MS (DNA: PCC, No. 116, p. 21–5); in a clerk’s hand. Dft (DNA: PCC, No. 49, p. 53–60); entirely in Thomson’s hand, with variations indicated in part in notes below. This is evidently the master form prepared by Thomson for use by the engrossing clerk, and represents the style of the commission as finally approved by Congress on 11 May 1784 according to “the Gerrian taste” (JCC description begins Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, ed. W. C. Ford and others, Washington, 1904–1937 description ends , xxvii, 372–4). Thomson’s “simple draught [that] did not suit the taste of our sovereign body” exists also in two forms: a Dft (DNA: PCC, No. 49, p. 27–8) and a Tr (same, p. 29–30), both in Thomson’s hand and both identical save for minor variations. The differences between Thomson’s form and that approved by Congress are indicated in notes below, where, for convenience, the two types are referred to as “Thomson’s form” and “Gerry’s form.” The engrossed and attested copies of the twenty commissions were, of course, the ones that Thomson sent to TJ “by this Conveyance”; of these, eighteen are in MHi. Each of them is signed by Mifflin, attested by Thomson, has a paper seal of the United States wafered to the paper, and is endorsed by Benjamin Franklin with the name of the country (but see note 9). The engrossed commissions for England and Portugal have not been found.

In DNA: PCC, No. 55, p. 263–6 there is a letter in Thomson’s hand endorsed “Letter 3d March 1785 Chas Thomson” with no name of addressee given (Tr. same, No. 49, p. 61–3), but probably addressed to John Jay, reading in part as follows: “On the seventeenth of May 1784 twenty Commissions were made and sent by Mr. Jefferson for Messrs. Adams Franklin and Jefferson, all dated the 12 May agreeable to a form prescribed by Congress.” Thomson added that the form of the commission contained blanks, and he then listed in order the phraseology used for the various countries in the two passages represented in the present text by italics. To this there were two exceptions that Thomson explained as follows: (1) “Vienna was I think left blank to be filled by the Ministers, it not being known whether the Emperor would treat in that quality or under some other title for his hereditary dominions” (see note 9); and (2) “Morroco I think was left blank. In the following Commissions [Saxony, Hamburg, Genoa, Tuscany, Rome, Venice, Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers] there was a transposition so as to leave the first blank after the word ‘America,’ thus Whereas An Intercourse between the Citizens of the United States of America and—.” Thomson was mistaken in thinking that a blank was left in the commission for Morocco, but correct as to the transposition.

It is evident that Thomson must have preferred his own form not alone for its Quaker simplicity, but also because it obviated the necessity for a very complicated clerical problem and for a great deal of paper work made necessary by Gerry’s preference for titles. But it is also clear that Gerry was closer to customary diplomatic usage, thereby inspiring Thomson to coin what appears to be the first and is certainly the least opprobrious of the terms based on Gerry’s name—the Gerrian Taste (another, of course, being gerrymander).