1To George Washington from Supreme Court Justices, 8 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
We have considered the previous Question stated in a Letter written to us by your Direction, by the Secretary of State, on the 18th of last month. The Lines of Separation drawn by the Constitution between the three Departments of Government—their being in certain Respects checks on each other—and our being Judges of a court in the last Resort—are Considerations which afford strong arguments...
2Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, between His Britannick Majesty, and the United States of America, by Their … (Jay Papers)
His Britannick Majesty and The United States of America, being desirous by a Treaty of Amity Commerce and Navigation, to terminate their differences in such a manner, as, without reference to the merits of their respective Complaints and Pretensions may be the best calculated to provide mutual satisfaction and good understanding: And also to regulate their Commerce and Navigation between their...
3To George Washington from the Supreme Court Justices, 20 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
We have taken into consideration the Letter written to us by your Direction, on the 18th Instant, by the Secretary of State. The Question “whether the public may with propriety be availed of the advice of the Judges, on the Questions alluded to?[”] appears to us to be of much Difficulty as well as Importance—as it affects the judicial Department, we feel a Reluctance to decide it, without the...
4To George Washington from John Jay, 11 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honor of transmitting to you herewith enclosed, a Packet which I received last Evening from Ab. Ogden Esqr. the Attorney of the united States for New Jersey District. It contains three papers. (1)A Letter from Mr Ogden to me, mentioning the apprehension of a Doctr Freeman, on a charge of forgery &ca and his offer of giving Evidence against others, on an assurance of Pardon. (2)...
5To John Adams from John Jay, 10 January 1792 (Adams Papers)
I cannot easily tell you how much I am pleased & obliged by your friendly Letter of the 4th. Instant:—were I to pursue my Inclinations, I should without Hesitation accept your kind Invitation—but our Inclinations even in things innocent must not always be gratified. my Visits to Philadelphia have ceased to be occasional, or I should certainly avail myself of those opportunities which your...
6To Alexander Hamilton from John Jay, 18 July[–5 August] 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
I thank you for the printed paper you sent me, and for your Letter by Monsr. Cadignan. On maturely considering the latter I took an opportunity in an informal conversation with Ld. Grenville to communicate it to him. Still I am unable to say any thing decisive relative to the objects of my mission—appearances continue to be singularly favorable; but appearances merit only a certain degree of...
7From John Jay to Thomas Johnson, 12 March 1792 (Jay Papers)
I have been favored with your’s of the 3 d . of last month, & regret the Indisposition which detained You from Philadelphia— I hope your Health has been since re-established. The then daily Expectation of an addition to my Family, and which soon after took place, prevented my attending the Sup. Court. Judge Cushing on his Return informed me that there had been a Conference on the Subject of...
8From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 2 August 1794 (Jay Papers)
I had the Honor of writing to you on the 31 ult: That Letter was sent to Falmouth in Hopes it would reach Doct r . Edwards before he sailed from Hence for Boston. He went from here on Tuesday last. I enclose a copy— That Letter mentioned my having presented an official Representation to Lord Grenville on the Subject of Spoliations &c a . to which his Lordship had given me Reason to expect an...
On my Return from England I took the earliest opportunity of communi catinge d to M r Randolph the Memorandum ^w h ^ your Lordship had given me relative to your Estate in Virginia— he very readily understood ^promised^ to make the necessary Inquiries and to write to you Lordship respecting the Result of them— Thinking that the Business could not be in better Train, I omitted to take a Copy of...
10From John Jay to John Dumont, 27 February 1790 (Jay Papers)
I was favored with yours of the 28 th . Ult. just as I was preparing to go out of Town— it was not untill last Evening that I returned, or I should have taken an earlier opportunity of answering your Letter— Accept my Thanks for your friendly Congratulations. I am convinced of ^believe^ them Sincere ity and value them accordingly— It would give me great Pleasure to have opportunities of...
11From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 19 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
I refer you to the last two Letters which I wrote to you this Week — It was expected that the Senate would Yesterday have decided on the nomination of an Envoy to the Court of London; but measures respecting the Embargo occupied them thro’ the Day— To Day that Business is to be resumed; and you shall have the earliest Notice of the Result. So far as I am personally concerned, my feelings are...
12To Alexander Hamilton from John Jay, 16 August 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
I am happy to find by a New York paper, that the Result of the late Inquiry into your official Conduct is perfectly consistant with the Expectations of your Friends. It is there represented as being voluminous, and in a variety of Respects interesting. Be so good as to send me a copy. I wrote to you lately a confidential Letter, under Cover to the President. My Dispatches to Mr Randolph were...
13From John Jay to George Washington, 26 January 1796 (Jay Papers)
The British Ratification of the Treaty not having arrived and consequently the time for appointing the Commissioners mentioned in it not being come, I have this long postponed replying to yours of 21 last month. It certainly is important that the Commissioners relative to the Debts, and also the Captures, be men the best qualified for those places. Probably it would be adviseable to appoint...
14To George Washington from John Jay, 14 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
apprehensive that my Letter to you (herewith enclosed) is not exactly such an one, as the Gentleman mentioned in it, may perhaps wish and expect it to be, I think it adviseable to send him a copy of it: and that you may have the more perfect and accurate Information, I enclose a copy of my Letter to him. I have lately received much Intelligence from several Quarters—some allowances are to be...
M r . Gardoqui, the plenipotentiary Encargado de negocios of his Catholic Majesty, informs me, that having obtained Permission to return to Spain, in order to attend for a while to his domestic affairs, he purposes to avail himself of the first good opportunity that may offer. The Papers accompanying this, will inform you of the negociations which were depending between Spain, and the United...
16From John Jay to Samuel Bayard, 5 January 1795 (Jay Papers)
To Samuel Bayard Esq r . appointed by the President of the United States of America, Agent for Claims and Appeals &c &c &c It Having been made my Duty to give you Instructions relative to your Agency, I think it expedient to give you the following for the present, and will add to them as circumstances may require. Agreeable to the Advice which you have already received from me You will procure...
17To George Washington from John Jay, 21 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
In a Packet sent last Week to Mr Randolph, was enclosed directed to You a Book which the author, a Mr Miles of this City, requested me to forward to You. I was then so pressed for Time as not to have Leisure to write to you. You will receive herewith enclosed a Note or Memoir which Messrs Lameth and Duport have given me for the purpose of laying it before you. These Gentlemen express an...
18From John Jay to David Hartley, 8 January 1795 (Jay Papers)
I have been fav d . with your letter of the 5 th . Instant, stating the Case of M r . and M rs . Miniconi, who are in France, and requesting me to take measures to procure a Passport for them and their Servants— In my opinion I cannot better promote your wishes in this Respect, than by sending a Copy of Your Letter to M r . Munro at Paris, & requesting his friendly attention to the Subject of...
19From John Jay to Francis Ley, 26 January 1797 (Jay Papers)
I was by the last post favored with yours of the 23 d . ult mentioning that you purpose to publish, by Subscription, a work on the Subject of preserving Houses from external Fire, and the Means of removing Goods from such as may be in Danger from it. That you would bestow one half of the Subscription money on the Sufferers by the late Fire at Savannah, and that one Copy shall be sent to those...
20From John Jay to Loughborough, 9 October 1794 (Jay Papers)
The Expediency of the article hinted to me Suggested by your Lordship to facilitate the admission ^Introduction^ of Evidence from the one to the other of our Countries, has not ceased to engage my attention; and has been ^ since ^ delayed for no other Reason but I doubted the Propriety of giving your self Lordship any Trou Trouble on that Subject, while the ^there was less^ Probability of a...
21From John Jay to Richard Lawrence, 9 February 1797 (Jay Papers)
I have been fav d . with yours of the 27 of last month. I wish it was in our power and consistent with Prudence to ^we could^ give Relief to all who may be ^are^ in need of it— but if this State should attempt to provide for all the French Refugees without Distinction ; those who reside in other States where the like Provision is not made, who would remove to our City for the Purpose of...
22To George Washington from John Jay, 29 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have been honored with your’s of the 5th of September. Want of Liesure constrains me to be concise. I am authorized by Lord Grenville to assure you in the most explicit Terms, that no Instructions to stimulate or promote Hostilities by the Indians against the united States have been sent to the Kings officers in Canada. I am preparing an official Representation to him on this Subject, and he...
23To Alexander Hamilton from John Jay, 10 September 1791 (Hamilton Papers)
I send you Copies of a Letter of 3 Augt. from Jacob Cuyler, and of my answer of this Date. It is natural for men circumstanced as he is, to be anxious; and as adversity too often begets neglect, marks of attention are doubly acceptable to men in his Situation. I fear you will find it difficult to do much for his Son. A little will to him be much. At any Rate write to him, and let him percieve...
24From John Jay to Henry Lee, 11 July 1795 (Jay Papers)
Accept my cordial thanks for the friendly Congratulations expressed in your obliging Letter of the 30 of last month, which I rec d . Yesterday— It was obvious to me when I embarked on my late mission, that so many Circumstances combined to render pacific arrangements with Great Britain unwelcome to certain Politicians and their Partizans both here and elsewhere, that their approbation of any...
25To George Washington from John Jay, 4 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
private Since mine to you of Yesterday I have occasionally turned my Thoughts to the Subject of it. I presume that the Treaty is ratified agreable to the advice of the Senate—and that if Great Britain consents to the Suspension of the 12 art: (which I believe will be the Case) the Treaty will thereupon be ratified on her part and become final. of Consequence that the modification contemplated...
26From John Jay to the New York City Committee, [13 July 1792] (Jay Papers)
IT is far more pleasing to receive proofs of the confidence and attachment of my native city, than it is easy to express the sense which that confidence and that attachment inspire. When I reflect on the sacrifices and efforts in the cause of Liberty, which distinguished this state during the late war, my feelings are very sensibly affected by the favourable light in which you regard my...
27To George Washington from John Jay, 18 April 1796 (Washington Papers)
private You can have very little Time for private Letters, and therefore I am the more obliged by the one you honored me with on the 31 of last month. I was not without apprehensions that on Enquiry it might not appear adviseable to gratify Mr Pickman’s wishes; for altho’ Integrity and amiable manners are great, yet they are not the only Qualifications for office. Your answer to the Call for...
28From John Jay to Grenville, 6 August 1794 (Jay Papers)
M r . Jay presents his respectful Compliments to Lord Grenville and encloses some Outlines for a Convention & Treaty of Commerce. Some of them appear to him questionable— more mature Reflection and the Light which usually springs from mutual Discussions may occasion alterations— Many of the common articles are omitted—& will be inserted of course. It is very desireable that it may be concluded...
29From John Jay to George Clinton, 10 March 1790 (Jay Papers)
The Marks of early and uniform Confidence with which I have been honored by the State, render me very reluctant to [ illegible ] ^retire from my Place at the Board of Regents of the University w h .^ has for its Object the Promotion of Science and useful Knowledge. [ illegible ] The Business ^of that Board must^ will increase as they become enabled by proper Funds to perform it; and to this...
30From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 20 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
I this moment rec d . yours by Gen. Schuyler— As yet I have not seen him— it found ^me^ alone and not a little pensive. your own Feelings will best suggest an Idea of mine— God’s will be done— to him I resign— in him I confide— do the like— any other Philosophy applicable to this occasion is delusive— away with it— Your Indisposition affects me— resist Despondency— hope for the best— When we...