Your Letter of the 28th April was received by Major Franks, when the Contents were communicated to Congress.1 The repeated Slights and Neglects you have experienced excited their warmest Resentment. Several Members feeling that our Obligations to Spain were extreamly Small; that our affairs here and in Europe gave us a Right to think as an independent People were for entering into Resolutions which might perhaps have presented a more lively Picture of their own Sensations than good Policy could justify. After much Deliberation they came to the inclosed Resolution No.  2 in which they have in some Measure entered into your Sentiments: They expected some equivalent for the cessions they have offer’d. If in this Expectation they are deceived, they see no Reason why they should stand open against them. The commerce between this country and Spain is a very important object3 to America. The trade which an Industrious people carry on those who do not manufacture for themselves is always valuable and perhaps Treaty’s of Commerce with any other nations may be consider’d as disadvantageous.4 I could therefore have wished to see his Catholic Majesty’s Ministers sentiments on that Point. From the Conversation you relate in your Letter of the 3d October to have passed between you and the Count de Florida Blanca on that Subject, I am led to think he expected we would ask peculiar Priviledges. How far it might be possible to obtain a Commercial Connection with their Colonies it is difficult to say, but any Intercourse would by the Ingenuity of our Merchants be turn’d to advantage.5 What the Sentiments of Congress on the Subject of the proposed guarantee of each others teritory’s in America, I know not, but I most heartily wish that we could avoid entering into it with Spain, it may one day compel us to what neither our Interest or Consciences will justify, nor can it in any sense be consider’d as equal, since the Guarantee of spain will be of little Moment to us after the War. I need not remind you of the Caution that will be necessary on your Part to prevent this Guarantee from extending to their Conquests on the Mississippi.6

We have Reason to conclude from a variety of Circumstances, that you will see in the inclosed Papers, that Savana is evacuated, though Congress have yet no official Account of that Event. Our Army are still on Hudsons River. They amount to about twelve thousand Men. They are well appointed and better disciplined. The French Army, consisting of something less than five thousand, are on their March to the same Post. A few Days ago the Marquis de Vaudreuil7 with thirteen Sail of the Line, having on board fourteen hundred, has arrived at the Capes, where they will remain ’till ( ) days8 to cover the sailing of the Trade & proceed to Boston to refit. The Southern Armies retain their old Stations. Green in South Carolina & Wayne in Georgia. I shall conclude this Letter that I may attend to an important Debate in Congress on the Subject of the Instructions for making Peace: Should any Alterations take Place I shall write to you again by this Conveyance—9 I sent to Dr Franklin a set of Bills to enable him to pay you and other Ministers one Quarters Salary— I shall send a second set by this conveyance, together with Bills for the amount of your second Quarters Salary terminating the first of July 1782.10

I wish you to send me as soon as it may be11 convenient an exact state of your account. The Bills are purchased at 6/3, for 5 Livres. This Letter is written in Doctor Franklin’s cypher, which will do as well as any other I presume, when, agreeable to your request conveyed in your favour of the 12th of May,12 I direct for France. I have the honour to be with the greatest Respect and Esteem Your Excellency’s most obedient and humble Servant

That the Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of [Spain be instructed to14 forbear making any overtures to that court or15 entering into any stipulations in consequence of overtures which he has made and in case any propositions be made to him by said court for a treaty with the United States16 to decline acceding to them until he shall have transmited them to congress for approbation unless the treaty proposed be of such a tenor as to render his accession thereto necessary to the fulfillment of the stipulation on the part of the United States contained in the secret and separet17 articles of their treaty with his most christian majesty].18

Resolved that [mr19 jay be at liberty to leave Spain and go into any other part of europe whenever the state of his health may require it].20