1William Short to John Jay, 6 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have at length received the ratification of the consular convention and signed the article of exchange, both of which I have the honor of forwarding to you by the way of Havre. The ratification was made out last year at the time of the convention being signed and remained in one of the bureaux unknown to the minister, where it only waited his signature. I mention the circumstance that it may...
2William Short to John Jay, 1 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I still continue to address you my letters under the ancient form because I have had no indication of any other mode of making my official communications. Until then I shall suppose the department of foreign affairs under your direction, particularly as I learn by a letter recieved yesterday from Mr. Jefferson, dated the 14th. of December, that he had declined, so far as depended on him,...
3William Short to John Jay, 9 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 6th. inst. Mr. Necker sent to the national assembly the memorial which had been expected for some days. I have the honor of forwarding it to you. You will see that there were some grounds for the public suspicion of his intention to quit the helm of affairs, or at least to relieve himself from a part of the task. I think it certain however that he has no design at present to abandon it...
4William Short to John Jay, 12 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last I had the honor of forwarding to you the consular convention by the way of Havre. The French packet by which I write at present being by no means certain as to the time of its sailing I preferred sending it by the way of Havre as I understood there were vessels there bound for New-York. You will have seen Sir by the Journals of the debates of the Assembly which have been regularly...
5William Short to John Jay, 4 April 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor of forwarding for the President of the United States, a letter from Count D’Estaing which he submitted to my inspection some days ago. He had concieved the present a favorable moment for carrying into execution the plan there proposed, for the reasons mentioned in his letter. He had hoped that the influence and credit which M. de la fayette enjoys would have been sufficient to...
6William Short to John Jay, 17 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last Mr. Necker has sent another memorial to the assembly, which I have the honor of inclosing to you. It is still certain that the assembly will not subscribe to it in allowing a treasury-board to be formed among its members. You will see that the Minister makes a point of obtaining this. The committee of finance which had been directed to report on the minister’s memorial were not...
7William Short to John Jay, 21 March 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Agreeably to Mr: Jefferson’s directions on his leaving Paris, I have the honor of forwarding to Your Excellency, the medal engraved for Genl. Greene, under the resolution of Congress. There is one of gold and twenty three of bronze, all of which are committed to the care of Mr. Walton of New York, who sails in the French Packet the 25th. of this month. The medal for Genl. Gates ordered by...
8William Short to John Jay, 23 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last was sent to Bordeaux to be forwarded by the French Packet which I had been told would sail about the middle of this month. Not knowing however whether it was certain I preferred sending the consular convention by the way of Havre from whence vessels are frequently sailing for America. It was accompanied by No. 16 and I hope will meet with a safe conveyance to New York.—I forward to you...
9William Short to John Jay, 1 January 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Jefferson charges me to explain to Your Excellency the reason of your not receiving the copies of the Arrêt of the King’s Council as mentioned in his letter. After having written and sealed it with the certainty of receiving the printed copies this morning, he is in the instant informed by the printer that it is impossible for him to deliver them although printed, until he shall have...
10William Short to John Jay, 30 November 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of receiving yesterday your letter of Octob. the 13th. by Count de Moustier who arrived here five or six days ago. The letter for the King, the duplicate of the consular convention, and papers accompanying this letter were delivered me at the same time. I shall put the letter for the King into the hands of the Minister to-morrow. The consular convention which had been also...
11William Short to John Jay, 25 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Whilst I was writing my last letter on the 17th. of this month, the national assembly received one from M. de Montmorin which brought before them in an indirect way, the subject of the disturbances in Brabant. This letter dated the 15th. inst. informed them that the Sieur Van der Noot had in the month of January addressed a letter to the King that his Majesty had then deemed it neither...
12William Short to John Jay, 2 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor of inclosing and forwarding to you by a private conveyance the gazettes of France and Leyden together with the journals of the national assembly. I beg leave to refer you to them for the political news of Europe. They will be accompanied by the plan of finance lately adopted here and the instructions given by the assembly explanatory of the manner of forming the municipalities...
13William Short to John Jay, 23 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The constitutional question of the right of war and peace , which I mentioned to you in my last, has occupied the assembly without interruption since that time. It was finally decided yesterday evening as you will see by the articles of the decree which I have the honor to inclose you. It seems to have given general satisfaction. The ministry and aristocratic party are contented because they...
14To John Jay from William Short, 7 January 1795 (Jay Papers)
I had the honor of recieving by the last English mail your letter of the 24 th . of Nov r . & have to return your many thanks for the communication you are so good as to make me, of the signature of a treaty with H[is]. B[ritannic]. M[ajesty]. The progress of this negotiation has been flawed, with an attentive & anxious interest, by all the observing part of Europe, & more peculiarly of course...
15William Short to John Jay, 10 February 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last an event which has been expected for some time has taken place. On the 4th. inst. the King went to the assembly and addressed them in a speech which I have the honor of inclosing. The object is to put himself at the head as it were of the revolution, and thus to remove all the doubts and fears of its friends and destroy the hopes of those who might wish to bring back the ancient...
16William Short to John Jay, 4 May 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor of forwarding to your Excellency by M. de Crevecoeur, the medal for Genl. Gates mentioned in my letter sent by Mr. Walton and accompanying that for Genl. Greene.—M. de Crevecoeur takes charge also of twenty four medals of bronze to be delivered to your Excellency. These have been made agreeably to the contract with Colo. Humphries. I inclose also sir two arrêts of the King’s...
17William Short to John Jay, 12 April 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I make use of the present private conveyance merely to forward to you the journals of the national assembly and some other papers. You will find among them the answer of M. Montesquieu to M. Necker, and the list of gratifications called the livre rouge . It is thought the committee of pensions exceeded their powers in publishing this list. The preface contains a kind of unnecessary libel...
18William Short to John Jay, 15 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I make use of a private conveyance which presents itself to send to you though by a circuitous route, the gazettes of France and Leyden, the journals of the national assembly, and some other papers which I have thought might be agreeable to you. The two first will present a very accurate idea of the present state of politics in Europe as low as they come. But information of a later date from...
19William Short to John Jay, 18 March 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor of inclosing for your Excellency a letter forwarded to me here from Mr. Jefferson at Amsterdam. From it you will learn the cause of his journey to that place. It would be therefore impertinent in me to trouble you with a repetition of it. The same reason should induce me to be silent on the subject of the treaties which have been negotiating for some time between the United...
20William Short to John Jay, 9 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
It has been for some time publicly advertised here that the French packet would in future sail regularly every two months for New-York to begin the 15th. of this month. After so many disappointments few people will probably commit their letters to that conveyance for some time. I am induced to do it by an assurance from the Administrators of the post that they shall be punctual in future. It...
21William Short to John Jay, 23 April 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last the national assembly have completed a subject which had fixed the attention of all parties, and which in the course of its deliberation seemed to threaten serious disorders—the emission of a paper currency. In order to insure its success and to distinguish it as much as possible from other paper currencies, it is to bear an interest of 3. p.Ct. p. Ann. to be calculated daily and...
22William Short to John Jay, 22 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last I mentioned the retreat of the Imperial troops from Brussels. The last accounts of General D’Alton who commands them are that he had arrived at Namur and after a short stay, left it in hopes of remaking Luxemburg. In this retreat through a part of the country known for its zeal in the opposition, the troops confined their hostilities to personal defences. Much the greater part...
23William Short to John Jay, 11 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
When I wrote to you the day before yesterday there were such various conjectures as to the preparations making in Spain for fitting out a fleet, that I thought it useless to trouble you with them, and particularly as I had learned in a letter recieved some time ago from Mr. Carmichael, that he had given and should continue to give you information respecting what was doing there relative to...
24William Short to John Jay, 16 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 11th. of this month. It was then altogether problematical what would be the dispositions of the national assembly as to the warlike preparations which were making in England and Spain. The leading members were uncertain themselves what turn the decisions on this subject would take. A letter written to them by M. de Montmorin the day before yesterday...
25William Short to John Jay, 3 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have had the honor of recieving your letter of the 11th. of Decr. after an uncommonly long passage. That which it inclosed for the Agent of the United States at Morocco has been confided to Monsieur de Rayneval who assures me it shall be forwarded with safety. It is the only conveyance from hence which can be relied on, particularly for letters passing through Spain. Your letter was...
26William Short to John Jay, 29 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I make use of a private conveyance to London in order to send you the gazettes of France and Leyden to this date. You will recieve also at the same time the observations of Mr. Necker on the report of the committee of finance, the journals of the assembly, and a proposal of the Bishop of Autun for rendering uniform the standard of weights and measures. You will see that he proposes this...