To John Jay from Floridablanca, 29 June 1780
From Floridablanca
A Aranjues le 29 Juin 1780
Le Comte de Floridablanca a reçú l’honneur des trois Lettres que Mr de Jay a bien voulu lui ecrire en dernier lieu.
La premiere regarde le Batiment Corsaire detenu aux Isles Canaries, et sur cet article il ne peut lui rien dire sans prendre auparavant des informations la dessus.
La seconde se rapporte aux nouvelles Lettres de change qui viennent d’etre presentees a Mr de Jay par Mrs Joyes pour la valeur de dix a once mill gross piastres. Le Comte Floridablanca se trouve dans la meme cas de ne pas pouvoir donner une reponse positive, sans prendre avant tout les ordres du Rois son Maitre et avoir un Comité avec Mrs les autres Ministres; et comme il en a deja quelques unes partis pour Madrid, la chose ne pourra pas se verifier de sitot: ce qui rend necessaire que Mr de Jay exige de Mrs Joyes quelques jours de plus pour la reponse en question.
La troisieme contient un project d’arrangement par la quel S. M. s’obligeroit a la responsabilité des certaines sommes en faveur du Congres, et celuicy de son coté a l’indemnité des dites sommes a une telle epoque en y fournissant quelques Vaisseaux. Mr. de Jay est donc prié de faire un plan plus claire et plus precis des points que seroient compris; en y marquant la somme ou parviendroit la responsabilité du Roi; ce dont ils pourroient s’entretenir à leur premiere entrevüs. En attendant la Comte de Floridablanca a l’honneur de luy assurer de la sincerité de son estime et attachement.
[Translation]
[Aranjuez, 29 June 1780]
The Ct de F. B. has had the honor of the three ^last^ Letters which Mr. Jay was ^has been^ pleased to write him.
The first respects ^relates to^ a Privateer detained in the Canaries, & hereon ^on this point^ he can say Nothing without first ^until he has^ obtaing^ed^ some further Information thereon.1
The second respects some new Bills of Exchange which have just been presented by Mrs: Joyce to the Amt. of between 10 & 11,000 dollars nor can the Co de F B give a positive answer hereon without first taking the orders of the King his Master, & having a conference ^meeting^ with the other Ministers, & as some of these are ^having^ ^being^ already gone to Madrid, the a determination cannot be immediately had, which renders it necessary that for Mr. Jay to require Mrs Joyce to wait some days longer for the Answer in question—
The third contains a project of an arrangement by which H. M. should oblige engage ^oblige himself for the^ his Responsibility for certain sums in favor of Congress who ^& they^ on their part for the indemnification of the said sums at a certain period by furnishing some Vessels &C— Mr. Jay is therefore entreated to draw out a more clear & particular ^precise^ plan of on this subject, noting therein the sum to which the Responsibility of the King should extend of ^& on^ which they may converse at their first interview—
In the mean while the Ct has the honor of assuring him of the sincerity of his Esteem & Attachment
AD, in French, with English translation, NNC (EJ: 8253). Endorsed: “Count DFloridaBlanca / 29 June 1780 / Recd Do.” Dft (FC), SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 4, doc. 57 (EJ: 12138); LbkCs, in French, with English translation, enclosed in JJ to the President of Congress, 6 Nov., below, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 232–35 (EJ: 4124); CSmH; and NNC: JJ Lbk. 1.
1. See JJ to Floridablanca, 20 June, above, enclosing a copy of a petition of 27 Apr. 1780 from Captain Thomas Shuker. See JJ to Floridablanca, 25 Nov. 1780, ALS, SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 12, doc. 4, and 28 June 1781, below.