2901The American Commissioners to John Bondfield, 4 June 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: National Archives <Passy, June 4, 1778: We have received your accounts for supplying the Boston ; some of the articles are dear, but we trust you to obtain everything as cheaply as possible. Your bills will be paid, and we hope the ship has left by now. You tell us of a plot against her, and we have forwarded the affidavit to the ministry;...
2902The Commissioners to Gabriel de Sartine, 5 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour of your Excellencys Letter of the 5th. of this Month, but as the Memoire, of the French surgion, which your Excellency proposed to transmit to Us, was, by some Accident omitted to be inclosed in your Letter, We are ignorant of his Case, and consequently unable to inform your Excellency whether it is in our Power to afford him any Relief. If your Excellency, will have the...
2903The American Commissioners to the Committee of Commerce, 29 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, July 29, 1778: We have received your letter of May 28 by Captain Reed [Read]. We rejoice at the arrival of even 49 hogsheads of tobacco, but wish for more. As we are under contract with the farmers general to furnish 5,000 hogsheads, for which we have already received a million livres, we have consigned this...
2904The American Commissioners to Sartine, [16 May 1778]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <[Passy, May 16, 1778:] Basmarein, Raimbaux & Cie. informs us that it has applied to the government for a frigate to defend its commerce and make reprisals for its losses; we request that it may have one, and will give the ship a commission and a letter of marque.> Published in Taylor, Adams Papers , VI , 123. The...
2905The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 10 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
By some of the last Ships from America, we received from Congress certain Powers and Instructions, which we think it necessary to lay before your Excellency, and which we have the Honor to do in this Letter. We have the Honor to enclose to your Excellency a Copy of the Contract made between the Committee and Mr. Francy, a Copy of Mr. Francy’s Powers, and a Copy of the list of Articles to be...
2906The American Commissioners to Gentlemen at Nantes, 1 February 1779: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives <Passy, February 1, 1779: We received yours of January 28. We are unhappy that we cannot give you effectual relief. The power to appoint consuls rests wholly with Congress; we can only appoint agents to execute our orders. Congress, a few days before it received news of the Treaty, empowered us to...
2907The American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 4 January 1779: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives (two) <Passy, January 4, 1779: We acknowledge your undated letter, and refer you to ours of the second of this month. We cannot furnish Gilbank with more money; perhaps our protest of his bills will convince him. We have applied for the convoy with the greatest possible urgency. We approve your...
2908The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 6 May 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society Messieurs Franklin, Lee and Adams present their respectful Compliments to his Excellency le Comte de Vergennes, are extreamly sensible of his good Offices in obtaining the King’s Orders relating to the Presentation of Mr. Adams to his Majesty on Friday next, and will do themselves the Honour of waiting on his Excellency on that Day agreable to his...
2909The American Commissioners to Bérard frères, 24 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Report of the Committee of the House of the 17th February on the Subject of the Claims of the Heirs of Caron de Beaumarchais . . . (20th Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives Report No. 220; [Washington, 1828]), pp. 44–5. Beaumarchais’ letter above to the commissioners of December 6, with a copy to Vergennes, brought to a head the dispute about the cargo of the...
2910The American Commissioners to [Domenico Caracciolo], 9 October 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We are this Moment honoured with your Excellencys Letter of the Eighth of this Month, and We thank your Excellency for the Information that his Majesty the King of the two Sicilies, hath ordered the ports of his Dominions to be open to the Flagg of the United States of America. We should be glad to have a Copy of his...