To Benjamin Franklin from William Carmichael, 20 April 1784
From William Carmichael2
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Paris 20th April 1784
Dear Sir
Inclosed I have the honor to send you a Letter from the house of Drouilhet advising me of their having drawn upon your Excellency for £s [l.t.] 13447.5. s. at 60 days date making the Sum of 54000 Rials de Vn. [Veillon] or 2700 Dollars for the payment of a bill drawn by Mr Morris on me which bill became due since my Departure from Madrid.—3 I intended to have had the pleasure of waiting on you this morning but am prevented by a bilious vomiting which confines me to the house & I am afraid will the whole day.
I have the honor to be with Much respect your Excellencys Most Obedt & Most Humble Sert4
Wm. Carmichael
His Excy. Benjn. Franklin—
2. Carmichael had been summoned to Paris by Jay to settle the accounts of the Spanish mission with Thomas Barclay: XLI, 158n, 569n. He arrived on March 27, but the audit was held up first by Barclay’s delayed return from England and then by Carmichael’s procrastination as well as Jay’s charges that Carmichael had mismanaged Jay’s personal account. Barclay finally settled the personal and public accounts in mid-May, allowing the Jay family to return to America: Jay Papers, III, 552–4.
3. The enclosed April 5 letter from Drouilhet & Cie., the bankers to the Spanish mission (XXXIX, 463n), requested BF to pay the money to Jean Frans. Lopez (APS). Grand paid the bill on June 14: Account XXVII (XXXII 4).
4. Among BF’s papers is an unsigned note in Carmichael’s hand, addressed to “His Excy. B. Franklin” and dated “Tuesday 12 OClock”: “Not being in the least acquainted with the manner of making out Memorials I can not pretend to say whither or no the enclosed will answer the purpose. Shall take the liberty to call tomorrow or next day that in case it be not right I may new model it as you think proper.” The note was undoubtedly written during Carmichael’s 1784 stay in Paris. While it could have been written on Tuesday, March 30, we think a date of [April?] more likely.