To James Madison from Isaac Cox Barnet (Abstract), 17 February 1805
§ From Isaac Cox Barnet
17 February 1805, Paris. “The Minister of the united States, General Armstrong, having issued an order in my favour on Messrs. Willink & VanStaphorst of Amsterdam for $.4185.21 1/3 cents—the Nett proceeds of which, as per the Bankers accot. enclosed1—being 21,889 francs—or in Livres Fl. 22.162..₶ 12. which exceeds the Sum of my three Drafts of the 19th. Decr. last1 to my own order for
| $ | .2000. | |
| 1500. | ||
| & | 819.99 | |
| $ | .4319.99 | drawn at 5 ₶. per Dollr. and making in |
| Livres tournois—21, 599. .19., left in | ||
| my hands a surplus of 562. .13 22,162. .12— |
which Sum of five hundred & Sixty two Livres & thirteen Sols tournois—I have desired the Bankers Mallet freres & Co. to endorse upon one of Mr. Mercer’s Bills (that for $.2262.) of the 19th. December2 to his own order—on your Department, and at the Same exchange, of 5 ₶. per Dollar—at which he drew them—equal to $.112.53—to be placed to his debit. In consequence of which payment my aforementioned Bills are annulled, and my Accompt with the united States as one of the Commissioners under the Convention of April 30th. 1803. balanced.
“The Copies of my Correspondence with General Armstrong, which accompany this letter3 Shewing the origin of this Settlement I beg leave to request your perusul thereof.”
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, CD, Paris, vol. 1). RC 2 pp. Filed with this letter is a copy of Willink and Van Staphorst’s statement (2 pp.), dated 28 Jan. 1805 at Amsterdam, to Mallet frères, listing the credits and debits remaining on Barnet’s account, with an added note stating that a duplicate copy, dated 26 Feb. 1805 at Paris, over the Mallet frères signature, has been sent to Barnet. Cover sheet postmarked 17 Aug. at Milton, Virginia; docketed by Wagner, with his note: “I.C. Barnet / to be added to his letter of 17 Feby. 1805.” A note on the verso, in an unidentified hand, reads: “The Statement on the other side was to have been joined to I.C. Barnet’s letter to Mr. Madison of the 17th. February 1805—but was omitted. It is now forwarded to complete that file in relation to I.C. Barnet as one of the late Commissioners under the Convn. of April 30th. 1803.” For enclosures, see n. 3.
1. See Barnet to JM, 19 Dec. 1804, 8:408.
2. See John Mercer to JM, 19 Dec. 1804, ibid., 409.
3. Barnet enclosed copies (4 pp.; docketed by Wagner as received in Barnet’s 7 Jan. 1805 dispatch) of John Armstrong to Barnet, 6 Jan. 1805, Barnet to Armstrong, 7 and 10 Jan. 1805, Nicholas Biddle to Barnet, 14 Jan. 1805, and Armstrong to Willink & Van Staphorst, 14 Jan. 1805, discussing Barnet’s desire to receive at Paris the funds due to him, bankers Delessert and Company’s refusal to disburse the money because of their difficulties with funds advanced to Nathaniel Cutting, secretary to the board of commissioners, Armstrong’s agreement to advance the money through Willink and Van Staphorst, and Armstrong’s order on that firm. For the issue of the funds advanced to Cutting, see Delessert and Company to JM, 5 Jan. 1805, ibid., 453–55.