151From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 15 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 13th. Instant, enclosing a Copy of the King’s Letter to M. the Admiral of France, concerning the future Judgment of Prizes brought in by Privateers fitted out in France, under Commissions of Congress. I accordingly transmit to the Conseil...
152From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 18 January 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives; transcript: National Archives I received the Letter your Excellency did me the Honour of writing to me this Day, inclosing a Memorial which relates to the Interests of some Subjects of the Emperor residing at Ostend, who alledge, that a Ship of theirs has been taken by an American Privateer and...
153From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 1 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I have made Enquiry concerning the James Barnet mentioned by your Excellency, and can learn no more of him than that he came here with some Americans who had been Prisoners in England and escaped, and who were all furnished with Money by us to bear their Expences to Nantes. We do not know what Countryman he is,...
154From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 10 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress It is with great Reluctance that I give your Excellency any farther Trouble on the Subject of a Loan of Money: But the Bearer Mr. Grand, who is much better acquainted with the Nature and Manner of such Operations than I am, being of Opinion that the Sum we want might with your Permission & Countenance be procured in...
155From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 12 July 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress Je ne doute pas que le Congrès ne se fasse un Devoir de se conformer aux Intentions du Roy, et qu’en consequence il ne donne ordre de suspendre toutes Traittes et particulierement celles du Bureau d’Emprunt; mais toutes celles qui ont été faites avant cet ordre et qui n’ont pas encore paru, me seront certainement...
156The American Commissioners to Vergennes: Letter and Memoir, 7 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
(I) LS and copy : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives; (II) LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We have the Honour to inclose to your Excellency a Memorial of very great Importance to the United States, to which We beg your Excellency’s Attention and a favourable Answer. We have the Honour to...
157The Commissioners to Vergennes, 28 August 1778 (Adams Papers)
There are several Subjects, which we find it necessary to lay before your Excellency; to which we have the Honour to request your Attention. At a time when the Circumstances of the War may demand the Attention of Gouvernment, and without doubt call for great Expence, we are very sorry to be obliged to request your Excellency’s Advice respecting the Subject of Money but the Nature of the War in...
158The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 29 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour to inform your Excellency that we are ready to execute and exchange the Declarations, concerning the Omission of the eleventh and twelfth Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, and to request your Excellency to appoint a Day to wait on your Excellency for that Purpose. We have the Honour to be with the most respectful Consideration Your Excellency’s most obedient and most...
159From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 16 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The Person mentioned in your Excellency’s Letter of yesterday, has been with me, and by the Papers he show’d me I was Satisfy’d of his having been a Lieutenant in our Canadian Regiment, commanded by Col. Livingston. I gave him Money, as he had none Left, to bear his Expenses to Nantes, where he hop’d to find a Passage to America. He proposed to set out directly for...
160From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 25 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress The Intention of his Majesty, (which you have done me the honour to signify to me in your Letter of the 24th Instant) to have the Contestation relative to the Taking of the Ship Flora, brought before the Tribunals of the Realm, there to be judged according to the Laws and Rules established for French Privateers,...
161From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Franklin presents his Respects to M. le Comte de Vergennes, and begs leave to lay before his Excellency the enclos’d Letter from Messieurs Alexanders, and to request he would be pleased to give it a little of his Attention. William and his brother Alexander John, who had recently arrived from Grenada, where he had been engaged in a lengthy...
162The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 22 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives We have the honor of enclosing to your Excellency a Letter to us from the Honble. Ralph Izard Esqr. Commissioner of Congress to the Grand Duke. We beg the favor of yr. Excellency to give directions for the delivery of the Packages mentiond therein to Monsieur Etienne Cathalan Mercht. at Marseilles, subject to the disposal of Mr. Izard. We have the honor of being with...
163From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 1 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress By certain Resolutions of Congress, dated Nov. 27. & Dec. 3. 1781, Mr. Morris, Superintendant of Finances, is authorised and directed to take under his Care, apply and dispose of all Monies which have been or may be obtained in Europe by Subsidy, Loan or otherwise. And by his Letters to me of the same Dates supposing...
164From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 8 September 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Barclay who will have the honour of delivering you this, will have that of laying before your Excellency his Commission from the Congress of the United States of America, appointing him their Consul General in France. Mr. Barclay being about to enter on his Consular Functions, I request your Excellency would in the usual manner,...
165The Commissioners to Vergennes, 19 April 1778 (Adams Papers)
By sundry Letters from Merchants of Bourdeaux and Nantes, we are inform’d, that many Adventures to America are discouraged by the high Price of Insurance, and the Number of Captures made by the English, which together have an Operation almost equal to an Embargo; so that the Commerce which might be so advantageous, to both Countries, by supplying their mutual Wants, is obstructed, and the...
166From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; draft: American Philosophical Society Je desirerois, Monsieur le Comte, faire imprimer la Traduction du Livre des Constitutions des Etats-Unis de l’Amerique publié en 1781 à Philadephie par Ordre du Congrès Général; plusieurs de ces Constitutions ont dèja paru dans le Journal des Affaires de l’Angleterre et de l’Amerique, d’autres ont déja...
167The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 5 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library. On Sunday, January 5, the commissioners went to Versailles. That evening they sent a brief note to Vergennes asking for an audience on Monday morning. Such an interview in the spotlight of the court would have been quite different from the previous clandestine meeting in Paris, but the idea never seems to...
168The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 17 November 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We communicated to Dr Smith, the Letter which your Excellency did Us the Honour to write to Us concerning his Goods. Since which he has inclosed to Us, the Certificate, of Mr Anthy Paine, which We have the Honour to inclose to your Excellency.— If there are two offices, one in which are deposited, Goods Seized, the...
169From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 29 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency, that the Commissioners of the United States, have agreed with Mr Oswald on the Preliminary Articles of the Peace between those States & Great Britain. To-morrow I hope we shall be able to communicate to your Excellency a Copy of them. With great Respect I have the honour to be, Sir, Your...
170From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 August 1782 (Franklin Papers)
L : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Franklin presents his respectful Compliments to Monsieur le Comte de Vergennes. He has search’d for the Boston Paper, in which mention is made of 4000 Troops being embarked at New-York, but cannot now find it. Thinks it may be in the Hands of M. le Marquis de la Fayette, and that it was dated about the Beginning of July. He sends inclosed a...
171The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 10 September 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, September 10, 1778: On April 13 Congress resolved that the commissioners should settle with Roderigue Hortalez & Cie. on a compensation for the supplies they provided. The commerce committee sent us the contract made with Beaumarchais’ agent Théveneau de...
172The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 28 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
We have the honour to enclose an extract of a letter from the Commissioners of the United States of America to Your Excellency dated Aug st. 28 th. 1778. Copy of Your Excellency’s ans r dated 27. Sept r. 1778. & Copy of M. de Sartine’s letter to Your Excellency of the 21 st of Sept r. 1778 all relative to a proposed negotiation with the States of Barbary. Not having any particular authority or...
173The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 29 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have been favoured with a Letter signed by many Gentlemen of Nantes and dated the fifteenth of this Month, informing us that most of their Vessels were ready to sail to America, and that others were expected to be ready immediately, so that the Convoy need not wait...
174From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 25 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We have just received another Copy of the Ratification. We understand the Congress have sent five by so many different Conveyances. The Vessel now arriv’d left Boston the 16th June. There was then no News there of Count D’Estaign. I send enclos’d a Letter from Dr. Cooper to me, the latest Newspaper, and an Account of the Cargo of the Duchesse...