To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 6 August 1798
From Timothy Pickering
Philadelphia Augt. 6. 1798.
Sir
By this day’s mail I have addressed to you two copies of the laws passed at the last session of Congress.1
Of the ten thousand copies of the instructions to & dispatches from our envoys to the French Republic, I propose to send eight hundred to be distributed in the state of New-York. They are now ready, & I shall forward them to the Collector Mr. Sands at the city of New York.—2 For the convenience of distributing them in the mail, I have caused them to be made up into packets of 5. 10. & 15. which I have franked; and the packets will be accompanied with printed letters, in equal numbers, to regulate the distribution to individual citizens. If you will be pleased to direct Mr. Sands what number of the copies to retain for distribution in the lower counties, he will forward the residue to Albany, to be distributed as you shall think best. I take the liberty now to inclose my letter (which is circular) explaining the plan of distribution, & a copy of the circular letter to be signed & sent by the distributor with each packet:3 The letter to the Distributor, you will have the goodness to direct to any gentleman at Albany whom you think most proper, & who will take the trouble to dispatch the packets by the mails.— I presume Mr. Sands would take that trouble at New-York: but if there be any person there whom you prefer, and favour me with his name, I will address him accordingly; and in the mean time request Mr. Sands, after forwarding the proportion you shall order to Albany, to retain the residue subject to future orders. I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir, your most obt. servt.
Timothy Pickering
His Excellency Governor Jay
P.S. I thought I should hazard a proper distribution of the dispatches, if I committed them to the governors of some of the States; and therefore I formed the plan before indicated, of transmitting them to one or two citizens in each state, who should send them in the packets to others, who would make the distribution to individuals: for this reason it will be necessary that the Governors whom I do address on the subject, should ^not^ notice it in any of their public acts.
ALS, NNC (EJ: 09510). Marked: “(Not official)”.
1. Acts Passed at the Second Session of the Fifth Congress on the United States to America begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, on Monday, the thirteenth of November in the year MDCCXCVII (Philadelphia, 1798; , series 1, no. 34688).
2. Instructions to the envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary from the United States of America, to the French republic, their letters of credence and full powers, and the dispatches received from them relative to their mission. Published by the secretary of state, in conformity to the resolutions of Congress, of the 22d June 1798 (Philadelphia, 1798; , series 1, no. 34838).
JA appointed Joshua Sands collector for the port of New York on 26 Apr. 1797.