Journal of the Office of Foreign Affairs, 3–20 March 1790
Journal of the Office of Foreign Affairs
[New York, 3–20 March 1790]
March 3d. Delivered to Mr. John Pintard a passport for the Brig Grand Sachem bound to Madrass in India.—
See book of Passports page 17.—1
Wrote to Mr. Short2 informing him that his letters of September 30th., October 9. 11. 20. 25 & 28 and November 7. 8 & 19. 1789 had been received,3 and that Mr. Jefferson had accepted the appointment of Secretary of State.
See book of foreign Letters page 337.—4
Received a Letter from Mr. John Bondfield, dated Bourdeaux Novr. 10th. 1789 offering his services there to receive wheat should Congress think proper to ship any and reimburse in this article any part of their debt to France.5
This letter was communicated to the Secretary of the Treasury.—
March 6th. Mr. Jay left at the Office the following papers, to be laid before Mr. Jefferson on his arrival, Vizt.
A Letter from John Berkeley (without date) to Mr. Robt. Morris, informing that Portugal is taking measures to check the Algerine Cruisers that our vessels may now safely come to any of the Portuguese & Spanish ports, as he has recommended them to Don Joze de Mello, and that Portugal has concluded a commercial treaty with Russia— &6
A Letter from Monsr. Rey to Mr. Secretary Thomson dated Port au Prince December 22. 1788, enclosing a complaint of the Masters of american vessels of December 20. respecting the vexations they suffer from the Royal Marine & Officers of the Customs, at that port.—7
Note. Sundry letters and a Memorial from the said Monsr. Rey to Mr. Thomson respecting Commerce between the United States & the French islands, were received from Mr. Thomson to be translated, and returned to Mr. Alden with Translations July 13th. 1789.—8
11th. Received the following Spanish papers from the President to be translated, and delivered them to Mr. Pinto for the purpose, Viz.:
Two Letters from D[on]a. Josepa élixis de la Puente (Widow of Don Juan de Miralles) to the President of the United States of 24th. October & 10th. December 1789, together with copies of two she had written to Mr. Robert Morris of 9th. July 1788 & 10th. December 1789, relating to some affairs of her late husband committed to the care of Mr. Morris &c:9
13th. Returned to Mr. Lear all the Spanish papers received from the President the 28th. Ult: together with translations of them.—
18th. Furnished Mr. Gerry, agreeably to his request, with copies of the following papers, vizt.
Letter from General Washington to the President of Congress of 17th. June 1783.—
Petition from a number of Officers of the Continental Army to Congress of 16th. June 1783.—
Letter from General Rufus Putnam to General Washington of 16 June 1783.10 20th. Returned to Mr. Lear all the Spanish papers received from the President the 11th. instant, together with translations of them.—
Received the following Letters from Mr. Short, vizt.
Dates 1789
Decemr. 15th. }
Relation of affairs in the Austrian Netherlands— Departure of Count de la Marck from the National Assembly, of which he was a member, to take the command of the troops of Flanders— probable adoption of the Minister’s plan of Finance— Extension of the trade of the French
Colonies— purchase of the debt due from the United States to France by a company— Delivery of the President’s letter to the King— Delay of the ratification of the Consular Convention— Completion of the Medal for Chev[alie]r. Jones.11
Decembr. 22d.— Continuation of the relation of affairs in the Austrian Netherlands— Symptoms of peace between the belligerent powers— Affairs of Liege— Adoption of a plan of finance which extends the operations of the Caisse d’Escompte— Riot at Toulon— Report of the Committee of Judicature.—12
Decemr. 26th. Reclamation of Wurtemberg and the Order of Malta against certain decrees of the National Assembly— Fate of two letters from Van der Noot the Agent general of the Brabançons to the King and Assembly, and further particulars concerning affairs in the Austrian Netherlands— That Prince Henry of Prussia is to command an Army of 80,000 men on the confines of Poland—that the King of Poland is in favor of a revolution for emancipating the commons of his country— that the patriotic contributions encrease— that a person connected with Monsieur has been arrested on suspicion of harboring designs hostile to the revolution, and that Monsieur was likewise suspected, but justified himself to the Hotel de Ville—13
Mr. Jay communicated the aforegoing Letters of Mr. Short to the President.— 22d. Furnished the Secretary of the Treasury with an extract of Mr. Short’s letter of December 15th. 1789 respecting the purchase of the debt of the United States to France.—
Received a Letter from Mr. Short of 30th. November 1789 acknowledging the receipt of Mr. Jay’s letters of 17th. September & 13th. October, together with the Original & Duplicate ratification of the Consular Convention, the President’s Letter to the King &c:, mentioning that the Revolution is complete, & congratulating Mr. Jay on his Judicial appointment.14
Mr. Jay communicated the abovementioned Letter to the President.
D, DNA: PCC, item 127, 2: 215–18 (EJ: 03809).
1. Copies of Passport Applications, DNA: PCC, item 130, 17.
3. William Short to JJ, 30 Sept., LbkC, DLC: Short (EJ: 13558); 9 Oct., not found; 11 Oct., LbkC, DLC: Short (EJ: 13559); 20, 25, and 28 Oct., not found; 7 Nov., LbkC, DLC: Short (EJ: 13560); 8 Nov., two letters, LbkC, DLC: Short (EJ: 13561 and EJ: 13562); and 19 Oct., LbkC, DLC: Short (EJ: 13564).
5. Letter not found. John Bondfield was a Montreal merchant who was forced to relocate to France in 1776 for his support of the American cause. Based in Bordeaux, in 1778 he was appointed American commercial agent for that city. Bondfield was proposed for the position of consul, supported by TJ, BF, and Thomas Barclay. BF wrote “that on many occasions during the war he rendered service to the United States, and in all with great readiness ability and integrity, so that I not only think he would make a good officer, but that he has some claim to a preference.” BF to JJ, 10 Nov. 1787, ALS, DNA: PCC, item 82, 3: 281, and LbkC, Domestic Letters, 3: 343–44 (EJ: 02252). Barclay, in his letter enclosing BF’s, echoed these sentiments, writing “For my own part I do not know any person in Bordeaux fitter for the business than Mr. Bondfield”. Barclay to JJ, 4 Mar. 1788, ALS, DNA: PCC, item 91, 447, and LbkC, , 3: 343 (EJ: 02251). See also TJ to JJ, 14 Nov. 1788, , 14: 56–66. Despite this support, Bondfield was eventually passed over for Joseph Fenwick, who was proposed by George Mason Sr. See TJ to Bondfield, 31 Aug. 1790, and Bondfield to TJ, 8 Oct. 1790, , 17: 476–77, 573–80.
6. Letter not found.
7. Rey to Charles Thomson, 22 Dec. 1789, DNA: PCC, item 178, 19: 587–90, enclosing the complaint of the ship masters, 20 Dec. 1789, DNA: PCC, item 178, 19: 590–91.
8. Letter not found.
9. Letters not found. See Robert Morris to GW, 13 Mar. 1790, , 5: 226. Maria Josepha Elirio de la Puente Miralles was left widowed with eight children in Apr. 1780, after her husband Don Juan de Miralles (1705–80) died while visiting GW’s headquarters at Morristown. Her letters to Morris presumably concerned financial matters. Miralles had been a business associate of Morris’s, and he continued to advise Madame de Miralles. See Morris to Madame de Miralles, 24 May 1783, , 8: 116.
10. See GW to the President of Congress (Elias Boudinot), 17 June 1783, LS, DNA: PCC, item 152, 11: 321–24; Rufus Putnam to GW, 16 June 1783, ALS, DLC: Washington; Petition of the Officers of the Continental Army to Congress, 16 June 1783, Tr., DNA: PCC, item 169, 9: 271–74.
14. Short to JJ, 30 Nov. 1789, LbkC, DLC: Short (EJ: 13570), and , 16: 3–8; JJ to Short, 17 Sept., above, and 13 Oct. 1789, LS, DLC: Short (EJ: 13566).