To Benjamin Franklin from Vergennes, 3 October 1784
From Vergennes
L (draft): Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères
Vlles le 3. 8bre 1784.
J’ai l’honneur, M, de vous envoyer copie d’une lettre de M. le mal. de Castries avec celle des pieces dont etoit accompagnées;9 vous y verrez que M. Barclay, au lieu d’attendre l’issüe de la demande qu’il avoit faite à l’administration, a traduit en justice réglée le Sr. Schweighauser. Cette démarche arrête nècessairement la décision du Roi, qui alloit prononcer; et M. Barclay ne peut plus que Suivre la marche judiciaire qu’il a lui-même adoptée pour se procurer la justice qu’il reclame.1
M francklin
9. Castries’ letter was dated Sept. 11, 1784. Recalling his previous reply to Vergennes (July 3) about the Americans’ request that the ministry intervene to lift the attachment of American arms in the Nantes arsenal (for which see XLII, 459), he relates what has happened in the interim. Barclay had sent him, among other items, a copy of a letter he wrote to Schweig-hauser on Dec. 2, 1783, threatening a suit in the Nantes commercial court. By this action, Barclay waived his right to other forms of adjudication and made it impossible for the ministry to settle this affair as the king had proposed. Barclay, who had replaced Joshua Johnson as the person authorized to adjust Congress’ accounts in such matters, should audit this account so that BF can order payment as Congress directs. AAE. The enclosures were a copy of Barclay’s Dec. 2, 1783, letter to Schweighauser; and Congress’ resolution of Aug. 24, 1781 (XXXVII, 657), authorizing Joshua Johnson to examine and settle the account at issue.
1. In 1786 Congress authorized TJ to settle the dispute, but Schweighauser’s firm refused TJ’s offer to submit to arbitration. Many years later Schweighauser’s heirs petitioned the United States for relief, but an 1809 House of Representatives bill authorizing settlement apparently died in committee: Jefferson Papers, XI, 134–5, XIV, 315–23, XX, 689–90; American State Papers (38 vols., Washington, D.C., 1832–61), XXXVI (Class IX: Claims), 342–3; H.R. 73, 10th Congress (1809).