121The American Commissioners to Sartine, 22 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: National Archives <Passy, July 22, 1778: We have received your letters of July 15 and 18. Niggins and Selby are unknown to us, but unless something appears to invalidate their story please grant their request. We are sorry for the dispute between two officers of the Boston and some French crewmen. Captain Tucker has sent us his account of the...
122The American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 22 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; three copies: National Archives Captain Robert Niles of the Spy at Brest, has occasion for fourteen or fifteen Tons of Lead, which you will be so good as to order on board his Vessell, and if he should request any other Articles to make up a Cargo for the united States you will please to order them on board, out of those Merchandises or Arms &c....
123The American Commissioners to Jonathan Trumbull, 22 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress; copies: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives (two) We received your Excellency’s Letter of May 29. by Capt. Niles with the Dispatches from Congress which you had intrusted him with, in good Order. He had a short Passage of 22 Days, and brought us the agreable News of the Ratification of the Treaties and of their being universally pleasing to our...
124The American Commissioners to Samuel Tucker, 22 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Harvard University Library; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, July 22, 1778: If the French sailors enlisted in your books are to go to Boston, they should return to the ship and receive their due in wages and prize money. Otherwise, the cruise being complete, they are entitled to collect what is owed them, deducting advances, and to...
125The American Commissioners to William Hill Sargeant, 23 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We herewith Send you the Commission you desire, and wish you good Success with it being your very humble servants
126The American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 27 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We recd. yours of the 22d Inst. acquainting us that Capt. Reed in the Baltimore has bro’t from 40 to 50 hhds. of Tobacco consigned to you by the Committee of Commerce. We have advice of the same from the Committee, who let us know that the Qty. is 49 hhds. which they have order’d to be sold and the Money held at our...
127The American Commissioners to the Committee of Commerce, 29 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, July 29, 1778: We have received your letter of May 28 by Captain Reed [Read]. We rejoice at the arrival of even 49 hogsheads of tobacco, but wish for more. As we are under contract with the farmers general to furnish 5,000 hogsheads, for which we have already received a million livres, we have consigned this...
128The American Commissioners to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 29 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; three copies and one transcript: National Archives <Passy, July 29, 1778: We received your letters of May 14 and 15. We congratulate you on the general good appearance of our affairs and are happy you are determined to accept no peace terms contrary to our alliance with France. We have not received from Congress the authorization we need to remove...
129The American Commissioners to the Eastern Navy Board, 29 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, July 29, 1778: We have received your letter of June 8 by Captain Barnes of the Dispatch , as well as the packets forwarded by the Massachusetts Council. We have given orders to Mr. Schweighauser to provide for the captain’s return voyage and have ordered our banker to give a month’s pay to him and his crew and...
130The American Commissioners to the Massachusetts Council, 29 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have received the Honour of your Letter of June 9, by Captain Corbin Barnes of the Schooner Dispatch together with three Packetts, directed to Us. We shall leave the Captain to his own Discretion concerning the Port he may return to. It is at present a Time of Scarcity of News, but We expect hourly important...
131The American Commissioners to the President of Congress, 29 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; three copies and one transcript: National Archives Mr. Livingston received a Commission from us as first Lieut. of the Boston and made a Cruise in her in which she had the good Fortune to take four prizes. He is now obliged to leave the Ship, but we have the pleasure of a Letter from Capt. Tucker in which he gives us an handsome Character of Mr....
132The American Commissioners to Thomas Read, 29 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives You will take on Board your Vessell such a Cargo, as you shall receive from Mr. Schweighauser, out of such Merchandises belonging to the Public as he has in his Hands. You will get loaded and to sea with all possible Dispatch and return to such Part of America as you shall judge safest. We propose to send Dispatches by...
133The American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 29 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have directed the Captain’s Read and Barnes to apply to you for such Cargoes as they can take for America, and for such Necessary supplies as they may demand, which We desire you to do with all possible Expedition and Frugality. We are &c.
134The American Commissioners: Receipt for an Installment of a French Loan, 3 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
DS : American Philosophical Society Nous avons reçu de Monsieur d’harveley Garde du Trésor Royal sept cent cinquante mille Livres The third quarterly installment of a 3,000,000 l.t. loan extended by the French government the preceding November ( XXV , 207–8). The previous payments were made on February 28 and May 19: account XII (described in XXV , 3). Joseph Micault d’Harvelay, keeper of the...
135The American Commissioners to John Paul Jones, 10 August 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, August 10, 1778: We are not authorized by Congress to allow deductions from the seamen’s prize money or their advances. As for your stores and furniture, M. Simpson will undoubtedly deliver your private property upon request. We cannot advise you regarding your indemnification, but we...
136The American Commissioners to Sartine, 13 August 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, August 13, 1778: We are sorry for the delay in answering your letter of July 29. We are of opinion that the regulations are very good but wish to make the following observations. We propose that judges of admiralty in America because of the size of their jurisdictions be permitted to delegate their authority....
137The American Commissioners to ——— Berubé de Costentin, 15 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives We desire you will allow Mr. Thomas Wilkinson, one of the Prisoners made by the Ranger, and now in your Hospital, to go into the Country for the benefit of his health, on his parole. We are Sir your most obedient Servants Signd The man Schweighauser had put in charge of American vessels and prizes in Brest. See Costentin to BF , Aug. 24. In Arthur Lee’s hand. He had...
138The American Commissioners to Jacques Paulze, 16 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
L (draft): Library of Congress Several Ships have been sent to North America as french Property with Clearances for the French Islands, loaded with Supplies for the United States. Mr. Peltier Du Doyer has accordingly been obliged to make a Submission at the Offices at Nantes to return the acquits à Caution for their Cargoes duely discharged, which was impossible to be done. We therefore beg...
139The American Commissioners to Sartine: Two Letters, 18 August 1778: letter and résumé (Franklin Papers)
(I) AL (draft): American Philosophical Society; (II) AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives The Administration in England have agreed to an Exchange of Prisoners with us, and propose that it shall be made at Calais. They will accordingly furnish us with a Pasport for a Vessel to bring the Prisoners from Brest to Calais, if we procure a similar one for their...
140The American Commissioners to John Bondfield, 19 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have considered your plan and think it will be proper to send it to Congress for their Approbation. We desire you will purchase and ship on public Account in the best and cheapest Manner 28 Iron Cannon of 24 pound Ball and 28 of 18 lb. You will be so good as to send one set of Bills of Loading to us and another to...
141The American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 19 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Massachusetts Historical Society; copies (two): National Archives We desire you will furnish Lieut. David Walsh with twelve Guineas taking triplicate Receipts from him payable to the president of Congress or his order. We are Sir Your most Obedient On Oct. 8 Franklin accepted a draft of Welsh’s for 176 l.t. , dated July 22: Taylor, Adams Papers , VI , 361.
142The American Commissioners to James Moylan, 22 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We had the favour of yours of the seventeenth of August, and are obliged to you for this and several other Instances of your Attention to Us, in furnishing Us with early Intelligence. It is somewhat remarkable that a Vessel from James River should have brought no Letters. But We are happy to hear that affairs were in...
143The American Commissioners to Thomas Read or Any Other Captain of Any Vessel Bound to America, 22 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: National Archives (two), University of Virginia Library Mr. Alexander Fowler with his Wife being bound to America, where he has heretofore resided as an officer in the British Army; and it having been represented to Us, that his Friendship to America occasioned his quiting that Service and has occasioned him some hardships, and...
144The American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 22 August 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, August 22, 1778: We received yours of the 18th. Tell Mr. Bersolle he must send us his accounts and vouchers before we will pay him; we hope for his sake as well as ours that he will not proceed to the indecent violence you apprehend. Dispose of the saltpetre as speedily and inexpensively as possible. Mr. Hall...
145The American Commissioners to Ralph Izard, 25[–27] August 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: National Archives (three), South Carolina Historical Society; two transcripts: National Archives <Passy, August 25[–27], 1778: We will propose tomorrow to the count de Vergennes the subjects of the loan in Genoa and the interposition of His Majesty with the powers of Barbary. P.S.: The count de Vergennes gave us no encouragement in the...
146The American Commissioners to John Bondfield, 27 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have before us yours of the 23d Inst. and are very sorry that Capt. Ayres is so indisposed as to prevent his return to America in the General Arnold. We wholly refer the appointmt. of a Master for this Vessel to you and Capt. Ayres and doubt not you will find a good Seaman and a person in whom you can confide. We...
147The American Commissioners to James Smith, 28 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We received your Letter dated Paris Hotel de Saxe Aug. 24. and, altho We are altogether of a different opinion from yours respecting your Right of passing with your Effects Americans being intituled by the Treaty, no more than the Subjects of any other state in Europe in Amity with France, to pass with their Effects...
148The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 28 August 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, August 28, 1778: We have several subjects that we must lay before you. One, unfortunately, is money. The nature of the war has necessitated far more emissions of paper currency than would ordinarily have been wise; to limit them Congress has borrowed...
149The American Commissioners to Sartine, 30 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have just received a Letter from Brest relating to the insecure State of our Prisoners there a Copy of which We inclose and request your Excellencys Aid in Securing them more effectually, till they can be exchanged. We also beg Leave to remind your Excellency of the Passport we desired for the English Cartell ship...
150The American Commissioners to Horneca, Fizeaux & Cie., 31 August 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives (two), University of Virginia Library <Passy, August 31, 1778, in French: We send by Mr. Whitall a book of promissory notes and interest coupons, for 205,000 florins payable on January 1, 1788. You will fill in the blanks in each with the number and date of delivery, likewise the counterfoils, and keep an exact record. Sell the notes...