favourite, the triplicate by the ship Washington, and the quadruplicate by the ship Queen of France.
9. A June 13 letter from Congress to the King expressing condolences on the death of his aunt (JCC, XXII, 327–8), a copy of which is with BF’s papers at the APS. Sophie-Philippine-Elisabeth-Justine of France (b. 1734), a sister of the King’s father, died in early March: Dictionnaire de la noblesse, VIII, 593; Bachaumont, Mémoires secrets, XX, 110.
1. The enclosure was the congressional resolution of July 2, “That the Secretary for foreign affairs inform Mr. William Lee, that he apply for payment of the monies due to him to Mr. Benjamin Franklin” (JCC, XXII, 369). The previous September, Congress ordered BF to pay Lee 42,189 l.t. plus interest (XXXVI, 155, and see Morris Papers, III, 291n; Smith, Letters, XVIII, 63n), but BF answered that he did not know where to find Lee: BF to Morris, March 30, above.