To John Jay from the Committee for Foreign Affairs (James Lovell, Robert R. Livingston, and William Churchill Houston), 16 June 1780
From the Committee for Foreign Affairs (James Lovell,
Robert R. Livingston, and William Churchill Houston)
Philada. 16 June 1780
Sir
The Embarrassmt1 which the Depreciation of the currency had created in our2 publick affairs at the Time of your Departure for Europe, were, as you well remember, very distressing and have till lately continued to increase. Congress greatly anxious to avail themselves of every possible Means of checking this Evil, in Novr last3 ventured on Expedient of drawing Bills on You for hundred thousand [pounds]4 as you have been already advised by Letter of 11 December last.5 This they thought they might risque considering the Importance of the Object. But as the Time of your arrival in Europe could not be counted on with Certainty, and Negociation might not be immediately practicable and disappointment would be injurious to the Public faith they determined to draw at Six months sight which we hope will allow sufficient Leisure for every necessary Preparation. It will not be amiss to observe that Congress have not taken this Measure without some Circumstances of Encouragement that funds to satisfy draughts would not be unattainable.6 Since the agreeable News of your Arrival and to answer the purpose of Great National Utility Congress have directed Bills to be drawn for the additional Sum of 25000 Dollars at 60 days sight7
The Exertions necessary at this Crisis require the Command of a considerable Sum of Money, but these drafts we hope will not be increased ’till we have Intelligence from you respecting your Protestation8 and assurance.9 We have the Pleasure to inform you that from the Measures which have lately been adopted, and with which you are made acquainted by the Journals, the Finances begin to assume a better appearance, and our publick Affairs in general will, we hope, be delivered from many of the Embarrassments under which they have laboured. But We earnestly entreat you to push every possible Exertion for procuring Aid of Money from the court of Spain without which we are fearful measures of Congress fully to restore the currency and prosecute the war with desired effect will fall Short the desired Success. We are, Sir with great respect your obedt. Servants
James Lovell
Robt R. Livingston
Wm Churchill Houston
ALS, partly in code, decoded by JJ, NNC (EJ: 7737); C of decoded text and enclosed resolution in the hand of JJ, NNC (EJ: 7736); LbkC, partly in code, decoded, in the hand of Henry Brockholst Livingston, NNC: JJ Lbk. 4; LbkCs, not encoded, DNA: PCC, item 79, 1: 264–66; app.: 128–30 (EJ: 9931, 13501); FC, encoded, DNA: PCC, item 59, 1: 127–29. Encoded using hybrid code (WE079) based on Abel Boyer’s Royal Dictionary (1771) and a small code repertory (EJ: 7590, 16–17). See “John Jay’s Use of Codes and Ciphers” (editorial note) on pp. 9–10. Enclosure: C of resolution of 19 May 1780, , 17: 438.
1. DNA: PCC LbkCs have “embarrassments.”
2. DNA: PCC LbkCs have “the.”
3. LbkCs have “the 23rd of November last.”
4. The word “pounds” is not deciphered in the ALS but appears in the variant texts. “Sterling” is added in the DNA: PCC LbkCs.
5. See the committee’s letter of 11 Dec. 1779, above.
6. The reference here is probably to earlier statements by Miralles and Gérard that, if Congress took an active role in procuring the Floridas for Spain, Spain would provide financial reimbursement. See the editorial note “Congress Appoints John Jay Minister to Spain,” : 709–11.
7. See the resolution of 19 May 1780 authorizing drafts of $25,000 on both JJ and BF to supply the army’s needs, , 17: 438. The bills sold well below face value. La Luzerne reported that Congress had considered tripling the amount drawn on JJ but decided against it since he had not yet been officially received. See La Luzerne to Vergennes, 28 May 1780, FrPMAE: CP-EU, 12: 148–56. For arrangements made to pay these bills, see BF to JJ, 2 Oct., below. Carmichael noted on 15 Oct. that only two of these bills had been presented to date, while between 80,000 and 100,000 of those first drawn had, all of which had been accepted. He added that every post augmented the sum and that it was uncertain whether the funds needed to cover the bills could be raised, even though Gardoqui and Cabarrús were endeavoring to do so. See , 4: 99. An extant copy of a bill on JJ at 60 days’ sight can be found in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection.
8. This word is apparently incorrectly encoded or deciphered. “Prospects” in the DNA: PCC LbkCs.
9. “Assurances” in the DNA: PCC LbkCs.