Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-09-02-0478

To Thomas Jefferson from Vergennes, 27 May 1786

From Vergennes

A Versailles le 27. May 1786.

J’ai l’honneur, Monsieur, de vous envoyer la copie d’une nouvelle lettre que j’ai reçue de M. de Calonne relativement à la goelette américaine The Williams et Catherine saisie à Roscoff; elle confirme que les ordres ont été donnés pour la liberté du Capitaine et de l’equipage, et que les fermiers-généraux s’y sont conformés, ainsi que vous le verrez par leur mémoire dont la copie est pareillement ci jointe. D’après le contenu de ces deux piéces, vous jugerez, Monsieur, que nous n’avons plus d’ordre à donner, puisque la liberté de l’equipage de la goelette est entiérement à sa disposition.

J’ai l’honneur d’être très-sincérement, Monsieur, votre très-humble et très-obéissant serviteur,

De Vergennes

RC (DLC); in a clerk’s hand, signed by Vergennes. FC (Arch. Aff. Etr., Corr. Pol., E.-U., xxxi; tr in DLC). Noted in SJL as received 27 May 1786. Enclosures (DLC): (1) Copy of a letter from Calonne to Vergennes, 20 May 1786, together with (2) a copy of the report of the farmers-general, 4 Apr. 1786, stating the conditions on which Lister Asquith and his crew could be freed: that instructions had been given 3 Mch. at Paris that the prisoners were to be liberated, provided they did not appeal their case, gave up the ship and cargo, and paid a fine; that, however, the farmers-general had wished to exact a heavier penalty because, since the franchise of L’Orient, a great deal of tobacco had entered free and the farmers were losing money; Calonne added that the farmers-general had not yet been informed whether the prisoners had agreed to the terms and that the further detention of the prisoners is a matter of their own decision.

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