To James Madison from John Hollins (Abstract), 19 March 1805
§ From John Hollins
19 March 1805, Baltimore, “Maryland Insurance Company Office.” “We take leave to enclose you a letter received a few days ago from Paris on the subject of a considerable claim due to this Company, for a Cargo taken by Genl. Noailles, when employed by the French Governmt., & for the use of the Troops he commanded at Mole St Nicolas, & to request your advice & aid in case payment is not made to our Agent, or to say how far it will be proper in him to seek the Minister’s interference. No claim can stand on better ground, & we were much flattered by the Speech of the Emperor,1 that such claims woud meet speedy paymt. out of his plentiful Treasury.2
“Any advice that you can with propriety give will be highly esteemed.”
RC (DNA: RG 76, Preliminary Inventory 177, France, entry 143, Unbound Records Relating to Spoliation Claims, ca. 1885, box 21, folder “Claims of Mary land Insurance Company”). 1 p.; signed by Hollins as president of the Maryland Insurance Company; docketed by Wagner. For the enclosure, see n. 2.
1. For Napoleon’s promise that U.S. claims against France would be paid, see Robert R. Livingston to JM, 11 Mar. 1803, , 4:410–12 and n. 5.
2. On 25 Mar. 1805, JM replied: “I return you the enclosure contained in your letter of the 19th. inst. Should any difficulty occur in the liquidation of a nature to require the interposition of our Minister at Paris, or should the payment be unreasonably delayed, your Agent will find him willing to do it” (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 14; 2 pp.).