51To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 24 March 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
It has been some time since I have had the honor of writing to you, owing to no material event having taken place—& to my being in constant expectation from day to day that there would be occurences which would render it necessary for me to trouble you. Being very much indisposed I took the liberty of asking the Secretary of State to communicate to you from his letter the intelligence...
52To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 22 April 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
Since my last of the 24th. ulto. the decree which I then announced to you as being soon to take place, with respect to the supplies for S. Domingo, has been passed. Instead of adopting the proposition of the former minister of Marine, M. de Bertrand, they confined themselves to vote six millions of livres to be applied as relief for S: Domingo, by the Minister of that department. He has...
53To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 25 April 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 22d. & then informed you that I was the next day to have a meeting with the Minister of the Marine by his desire in order to terminate the mode of carrying into execution the measure agreed on of furnishing 800,000 dollars in America for the purchase of supplies for S. Domingo. I considered the business as so far fixed that I thought it proper to give...
54To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 14 May 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I recieved the day before yesterday your letter of the 21st. of March expressing your wish that a loan should be opened at the same rate with that of Antwerp. It found me in correspondence with our bankers with respect to the charges on one to be made as soon as a proper moment should occur at 4. p. cent interest—the rate of the last opened in Amsterdam, of which you had not recieved our...
55To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 26 May 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Paris, May 26, 1792. On June 28, 1792, Short wrote to Hamilton: “I had the satisfaction of announcing to you by a few lines written for that purpose only from Paris on the 26th of May, that a second loan at 4 p. cent had been contracted for.” Letter not found. ]
56To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 28 June 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I have the honor of resuming from this place my correspondence with you which has been lately suspended by my change of place & circumstance. My late letters & particularly those to the secretary of State will have shewn by what cause so long a space of time has elapsed between my appointment & my arrival here. I am anxious that it should be seen that there was no activity wanting on my part...
57To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 6 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I have had the honor of recieving your letter of May the 7th. enclosing the Presidents confirmation of the contract made for the loan at Antwerp, which has been delivered to M. de Wolf. I informed you in my last that I expected him here in order to speak of a new loan at 4. p. cent; in consequence of his having suppressed a part of the last at 4½. p. cent. I have formerly mentioned to you my...
58To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 30 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 6th inst. previously to my going to Amsterdam to sign the contract & bonds of the last or second 4 p. cent loan. Since my return here I have recd. from Mr. Pinckney your letters of June 14—June 23 with its enclosures—& June 30. These letters were recieved here the 17th inst. being sent by Mr. Pinckney with the idea, that they would be forwarded to me;...
59Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 18 June 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, June 18, 1792. “… I suppose you will before this have seen the commissaries of the Treasury, I will thank you to let me know whether you have settled with them the manner of counting the payments made from Antwerp. There will be a considerable sum at Amsterdam probably soon at the disposition of the U.S. for being applied to the French debt. I shd. suppose no time ought to be lost,...
60Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 28 June 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, June 28, 1792. “… On the 18th. inst. I write you also from this place & wait with much impatience to hear from you respecting what has been settled with the Commissaries of the treasury, as I mentioned to you in that letter there would be a considerable payment to be made them as soon as you shall have fixed the rate of the late payments & the mode in wch. the next shd. be made. I...
61Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 6 July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 6, 1792. “I recieved yesterday your letter of the 28th. of June, & am glad to find that the settlement with the commissaries of the treasury will soon be made. The extract of the letter from the sec. of the Treasury, which I in-closed to you in mine of the 28th. ulto. will shew you his desire relative thereto. I am happy that the business is now in your hands & am persuaded...
62Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 10 July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 10, 1792. “I have this inst. recd. your letter of the 5th as you there acknowlege the rect. of mine of the 28th. of June. I have nothing further to add, to what I said in that & my last letter, than simply to mention that the decree of the assembly on wch. you count seems to me not to have advanced the business at all. As far as I can understand it, it limits to four millions...
63Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 17 July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 17, 1792. “The last post, (which brought your letter of the 9th.) arrived too late in the day for me to answer it, by the post of that day. I observe by it that you recd. a note from the minister desiring a rendezvous on the 6th. & that on the 9th. you had heard nothing further from him. He cannot have been collecting the accts. as you suppose for they were made out & stated...
64Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 23[–24] July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 23 [ –24 ,] 1792 . “In consequence of your letter of July 16. I have written to the bankers to desire them to furnish you the state of the payments they have made to France. I can inform you however in the mean time that they told me the statement made by the French treasury was just.… I in-close you two reciepts of the French agent at Antwerp which complete the payments made...
65Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 4 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 4, 1792. “… As to the loans at Amsterdam, I told you we had a right to re-imburse them, at will & some have except precisely the one of which you speak —& wch. is one sui generis —it is however only of 2. millions of florins I think, & was made by Mr. Adams at an int. of 4 p. cent—with certain reimbursements & premiums by lottery wch. augment the interest to about 6.—& wch....
66Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 7 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 7, 1792. “I was obliged to answer with much precipitation your letter of the 30th. ulto recd. here the 4th. inst—as the post sat out from hence immediately after the arrival of yours. I hoped to have learned from you by the post of to-day what had been decided on between you & the commissaries or at least what was the answer which you expected from them at the departure of...
67Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 17 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 17, 1792. “The post of last tuesday brought here your two letters of Aug. 6. & 9. which shews that the first had been unfortunately too late for the post of that day. I was at Amsterdam when these letters arrived here & had directed such as arrived that day not to be sent to me, as I returned here the day after (wednesday). By a mistake however they were sent & crossed me on...
68Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 21 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 21, 1792. “I hoped that the post of this day which has just arrived would have brought me a letter from you but it has not. I know therefore nothing further with respect to your arrangements with the commissaries than was contained in a simple paragraph, saying you had agreed with the commissaries for the present & desire one million &c. to be paid. Was the depreciation...
69Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 28 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 28, 1792. “I recd. by the last post your letter of the 20th. & this moment that of the 23d. This letter proves to me that nothing has been done with respect to the depreciation as the livres wch. you mention make the exchange if I do not miscalculate 32½ which I suppose was the exchange existing at the time of your arrangement—of course the depreciation was not taken into the...
70Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 4 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 4, 1792. “… Hogguer refuses to accept the money any other way than as has hitherto been practised, viz by giving a draught or bill on the commissaries of the treasury for the amt.—or on a reciept where it shall be expressed that at my requisition he engages himself to hold the money until the King’s free consent can be obtained for its disposal. He refuses even giving a...
71Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 7 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 7, 1792. “… In my last I informed you of Hogguer’s refusing to recieve the payment you had agreed for with the commissaries in any other than the mode he has hitherto practised; namely by giving a draught for the amount on the national treasury; & of my finally (after the rect. of your letter) directing our bankers to make the payment to him, not withstanding my own...
72Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 14 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 14, 1792. “… I hasten merely to observe on that part of your letter in wch: you say that the observation cannot in any wise influence your conduct &c. Surely you do not mean after having carried the matter thus far & put it out of my reach to withdraw yourself from consummating the measure you adopted—under the idea now of being unauthorized—the measure itself never...
73Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 18 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 18, 1792. “I answered in much haste & confusion in my last letter of the 14th. yours of the 9th. It would admit of a greater degree of developement, but it seems unnecessary in the present moment. I have recieved your letter of the 12th. in which you acknowlege the reciept of mine of the 7th & the only observation you make thereon is that you had previously sent to the...
74Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 21 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 21, 1792. “I answered by the last post yours of the 12th. recd. that day & since that I am without hearing from you. The commissaries have acknowleged in their letter to our bankers the reciept of the draught for 1,625,000 florins, & say they will credit the U.S. therefore. I flatter myself however they mean for the value of the florins viz 6,000,000 livres & not the...
75To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 25 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
All the letters which I have had the honor of writing to you for some time will I think have been uniform in shewing you my anxiety on two subjects, namely the settlement of the depreciation to be allowed on the payments which I had had made to the French government since the receipt of your letter of Sep. 2. 91. relative thereto & the retardment of the sums accumulating in the hands of our...
76To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 9 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I must premise this letter by begging you a thousand pardons for the error committed in my last in stating from an oversight in subtraction that 36 taken from 54 left 28 —instead of 18 . According to that quotation therefore which you mention the depreciation that day was more than the fall of exchange & if adopted as the rule of indemnity would occasion a loss to the U.S. which is not the...
77To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 27 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The French post arrived here the day before yesterday & brought some of the mails which have been so long detained on the frontiers. I received thereby several letters from M. Morris, from whom I mentioned to you in my last I was waiting with impatience to hear. It does not appear that he has seen the commissaries as I wished in order to satisfy himself that they had given credit to the U.S....
78To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 2 November 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of recieving yesterday your letter of the 28th. of August. Being desirous from its nature to answer it in the speediest manner possible, I do it immediately (without waiting for the account, for which I wrote yesterday to the commissioners, in the instant of recieving your letter) this day’s English post being the last which will be in time for the New-york packet of Wednesday...
79To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 29 November 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 2d. of this month in reply to your letter of the 28th. of August recieved the day before. I was averse to writing to you again before I could transmit at the same time the account I then informed you I had written for to Amsterdam. The commissioners have assured me several times they are pushing forward as fast as they can the general account from the...
80To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 17 December 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 29th. ulto by the English packet, the day after I had recieved the letters of the Secretary of State relative to the business in Spain. I expected then to be able, to set out from this place, much sooner. I have been detained by the answer from Paris not arriving as soon as it might have done & by my wish to recieve from the commissioners at Amsterdam &...
81Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 26 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
After more than four weeks interruption some of the French mails in arrear were recieved here yesterday & we had hoped therefore that this day, being the regular postday, would have brought us the rest—in this we have been disappointed, & of course conclude that the post communication with Paris is not yet freed from all its obstacles. I therefore send by the way of England my acknowlegement...
82Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 27 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
Notwithstanding the immense length & prolixity of my letter of yesterday it wd. have been continued if I had not been interrupted & detained until the hour of the post. You desire me to consider well before hand as to the obligations, whether I would wish to come to a settlement previously with the ministry, in fixing the value &c. If as you suppose the obligations are only three, nothing more...
83To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 5 February 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Madrid, February 5, 1793. On February 25, 1793, Short wrote to Hamilton : “I had the honor of writing to you on the 5th. inst from Madrid.” Letter not found. ]
84To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 25 February 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 5th. inst from Madrid informing you that on my arrival there. I was overtaken by a letter sent from our Commissioners at Amsterdam, dated the 14th. of Janry. & covering your two letters to me of Nov. 5 & 26. They inclosed at the same time your letter to them of Nov. 5. authorising them in the case of my absence to open that addressed to me which they...
85To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 29 February 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
Since my last of the 25th. (of which a duplicate is inclosed) I have had the honor of recieving from Amsterdam yours of the 31st. of Dec. acknowleging the reciept of mine up to the 9th. of Oct. inclusive. I have nothing at present to add to the contents of my last letter having as yet recieved no further advice from the commissioners at Amsterdam. No answer from them to my letter of the 4th of...
86To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 22 March. 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
My late letters of the 4th. 25th. & 29th. of febry will have informed you of the state of the American affairs at Amsterdam as far as they were then known to me. I have been for some time in expectation of an answer from the commissioners that I might know what they had done or were like to do in consequence of my authorisation to open a loan for two millions of florins & in case of absolute...
87Enclosure: William Short to Wilhem and Jan Willink, Nicholaas and Jacob Van Staphorst, and Nicholas Hubbard, 22 March … (Hamilton Papers)
I recd. on the 19th. your letter of the 14th. of febry. inclosing 23. bills of exchange on acct. of the debt to this country wch. were immediately indorsed & given to the Minister of finance. By yesterday’s French post I acknowleged & answered you letter. To day I recd. your letter of the 19th. of febry. covering the secod. of the said bills. The length of time your two letters have been in...
88To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 30 March 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I recieved yesterday from the commissioners at Amsterdam a letter dated the 26th. of february. It came by the way of England & Lisbon, the communication by post between Holland & France being intercepted. They had not therefore recieved the letters I had written to them by that route & they had not had time to have recieved such as had been written to them by precaution by the way of Lisbon....
89To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 11 May 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
Your private letter of the 5th. of febry. forwarded to me by Mr. Pinckney was recieved yesterday. I hasten to reply to it because you observe therein that an investigation intended to prejudice you was begun with respect to the circumstances attending the last payment on account of the French debt, which in its progress might draw my conduct into question. Although as you observe very justly...
90To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 17 October 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
The arrival of Mr. Blake whom the sec. of State has despatched from Philadelphia with letters for Mr. Carmichael & myself, being without any letter from you, & the letters he brought having shewn that several written from hence had not been recieved at the time of his departure, I think it may not be improper to state to you by him, those which I have had the honor of writing to & recieving...
91To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 15 February 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
You will have been informed by the Commissioners at Amsterdam of their having received your letters to them & to me of the 12th. of Aug. last. In forwarding mine they inclosed me a copy of their answer to you. As it then appeared that there was no possibility of making the loan, the direction you gave me as to the co-operation of course could not take its effect. Circumstances having since...
92Enclosure: William Short to Wilhem and Jan Willink, Nicholaas and Jacob Van Staphorst, and Nicholas Hubbard, 12 February … (Hamilton Papers)
The duplicate of your letter of Dec. 27. has come to my hands with its inclosures. The first has not yet been recieved. I mention this as a guide. In future I will thank you to send under the cover of Mr Humphreys who has returned to Lisbon, such letters as you address me by that route. Your letter informed me of the loan you had opened for the U.S. & by the copy of that you wrote to the Sec....
93To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 7 March 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
I had last the honor of writing to you on the 15th. ulto. & have since then forwarded to the Commissioners at Amsterdam, the power there mentioned for carrying the loan they had opened, into effect. The power was translated into the Spanish language from a model they sent me in Dutch, passed before a Notary public & legalized by the Dutch Minister, in the customary form. From the time of my...
94Enclosure: William Short to Diego de Gardoqui, 30 November 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I do myself the honor of inclosing Y. E a bill of exchange for D 1276.3. 1 drawn by Jacob Dullofels on Messieurs Vercruys & freres which I have this moment received from the bankers of the U. S. at Amsterdam. This they inform me is the complete balance due by the U. S., on their debt specified by their obligation in the Royal treasury of Spain. I hope therefore Y. E. having examined & found...
95Enclosure: William Short to Diego de Gardoqui, 10 December 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I have this moment had the honor of recieving the letter which Y. E. did me that of addressing to me on the 7th. inst. in answer to mine desiring to be furnished with a release from the specified debt due by the U. S. to H. C. M. & in which Y. E. informs me that the debt is much more considerable. I have already had often the honor to mention to Y. E. that my orders were to pay the debt to...
96To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 30 July 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
I have hitherto on more than one occasion & particularly in my letter of the 7th. of March last, done myself the honor of informing you of M. de Gardoqui’s desire to unite certain claims of Spain against the U.S. with the specified debt, which under your authority I had directed the Bankers at Amsterdam to pay off. I have also informed you of my determination to confine myself simply to the...
97Enclosure: William Short to Diego de Gardoqui, 3 June 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
By this days post via Lisbon, I have recieved the inclosed bill of exch: for Dos 1220.19.4 drawn by Courteau Echenique Sanchez of Amsterdam on Mess. Pradal Truegas of Madrid, which I do myself the honor of indorsing to Y.E. —it being the amount of the two bills for interest which had been formerly remitted here on account of the debt due by the U.S. to Spain—the interest being calculated up to...
98Enclosure: William Short to Diego de Gardoqui, 29 June 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
I have had the honor of recieving the letter which Y.E. addressed to me on the 27th. together with the Treasury reciept inclosed. Y.E. observes that information which will be soon sent from America is indispensable in order to reply to my letter of the 10th. of Dec. last, on the subject of the discharge of the obligation of the U.S. to Spain, which is deposed in the Treasury at Madrid as I...
99To John Jay from William Short, 7 January 1795 (Jay Papers)
I had the honor of recieving by the last English mail your letter of the 24 th . of Nov r . & have to return your many thanks for the communication you are so good as to make me, of the signature of a treaty with H[is]. B[ritannic]. M[ajesty]. The progress of this negotiation has been flawed, with an attentive & anxious interest, by all the observing part of Europe, & more peculiarly of course...
100To James Madison from William Short, 17 November 1789 (Madison Papers)
I recieved some time ago by Mr. James the letter of introduction you had given him for me. I hope I need not tell you how readily I am disposed at all times to do whatever may be agreeable to you—& particularly with how much pleasure I should have rendered any services in my power to Mr. James, had he remained here—the confusion & disorder which prevailed in Paris during the few days of his...