201To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 27 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
On the 25th I received letters from Colo. Humphreys dated April 30. May 30. & June 1. accompanied by a large packet from Mr Barlow at Algiers. The substance of the information respecting the pending treaty with Algiers is, That Mr Donaldson had gone to Leghorn, with orders from Mr Barlow to transmit two hundred thousand dollars to Algiers, which would procure the redemption of our captive...
202To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 29 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
(private) About noon to-day Mr John Churchman, who has been these two or three years in Europe, on account of his supposed discoveries relative to the variation of the Magnetic Needle, called at the office. He came last from Bourdeaux, and was the bearer of Mr Monroe’s letter of the 2d of May. I told him it had been broken open; & after a few questions, asked him to give me a certificate of...
203To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 29 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
I was yesterday honoured with your letter of the 25th and agreeably to your directions have had a commission made out for Samuel Williams to be Consul of the U. States at Hamburg, & now inclose it for your signature. I will take care to advise Mr Monroe of the appointment. The untoward situation of the Cannon foundaries last year, excited apprehensions that the Contractors might fail of...
204To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 30 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
With very sincere pleasure I announce to you the ratification of the treaty with Spain. I received the ratified copy this day by the mail from New-York, with a certificate signed by the Prince of Peace and Mr Rutledge of the exchange of the ratifications, as on the 25th of April. I do not know why the certificate and the ratification on the part of Spain bear that date; for the treaty ratified...
205To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 3 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
In my letter of the 30th ulto which was forwarded by post the first instant, I had the pleasure to mention the arrival of the Spanish treaty, ratified by His Catholic Majesty. I now do myself the honor to transmit the treaty itself (being a duplicate original) with a proclamation, for your signature, in order to promulgate the same to the citizens of the U. States. I also inclose for your...
206To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 12 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
This week I received letters from Colo. Humphreys dated the 4th and 8th of June. The latter covered an edict of the government of Portugal for opening a free port at Junguara, just at the Entrance of the harbour of Lisbon. Colo. Humphreys embraced this occasion to compliment the Minister on the liberal policy of the government, and to express his hopes that the subject of the free admission of...
207To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 16 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
Expecting from Mr Blodget an improved design for a mediterranean passport, I delayed putting the one he sent me, & which I had the honor to lay before you, into the hands of the engraver. But receiving nothing more from him, I shewed his original design to Mr Wolcott & Mr McHenry who both approved of it, with some little alterations. The engraving has proved a more tedious work than I had...
208To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 22 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed letter came under cover to me from Wm Lithgow Attorney for the district of Maine, which he says contains his resignation. Daniel Davis Esquire of Portland is a lawyer well recommended by the Members of Congress to suceed Mr Lithgow, & I think has been doing the business of the office since Mr Lithgow’s indisposition prevented his attending the courts. The enquiries concerning a...
209To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 29 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment left Colo. Hawkins—I called twice in the course of the day without finding him at his lodgings. His ideas & wishes correspond with what I mentioned to-day—to be the superintendant of the four southern nations—Chickasaws, Cherokees, Choctaws & Creeks—the latter requiring at present peculiar attention. He would prefer the Indian Department to that of the Surveyor. Two thousand...
210To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 2 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
(Private) The day before yesterday, Mr McHenry put into my hands a printed Talk of the President of the United States to the Cherokee Nation. I had not an opportunity of examining it till to-day. You will permit me, sir, to say, that it appears to me in many parts exceptionable. As it was handed to me not for advice, but merely for information of a thing done, I think it most proper to...
211To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 2 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the United States, the draught of a letter to lieutenant governor Wood of Virginia, concerning the ship Eliza, Captain Hussey, captured by the Thetis British frigate, and carried into Hampton-road. It was intended to send the letter by this day’s post: but the absence of the Clerk who had locked up the inclosed papers, prevented...
212To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 9 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
In draughting the letter of credence for Mr Pinckney, the motives for his appointment, arising out of the present state of things between the U. States & France, pressed me to depart from the usual formalities of this diplomatic instrument: it is therefore respectfully submitted to your consideration, for any alterations you may deem proper previous to its being transcribed. I also submit the...
213To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 10 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully submits to the President of the U. States a letter intended for Mr King, the occasion of which is exhibited in the accompanying letter from the deputy collector of Norfolk. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. GW replied to Pickering on this date . The deputy collector at Norfolk, Va.,...
214To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 14 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
I submit to your consideration the inclosed draught of instructions for Messrs Ellicott & Freeman, for running the boundary line between the U. States and the Spanish colonies of East & West Florida; and am, most repectfully, your obedt servant I have just heard that Capt. German is arrived, & consequently Mr Pinckney, from Charleston. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG...
215To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 15 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President the instructions for Mr Ellicott, altered to conform to the President’s idea. If approved, they will be delivered this evening to Mr Ellicott, as he wishes to start very early in the morning. The Secretary also submits a draught of instructions for General Pinckney—corrected & enlarged. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB ,...
216To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 15 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
The paper you put into my hands to-day was attentively perused by us all. I am now going over it by myself, but it will not be possible to get thro’ in time to return it before bed-time. Before breakfast in the morning I will wait upon you with it. I am most respectfully your obt servt ALS , DLC:GW . The date is taken from the docket. Pickering probably commented on a copy of GW’s farewell...
217To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I received from Mr Monroe a letter dated the 12th of June, from which we may conclude that the complaints of the French Republic, which had been the subject of his former letters, will not be renewed. But it may be more satisfactory to read Mr Monroes own words at length; and therefore I inclose an extract from his letter, being the only thing interesting in it. Mr Craik will present...
218To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have just received a letter dated the 17th from Judge Benson: He accepts the place of third Commissioner under the fifth article of the British treaty, and was to set out yesterday for Passamaquoddy, to meet there the other Commissioners on the third of October. The trust, he remarks, is not incompatible with his present office; and interfering with it only for a short time, his acceptance...
219To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 29 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
Last Saturday I received a letter from lieutenant governor Wood, and opened it, agreeably to your directions. He declines the office of Surveyor General, as not professionally qualified. The next day I rode to Belmont, to converse with Judge Peters relative to Major Alexander: but he was gone to see his brother Colo. Robinson, at Naaman’s Creek. On Tuesday Judge Peters, as usual, came to town,...
220To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 5 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your letter of the 28th ulto. A subsequent letter from Mr Monroe covered the copy of one from Dela Croix, the minister of the French Republic for foreign affairs, in which he still manifests some dissatisfaction: but this was so contrary to the information given by a member of the Directory to Mr Monroe, that the latter says he supposes the act to be that of the...
221To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 11–12 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Last Saturday I received from Colo. Monroe a letter dated the 24th of July, in which he refers to a former one, in which he transmitted copies of M. Delacroix letter to him & his answer, on the question, Whether the House of Representatives of the United States had passed a law to carry the British treaty into effect? At the same time Mr Monroe expressed his opinion that this letter originated...
222To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 13 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
To-day I was honoured with your letter of the 10th instant. A commission will be made out for Mr Bourne as districtjudge of Rhode Island. The letters concerning him which I transmitted to you yesterday will add to the satisfaction you have in conferring the commission on him. The gentleman who was recommended for district attorney for Kentuckey, was William Clarke. His commission was forwarded...
223To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 15 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I received another letter from Mr King—it is dated the 16th of August, covering a duplicate of the former, and saying that he had heard nothing from Mr Monroe respecting the letter from the Directory to Mr Barthelemy, so interesting to the commerce of neutral powers: and this silence was the only circumstance that left him a hope that the letter in question is not genuine. At the...
224To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 19 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
The news-papers which will go by this post, will present you with a letter from Mr King to Mr Johnson, the consul of the United States at London, containing the agreeable information that such a decree of the Directory as the note from Delacroix to Barthelemy imported, had not passed, nor would be issued, unless Britain set the example. Mr King’s letter as published is doubtless authentic: but...
225To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Doctor Edwards delivered to me to-day letters from Mr Monroe and Mr King. The Doctor arrived in the ship which had but nineteen days passage. Mr King’s letter of the 10th of September authenticates the one of the same date published in the newspapers, shewing, from Mr Monroe’s letter to him of August 28, that on the appearance of the letter from the minister of foreign affairs to M....
226Timothy Pickering to George Washington Craik, 19 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
I will thank you to send me a letter to be addressed to Mr Adet, concerning some prizes sent into Charleston & Wilmington; if the President approves of the draught. Mr Adets last long note will be in Brown’s paper on Monday morning; & I wish to acknowledge its receipt before hand. yr obt ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters. No reply to Pickering from either GW or Craik has been found. The...
227To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 4 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
Captain Cathcart’s vessel, laden with stores for Algiers, he expects will sail to-morrow. The Secretary of State therefore respectfully lays before the President this evening the draught of a letter to the Dey, and a letter for Mr Barlow. The letter from the Dey is inclosed; together with the letters from Mr Barlow to which the answer draughted by the Secretary of State refers. These are too...
228To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 10 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honour to lay before the President of the United States the draught of a letter to Colo. Humphreys, with such of his communications as are referred to and necessary to elucidate the remarks in the letter. The Secretary also presents a letter from Joseph Sterlitz resident of New-York, communicating the request of his partner & uncle Philip Mark to be favoured with...
229To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 16 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the United States a list of appointments which have been made during the recess of the Senate. The list No. 2 accompanies the former, mentioning, where known, the occasion of those appointments. The Secretary had the first list prepared in that simple form, because he thought it might seem to the President unpleasant to note the...
230To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 19 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President the draught of a letter to communicate to Congress the report of the Director of the Mint. His report last year was laid before each house thro’ the Secretary, by the President’s direction. If approved, the present report will be communicated to-day. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters. Pickering’s draft letter to Congress...
231To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 22 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
Judge Livermore & Mr Langdon have just handed me the inclosed petition, which is signed by the most respectable merchants in Portsmouth, recommending (and those Senators from their own knowledge concur in the recommendation) Nicholas Rousselet, & praying that he may be appointed Consul of the United States for the Colony of Essequebo & Demarara. This Dutch Colony is now in possession of the...
232To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 31 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the U. States, a letter from Colo. Humphreys dated Octr 6. just received, with inclosures from Mr Barlow. There is but too much reason to fear for the fate of Capt. O’Brien. He sailed from Lisbon the 4th or 5th of August for Algiers, with 225,000 dollars on board. The Secretary has also received to-day another letter from Colo....
233To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 6 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
To the President of the United States, The Secretary of State respectfully makes the following brief representation of the affairs of the United States in relation to Algiers. When Colonel Humphreys left America in April 1795, he was accompanied by Joseph Donaldson Esqr. who had been appointed Consul for Tunis and Tripoli; and him Colo. Humphreys was authorized to employ in negociating a...
234To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 7 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State with great pleasure lays before the President of the United States the inclosed letters just received from Colo. Talbot, which confirm the utility of his mission, & the good-will of the British naval officers. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters. No reply to Pickering from GW has been found. The letters to Pickering from Silas Talbot, the U.S. agent in the West...
235To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 12 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to return the address of the Senate of Pennsylvania, with the draught of an answer in terms which I imagined would correspond with your feelings, and which unsullied honor and the dignity of truth would authorize you to express. If however you prefer any other sentiments, by receiving the draught thus early, there will be time for alterations. I sent the intended letter to Mr...
236To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 23 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the pleasure to present to the President a letter received this morning from Colo. Humphreys, by which it appears that Capt. OBrien & hands with the treasure are safe at Tripoli—and that the Dey of Algiers has demanded the delivery on pain of making war: there can be little doubt of the recovery of the money, seeing the Dey considers it as the property of the...
237To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 27 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President of the U. States the letters received this day from Mr King, & the Commissioners of the U.S. in London. Also the draught of a message to the Senate containing nominations of three persons to be inspectors in No. Carolina. At the last Session they were commissioned, one as Collector and the other two as Surveyors, for the...
238To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 6 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to inclose a letter of Oct. 16. received this day from Mr Adams at the Hague. The following passage is in a letter recd this day from the Consul of the U. States at Falmouth in England, dated Novr 26th: “A vessel arrived to-day from Lisbon, and the master reports that at Madrid the populace would not permit Lord Bute to depart, and that the Spanish and...
239To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 10 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to inform the President of the United States, that having examined the Constitution & the law respecting the President & Vice President of the U. States, he sees no part requiring that the Vice-President elect should come to the Seat of Government to take the oath to support the Constitution of the U.S. which appears to be the only oath required of him....
240To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 13 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the U. States the draughts of letters to General Pinckney, Colo. Humphreys and Mr Adams. In the letter to Colo. Humphreys (not private) remains to be added what is mentioned in that to Mr Adams respecting his salary, on which the Secretary entertained some doubts; but on the whole deemed the principle he has adopted to be...
241To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, c.17 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
William Claiborne, of the State of Tenassee—to be district judge. Recommended by General Marshall—and strongly by Colo. Carrington. David Campbell, late a Judge of that Territory, is recommended for District Judge, by a Mr Roane the friend of James Ross Esqr. who relies on his discernment & probity in the recommendation. Elias Backman, a merchant of Gottenburg in Sweden, to be Consul for that...
242To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 19 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the U. States the draught of an answer to the Grand Master of Malta. If approved & signed, the Secretary proposes to commit the same to the care of M. Maisonneuve who desires to be Consul at Malta, who forwarded the letter from the Grand Master, and to whom Mr La Colomb (who is settled in Philadelphia) will send the packet by a...
243To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The President will read with pleasure the postscript of the inclosed letter from Robert Montgomery our Consul at Alicante, which I have received this day—excepting what relates to the capture of another American vessel by Tripo⟨li⟩ concerning which however Mr Barlow’s words are consoling. The last sentence broken by the seal I read thus—“I have taken now what I think will be effectual measures...
244To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 23 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President of the United [States] three letters this day received from Mr J.Q. Adams. The note in French inclosed in his No. 88. is directed to the Committee for foreign affairs, to inform them that he was authorized to confer & prepare arrangements for ameliorations of the commercial treaty between the two republics, and desired to be...
245To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 1 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President of the United States the opinion of the Attorney General, that a secretary may be allowed to a Minister Resident, or Chargé des Affaires. The Secretary has considered the situation of our affairs with the Barbary powers, & particularly with Algiers, and the necessity of a consul to reside there. That altho’ Mr Barlow desires to...
246To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 14 August 1795 (Jay Papers)
No man can be more anxious for the fate of the treaty with Great Britain than you; and ^the^ wanton abuse heaped upon you by the enemies of their country, gives you a right to the earliest possible relief. The treaty will be ratified. This day the President finally sanctions a memorial announcing it to the British minister, M r . Hammond. The ratification will conform to the advice & consent...
247To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 10 October 1795 (Jay Papers)
The inclosed copy of my letter of the 6th instant to William Lewis & William Rawle Esquires will apprize you of the object of this address. Their answer, which is also inclosed, does not, I confess, correspond with my ideas of the meaning of the seventh article of the treaty which you negotiated with Lord Grenville. I always conceived that the principal ground of our complaints of spoliations...
248To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 4 June 1796 (Jay Papers)
In the last Article of the British Treaty, concluded between you and Lord Grenville on the 19 th : of November 1794, it is agreed that there shall be added to it other Articles which for want of time and other circumstances could not then be perfected. As it is intended to authorize M r . King to enter into further negotiations with Great Britain, I shall feel myself greatly obliged by your...
249To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 16 July 1796, enclosing Timothy Pickering to Alexander Hamilton, 16 July 1796 (Jay Papers)
Some doubts having arisen on the mode of executing the 5th article of the British treaty, relative to the river S t . Croix, I wrote this morning a letter to Colonel Hamilton on the Subject, and requested him to converse with you. But he may chance to be absent; and as M r . Howell will in the course of two or three days be returning to Rhode Island through your city, I thought it expedient to...
250To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 23 January 1797 (Jay Papers)
You will have seen the President’s message to Congress relative to French affairs. The letter to M r . Pinckney to which the President refers, I now do myself the honor to inclose. I have taken the liberty to use your name in the investigation of the French claims to our gratitude—and your sentiments also; sometimes quoting, but in other cases not distinguishing by the usual marks; the...