From James Madison to Samuel Bayard, 23 March 1806 (Abstract)
To Samuel Bayard, 23 March 1806 (Abstract)
§ To Samuel Bayard. 23 March 1806, Department of State. “Your letter of the 20 January and the memorial of Mr. Slade1 inclosed2 in it having been considered, instructions have been forwarded to Mr. Lyman, the public Agent in London, to settle his bills upon the same footing individuals usually pay the bills of proctors.”3
RC (NN); letterbook copy (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 15). RC fragment. First page missing. Last page in Wagner’s hand, signed by JM; addressed to Bayard at New Brunswick. Missing text supplied from letterbook copy.
1. See Robert Slade to JM, 24 Sept. 1805, 10:367–69.
2. RC fragment begins here.
3. On 23 Mar. 1806 JM wrote to William Lyman: “Mr. Erving your Predecessor was directed to settle with the Proctors, who were charged with the prosecution of the claims and appeals in cases of capture comprehended in the provisions of the 7th. article of the British treaty, and to pay them their bills as taxed by the Register. Mr. Robert Slade has since presented a memorial representing this mode of settlement as not calculated to give him a sufficient compensation & such as he had been led to expect. In this he is supported by the statements of Mr. Samuel Bayard, who originally engaged him on behalf of the United States. The President has therefore come to the determination that his claim be admitted; and you will accordingly be pleased to allow Mr. Slade on his bills above refered to, such further sum as will bring them to the standard of what individuals usually pay. Should the other Proctors retained to support American cases under the Treaty require re-settlements according to the rule for adjusting Mr. Slade’s demand, you are to extend the same measure to them. I have assigned you a credit of four thousand pounds with Sir Francis Baring & Co. which will perhaps be sufficient to cover all the settlements, but you will pay Mr. Slade’s claim out of it in the first instance” (DNA: RG 59, IC, vol. 1; 2 pp.).