To John Jay from Robert Morris, 29 June 1781
From Robert Morris
Philada. June 29. 1781.
My dear Sir
I did expect to have written you official letters before this time, having now received my Commission1 and fairly entered upon the duties of my Station, but Congress press business on me so exceedingly, that I cannot yet command the time necessary for writing all I have to say to you. This I write at the request of a most worthy man, my friend Mr. John Ross, to whom Congress have made a partial payment out of a considerable debt which they owe him. I shall give him this letter open, that he may inclose in it a list of the bills he has received,2 part of which being drawn upon you, I am to request particularly that you will not only cause those to be paid, but also urge the payment of those on Holland, if you have any opportunity of doing so; for it is absolutely necessary for the preservation of Mr. Ross’s credit in Europe that these remittances which he makes to the friends who enabled him to send such ample & seasonable supplies to these States should prove effective, & I hope your situation will enable you to afford him most chearfully this relief, which he is so well entitled to.3 I saw Govr. Livingston last week at Trenton very well & grown fatter than usual. Kitty is next door to me. She goes out to Springetsbury in a few days with our children. Mrs. Morris stays in town with me, tho’ she will be there very much in day time. We all join in best wishes for you & Mrs. Jay & I am, Dear Sir, Your affectionate friend & obedt hble Servt.4
Robt Morris—
LS, NNC (EJ: 7002). Marked: “3d Copy”. Addressed: “His Excellency / John Jay Esq. / Minister Plenipotentiary from / the United States of No. America / at the Court of Madrid”. Endorsed: “Rcd. 28 Aug. 1781.”
1. Congress approved Morris’s commission as superintendent of finance on 27 Apr. 1781 and backdated it to 20 Feb. , 1: 4–5.
2. For the list of bills, see Continental Congress to John Ross, 28 June 1780, NNC (EJ: 7760). It recorded 40,958 guilders in bills on Laurens and $23,082 in bills on JJ, all payable at six months’ sight, and another $2,700 in bills on JJ payable at 60 days’ sight (for a total of $25,782 drawn on JJ). For earlier attempts to assist Ross, see JJ to BF, 17 July 1780, above. On presentation of the bills for payment, see BF to JJ, 4 Sept. 1781, below.
3. Ross had purchased supplies for the Secret Committee of Trade, of which Morris was a key member, and had engaged in private business with him. On 20 June, at Morris’s suggestion and despite its decision of 27 Apr. not to sell any more of the bills drawn on either JJ or Laurens, Congress approved a measure permitting Morris to pay to Ross the remaining unsold bills ($42,362.35) that Congress had placed at Morris’s disposal on 4 June. Ross promised to charge no damages if the bills were not paid. Neither JJ nor JA, who now was responsible for payment of bills on Laurens, could cover these bills, but BF finally obtained funds, preventing their protest. In December 1781 Morris paid Ross an additional $37,037.30 in bills on BF that were also eventually paid. See JJ to the President of Congress, 16 Sept. 1780; and the President of Congress to JJ, 28 May 1781, both above; JJ to BF, 10 Sept. 1781, below; , 20: 451, 680–81; and , 1: 168–69; 2: 261, 263n5; 4: 486; 9: 719.
4. David Salisbury Franks was the bearer of this letter. See JJ to Robert Morris, 1 Sept. 1781, below.