5651From Thomas Jefferson to John Lamb, 17 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Since the reciept of your favor of Feb. 17. two paper packages from New York have been left here, containing newspaper and pamphlets. I was not at home and therefore do not know whether they were those committed to Capt. Bayley, and which were the subject of your letter. Should any others come, containing dutiable articles you may be assured of information of it from Sir Your very humble...
5652From Thomas Jefferson to Adam Lindsay, 17 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 4th. inst. has been duly recieved, as also the box you were so kind as to take care of and send hither. It was from Mr. W. Nelson and containd books for public use. Accept my thanks for your attention to it. Your friendly offer of service at Norfolk induces me to trespass on you by asking the favor of you to procure for me about 100℔ of myrtle wax candles, which I understood...
5653From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 17 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favours of Feb. 8. and 21. have both come to hand. The former not till 4. or 5. days ago. I am made happy by learning that my daughter is so well as also the little stranger . According to your desire expressed in the letter first mentioned, tho’ last recieved, I take the liberty of proposing for her the name of Anne , a name which must be very dear to you, and belongs also to Patsy’s...
5654Estimate of Expenses on the Foreign Fund, 1790–1791, 18 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Mar. 18. 1791. Doll. France. Chargé des affaires. His Salary 4500 His Secretary during his absence in Holland. about 4. months. About 243 His expences on that Journey About 675 Dol. Gazettes, postage & other Extras. About 350 5768. Spain. Chargé des affaires. His Salary 4500 Extras.
5655From Thomas Jefferson to David Rittenhouse, 19 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to regret that having rode into the country yesterday afternoon, I did not return till it was too late either to take tea with you, or to go to the society, where I should have been pleased to hear Mr. Barton’s paper read. Will you be so good as to express to him my regrets? I send for your acceptance some sheets of drawing-paper, which being laid off in squares representing feet, or...
5656From Thomas Jefferson to Willink, Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 19 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress having appropriated the sum of 40,000 Dollars annually to the department of state in the transaction of it’s foreign business, I inclose you the Treasurer’s bill on you for 90,000 florins supposed equivalent to the beforementioned sum of dollars. You will be pleased to open an account therefore with ‘the Secretary of state for the United states of America’ wherein you will credit him...
5657From Thomas Jefferson to James Maxwell, 20 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I took the liberty of asking you to send me at the proper season 3. or 4. casks of the best Hughes’s crab cyder, either in casks or bottles as you should think best. As I presume we are now in the proper season for removing it, I shall be in hopes of recieving it soon. Having been disappointed in getting some cyder of a very good kind from Jersey, if you should have found any that is very...
5658From Thomas Jefferson to David Rittenhouse, [21 March 1791] (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson sends to Mr. Rittenhouse Bp. Watson’s essay on the subjects of chemistry, which is too philosophical not to merit a half an hour of his time, which is all it will occupy. He returns him Mr. Barton’s papers which he has perused with great pleasure. He is glad the subject has been taken up and by so good a hand. He has certainly done all which the scantiness of his materials would...
5659From Thomas Jefferson to William Murray, 22 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
A certain James O’Fallon is, as we are informed, undertaking to raise, organize and commission an army, of his own authority, and independant of that of the government, the object of which is to go and possess themselves of lands which have never yet been granted by any authority which the government admits to be legal, and with an avowed design to hold them by force against any power foreign...
5660From Thomas Jefferson to James Currie, 24 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 14th. was delivered to me on Sunday the 20th. I sent on the 21st. (by a person who possesses my confidence) your two notes to Mr. Potter. The intention was merely to prepare him for my calling on him myself, as we were not personally known to each other. His answer was ‘no effects at this time.’ On the 22d. (the day before yesterday) yours of the 15th. came to hand with the...
5661From Thomas Jefferson to J. P. P. Derieux, 24 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Intensity of employment will I hope be with you a sufficient, as it is a very real, excuse for my tardiness in acknowleging the reciept of your favors of Nov. 15. and Feb. 5. The letter to M. Le Roy I put under cover to Mr. Fenwick, our Consul at Bordeaux, to whom I wrote very full details of all those circumstances which I thought might tend to interest your uncle, and I desired Mr. Fenwick...
5662From Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Fenwick, 24 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty of inclosing you a letter for a Monsieur le Roy, of Bordeaux, on the subject of which I must enter into some details. It is from a Monsieur De Rieux, a nephew of M. le Roy’s who is my nearest neighbor in Virginia. Being totally without fortune, and married to a young lady , whom he had become acquainted with in France, but who had lived some time in Virginia, he determined...
5663From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The badness of the roads retards the post, so that I have recieved no letter this week from Monticello. I shall hope soon to have one from yourself to know from that that you are perfectly reestablished, that the little Anne is becoming a big one, that you have received Dr. Gregory’s book and are daily profiting from it.—This will hardly reach you in time to put you on the watch for the...
5664From Thomas Jefferson to William Blount, 26 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Having in charge to lay before Congress a general statement of all the lands subject to their disposal, it becomes necessary for me, so far as respects the proceedings of North-Carolina, to draw on a map the line which forms the Eastern boundary of the cession of that state to Congress, and then to specify all the private claims within the cession which form exceptions to the general right of...
5665From Thomas Jefferson to Mathew Carey, 26 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson’s compliments to Mr. Carey and incloses him a N Caroli[na] newspaper containing a convention between the two states of Virginia and N Carolina and submitting to Mr. Carey whether it be not worth a place in his Museum. Th: Jefferson has been told that the same convention is complete in the ac[t] of Virginia of about 1786, but he does not possess the act. RC not found but sold at...
5666I. Secretary of State to James Hutchinson, 12 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress having referred to me a petition from a person of the name of Isaacs, setting forth that he has discovered an easy method of rendering sea-water potable, I have had a cask of sea-water procured, and the petitioner has erected a small apparatus in my office, in order to exhibit his process. Monday morning 10. aclock is fixed on as the time for doing it. It would give me great...
5667III. Secretary of State to Caspar Wistar, Jr., 20 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I am thankful for the trouble which yourself and Doctr. Hutchinson have taken and are still willing to take on the subject of Mr. Isaacs’ discovery. However his method may turn out, this advantage will certainly result from it, that having drawn the public attention to the subject, it may be made the occasion of disseminating among the masters of vessels a knowlege of the fact that fresh water...
5668V. Secretary of State to James Hutchinson, 25 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to Dr. [Hutchinson] and sends him the result of the five Experiments which have been made on the sea water. Tr ( DLC ); in clerk’s hand. Although not recorded in SJL , this was obviously a circular report addressed to Hutchinson, Rittenhouse, and Wistar. Enclosure: Tabular statement of the experiments conducted on 14, 21, 22, 24, and 25 Mch. 1791, showing...
5669VI. Affidavit of the Secretary of State on the Result of the Experiments, 26 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress having referred to me the Petition of Jacob Isaccks praying a reward for a secret he possesses of converting Salt-water into fresh, I procured a Cask of sea-water to be taken up without the Capes of Delaware at flood-tide, and brought to Philadelphia, and asked the favour of Mr. Rittenhouse, President of the American Philosophical Society, of Dr. Caspar Wistar, Professor of Chemistry...
5670VII. Secretary of State to Isaac Senter, 26 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress having referred to me the petition of Jacob Isaacs setting forth his possession of a secret for facilitating the separation of sea-water from it’s salt, it becomes necessary for me to know exactly the advances which have been already made towards obtaining that desideratum. I have reason to believe no body has carried them further than Dr. Lind. I possess his book on the diseases of...
5671IX. Secretary of State to Isaac Senter, 10 May 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved in due time your favor of April 13. together with Dr. Lind’s book, which I now return you with many thanks. I had been able to get here the editions of 1774. and 1788. but not that of 1762. which was most important, as it was the best evidence of the time of his first publishing his idea of distilling seawater without any ingredient. The other peices you have been so kind as to...
5672XI. Secretary of State to Jacob Isaacks, 23 November 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 1st. instant did not come to hand till yesterday 3. aclock. Unfortunately I had that very morning given in my report, which had been read in the house, and of which I inclose you a printed copy. That the discovery was original as to yourself I can readily believe. Still it is not the less true, that the distillation of fresh from seawater, both with and without mixtures, had...
5673From Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 27 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been again to see Mr. Barclay on the subject of his mission and to hasten him. I communicated to him the draught of his instructions and he made an observation which may render a small change expedient. You know it had been concluded that he should go without any defined character, in order to save expence. He observed that if his character was undefined they would consider him as an...
5674From Thomas Jefferson to James McHenry, 28 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Having sent your letters to Mr. Short with a desire that he will, as far as is right, patronize the applications which shall be made to the minister on your demand, instead of destroying your first letter to Messrs. Le Couteulx, I have thought it better to return it to you, in proof that your desires have been complied with.—A murder of some friendly Indians a little beyond Fort Pitt is likely...
5675From Thomas Jefferson to William Channing, 29 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The recess of Congress now permits me to take up the subject of my former letter to you and to acknowlege the receipt of yours of Nov. 24. in answer, together with the laws you were so kind as to send forward. The M.S. copies of laws relating to British property, which you mention to be in hand, will be acceptable, as that subject will probably come under discussion some day. The perpetual...
5676From Thomas Jefferson to Christopher Gore, 29 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The recess of Congress now permits me the honor of acknowleging the receipt of your favor of Sep. 27. together with the copies of the laws you were so kind as to send, for which be pleased to accept my thanks. Our collection now stands thus. The only chasm in this seems to be from 1772. to 1780. to which I will continue to ask the attention you are so kind as to promise, as occasions arise...
5677From Thomas Jefferson to William Nelson, Jr., 29 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your two favours of Nov. 22. and that of Feb. 4. came to hand during the session of Congress, and making part only of a very extensive subject, I was obliged to postpone it till Congress had risen. The laws also which you were so kind as to send have been received. Our collection stands thus at present. Laws of 1775. Dec. 1783. Oct. 1776. May and Oct. 1784. May and Oct. 1777. May. 5. 1785.Oct...
5678From Thomas Jefferson to John Samuel Sherburne, 29 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The recess of Congress permits me now to acknowlege the receipt of your favor of Oct. 20. and also of the laws of New Hampshire from 1696 to 1773 and from 1776 to 1787. Should there be any other printed laws not in these collections I will avail myself of your kind promise to procure them for the use of my office, as it is very desireable to possess a compleat collection of every law that was...
5679From Thomas Jefferson to Pierpont Edwards, 31 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The recess of Congress now permits me to resume the subject of my circular letter of Aug. 12. which had the double object of procuring from all the states 1. a statement of their proceedings as to British property, and 2. a complete collection of their laws to be deposited in my office for the use of the general government. As to the first I am to thank you for the papers and observations you...
5680From Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Hamilton, 31 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The publication of the laws of the U. S. and the purchase of those of the several states call on us immediately for about five hundred dollars, for which sum I must ask a warrant from you to be accounted for. The contingent expences of my department to the 1st. inst. are now stated and will be settled with the Auditor tomorrow. I have the honor to be with great esteem & respect Sir Your most...
5681From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson, 31 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I am happy to have a letter of yours to answer. That of Mar. 6. came to my hands on the 24th. By the bye you never acknowlege the receipt of my letters, nor tell me on what day they came to hand. I presume that by this time you have received the two dressing tables with marble tops. I give one of them to your sister and the other to you. Mine is here with the top broke in two. Mr. Randolph’s...
5682From Thomas Jefferson to William Lewis, 31 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The recess of Congress permits me now to resume the subject of my letter of Aug. 12. and to acknowlege the receipt of your favors of Sept. 14. Nov. 25. and Jan. 1. with respect to British debts and property. It was thought possible then that they might come forward and discuss the interests and questions existing between the two nations; and as we knew they would assail us on the subject of...
5683II. Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 11 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Objects which may merit the attention of the President at George T. The Commissioners to be called into action. Deeds of cession to be taken from the landholders. Site of the Capitol and President’s house to be determined on. Proclamation completing the location of the territory and fixing the site of the Capitol. Town to be laid off. Squares of reserve to be decided on for the Capitol,...
5684VII. Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Charles L’Enfant, 17 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 11. inst. has been duly recieved. Between the date of that and your reciept of the present, it is probable that the most important parts of the ground towards the Eastern branch will have been delineated. However, whether they are or not, as the President will go on within two or three days, and would wish to have under his eye, when at Georgetown, a drawing also of the...
5685XII. Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Charles L’Enfant, 10 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I am favored with your letter of the 4th. inst. and in compliance with your request I have examined my papers and found the plans of Frankfort on the Mayne, Carlsruhe, Amsterdam Strasburg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux, Lyons, Montpelier, Marseilles, Turin and Milan, which I send in a roll by this post. They are on large and accurate scales, having been procured by me while in those respective...
5686XIII. Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 10 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 2d. inst. which I presume would overtake you at Richmond. The present I imagine will not overtake you till you get to Wilmington. Since my last I have been honoured with your two letters of March 31. and two others of Apr. 4. one of which was circular. A copy of this I sent to the Vice president, and as Colo. Hamilton has asked a consultation on a...
5687From Thomas Jefferson to Richard Harison, 1 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The recess of Congress now permitting me to resume the subject of my letter of Aug. 12. which was circular, I have the honor of acknoleging the receipt of yours of Sep. 3. and Dec. 4. together with the papers which accompanied the latter. These, with the observations you have been so good as to make on the subject of British debts and property will enable us to give answers as to the...
5688From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Hawkins, 1 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
At Mrs. Trist’s desire I forward to you about a dozen beans of three different kinds, having first taken toll of them as she had done before. They are of the scarlet flowering kinds. This is all I know of them. The most beautiful bean in the world is the Caracalla bean, which though in England a green house plant, will grow in the open air in Virginia and Carolina. I never could get one of...
5689From Thomas Jefferson to George Read, Jr., 1 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Having now leisure to resume the subject of my letter of Aug. 12. which was circular, I have the honor to acknolege the receipt of yours of Nov. 4. with the acts therewith forwarded. The making a complete collection, to be deposited at the seat of the general government, of all the laws in force in every state, or which have been in force, is so important, that I must ask a continuation of...
5690From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 1 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The bearer hereof, Mr. Daniel Ludlow, a merchant and citizen of New York, being about to go to Europe and probably to France, for the purpose of establishing mercantile connections, I take the liberty of introducing him to you. The assurances I recieve of his worth and respectability are such as to merit any services or kindnesses you can render him, and shall be considered as personal...
5691From Thomas Jefferson to John Sitgreaves, 1 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Having now leisure, since the adjournment of Congress, to resume the subject of my circular letter of Aug. 12. I have the honour to acknowledge the reciept of your favor of Dec. 6. and to thank you for the papers forwarded with it on the subject of British debts and property. The other object of my letter, that of procuring a complete copy of all the laws in force or which have ever been in...
5692From Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 2 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 27th. Ult. since which letters are received of Jan. 24. from Mr. Carmichael, and of Jan. 3. and 15. Madrid, and Feb. 6. and 12. Lisbon, from Colo. Humphreys. As these are interesting and may tend to settle suspense of mind to a certain degree I shall trouble you with quotations from some parts and the substance of others. Colo. H . says ‘I learn from...
5693From Thomas Jefferson to William Brown, 4 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Mar. 21. came to hand on the 24th. and as it proposed a different statement from mine of the 17th. and I was too much engaged to open the papers on that subject, I have not been able to take it up till now. The interval of the war has been usually settled at 8. years. You state it at 3. months less. This trifle is not worth notice, and besides is lessened by an error of a month...
5694From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Carroll, 4 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Brown having agreed to settle our balance at £21. 16s. 9d. sterling principal and interest, I have acceded in order to be done with it. Since you have been so good as to be privy to this whole matter, I take the liberty of sending my last letter on the subject, open, through your hands, that you may see that I have been grounded in my belief that I owed nothing, a belief that is still...
5695From Thomas Jefferson to Nicholas Lewis, 4 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
A little intermission of public business on the separation of Congress and departure of the President permits me now to turn my attention for a moment to my own affairs. Finding that good tobacco sold tolerably well here, and being assured that the tobacco of the red lands in Albemarle and Bedford were perfectly known here, and commanded always the highest price, I wrote to Mr. Hylton at...
5696III. The Secretary of State to the President, 17 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 2d. which I supposed would find you at Richmond, and again on the 10th. which I thought would overtake you at Wilmington. The present will probably find you at Charleston. According to what I mentioned in my letter of the 10th. the Vicepresident, Secretaries of the Treasury and war and myself met on the 11th. Colo. Hamilton presented a letter from Mr....
5697From Thomas Jefferson to Robert and Peter Bruce, 5 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you a bank post-note for sixty six dollars and a half, which makes up the rent of the whole year for the house I rented of you in New York, according to the statement below, for which I will ask the favor of a reciept in full. I am Gentlemen Your most obedt. humble servt., £ s d 1790. Aug. 4. To cash. (New York currency) 27 7 3 Dec. 2. To do. 28 0 0 To assumpsit of new...
5698From Thomas Jefferson to Richard Hanson, 5 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of Nov. 7. I informed you that on settling the affairs of the year there were expected to be 69,000 ℔. of tobacco to be appropriated to the making my annual payment of £500. sterl. to you and £200. sterl. to Kippen & co. Finding that tobacco of that quality would sell better here than in Virginia and probably better than in England I ordered so much as was at the warehouse to be...
5699From Thomas Jefferson to Daniel L. Hylton, 5 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Mar. 12. came to hand a fortnight ago and having given me reason to expect that the bill of lading for the vis-a-vis would come within a post or two, I have delayed answering in order to make one job of it. But not recieving the bill of lading, I trouble you again to send it forward. In the mean time I had enquiry made at New York whether any such captain as Towles had arrived...
5700From Thomas Jefferson to William Lewis, 5 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
It is with some degree of shame that I accept the kind offer in your letter of the 1st. inst. However one may sometimes do for the public what they would not do for themselves. I therefore send you our whole collection of loose laws, to be filled up as you propose. I would beg that the copying of your index or any other writing in the business may be sent to be done at my office so as to take...