Adams Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-06-02-0241

The Commissioners to Samuel Tucker, 22 July 1778

The Commissioners to Samuel Tucker

Passy July 22d 1778

Sir

We have received your Letters relative to the Disputes between two of your Officers and some of your Men belonging to this Nation, and we are of Opinion that if the Men are inlisted upon the Ships Books, to go to Boston, they ought to return to the Ship, and be received by you, and are entitled to their Wages and prize Money. But if they are not inlisted in writing to go to Boston, but only for a Cruise, that Cruise is compleated by the Ships Return to France, and they have a Right to leave the Ship if they chuse it, and are intituled to their Share of Wages and prize Money, deducting therefrom however what has been advanced them by the Captain and Purser.1 You are strictly enjoined to take special Care that all Frenchmen who may be in the Service <of> under you be at all times treated with Justice and Impartiality, and that Suitable Allowances be made for the Difficulties they are under in not understanding our Language, and not being habituated to our Customs. We are Your humble Serv’ts.

B Franklin

Arthur Lee

John Adams

PS. If however the Men insist on leaving the Ship altho’ inlisted expressly to go to Boston, we advise you to agree to it, but in that Case we think they are not intitled to Wages or prize Money.

RC (MH-H: Tucker Papers); docketed: “The Honble. Commissioners Letter Passy July 22d 1778”; with the notation: “Copyd.” LbC (Adams Papers). Where the seal was removed, words lost are supplied from the LbC.

1In the LbC this sentence was continued, apparently as an afterthought, to include the material forming the postscript in the RC.

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