To George Washington from Wakelin Welch & Son, 29 November 1790
From Wakelin Welch & Son
London. 29th Novemr 1790
Col: Humphrys did us the honor, of handing your Secretary’s favor of 25th Augt, by which we perceive, that had we advanced to Mr Morris, more than your Excellency’s Balance of £95.16., then the Bill of £60 which Col: Humphrys had, was to be delivered to us; otherways Mr Morris was to receive it.1
The money requested from us by Mr Morris and which he then thought full sufficient was £91.—we immediately paid him, we therefore advised Col: Humphrys, to give the above Bill of £60, to Mr Morris, but Col: Humphrys observed, that he had endeavoured to learn, where Mr Morris was, and found he was in France, & his return uncertain. What to do with the Bill, gave him some little concern, as he was partly a stranger to the nature of negotiating it, therefore it was agreed that as no time should be lost, in procuring acceptance, we would do the needfull with it and if Mr Morris should return before the Bill was due, which is 20th next Month, we would redeliver it to him, otherways we would receive the cash, place the same to your Excellency’s Cr., and repay it any time Mr Morris should call.2 We are Your Excellency’s Much hond & obliged Servts
Wakn Welch & Son
LS, DLC:GW.
For the background to this letter, see Wakelin Welch & Son to GW, 1 and 22 June 1790, Gouverneur Morris to GW, 6 July 1790, GW to Morris, 14 Aug. 1790, and GW to Tobias Lear, 7 Nov. 1790, n.3; see also GW to Morris, 17 Dec. 1790, LB, DLC:GW. On 22 Jan. 1791 Lear sent a copy of the above letter to William Constable, as “The President has thought it proper to give” Constable “this information in order to account for any irregularity that might appear in the transaction respecting” the £60 bill (see Lear to Constable, 22 Jan. 1791, DLC:GW).
1. For Lear’s letter, see Morris to GW, 6 July 1790, n.2.
2. GW’s letter of reply from Philadelphia, which Lear transmitted to Constable on 22 Jan. 1791 with a request that it be forwarded by the first opportunity, reads: “If the amount of the bill, which was delivered to you by Colonel Humphreys, agreeably to your letter of the 29 of November, has been received by you, please to return the money to Messrs Phyn, Ellices, and Ingles from whom Mr Gouverneur Morris borrowed it to procure the articles which he sent to me from London” (LB, DLC:GW).