I have had under Consideration the proposed “Plan of a Treaty for the Correspondence of Letters between the Post Offices of France, and those of the United States of North America,”1 and observe but one Defect in it; and that is, it is left optional with the Writers to pay the Postage or not; and if we may judge from Experience, they will not pay it. The Consequences will be

1st. That a Receipt must be given by the American Office, which will make the United States accountable for the Amount of the Postage.—

2nd. The Letters must then be distributed from New Hampshire to Georgia; and the dead or (refuse) Letters returned to New York, at the Risque of the United States; which will, evidently, be very great, if we consider the Distances to which the Letters must travel,—the Size and Situation of many of our Ferries, and our Seasons, especially the Winter.—

3rd. Accounts must be kept between the American and French Offices, which, in their very nature, must be complex & intricate, both Nations being interested in the Postage of each Letter, and that Postage being marked, partly in french Money, & partly in Pennyweights and Grains of Silver; the former, not being sufficiently understood by us, will occasion many Errors, and be the Source of much Confusion.—

We were exactly upon the above Plan with Respect to the british Packets at their first Establishment, as you will observe from the enclosed Advertisement; but the Inconveniences attending it were so great that it was found necessary to make an Alteration; and the whole Business was amazingly simplified by providing that all the Packet Postage should be paid in England. By this small change in the System every Difficulty is removed; and, as Experience has evinced it’s Utility, I beg leave to recommend the Adoption of the same Mode in the present Case. Indeed, it will be more advantageous to France than the Plan now proposed, because the Number of refuse Letters will be lessened by it, as all the Letters put into the Offices in France will then be paid for, and the refuse Letters from this Side of the Water will not be more numerous upon this Plan than upon the other: there will also be a Saving of the Commissions allowed to the Deputy Post Masters for transacting the Business.—

The other Regulations, such as giving the Captains Receipts for the Mails, sending Invoices of the Letters &ca. are equally proper upon either Plan.—I have the Honor to be &ca—