Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 6

C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners: A Translation

William Hill Sargeant to the Commissioners
Jonathan Williams to the Commissioners, 17 July 1778 Williams, Jonathan First Joint Commission at Paris JA

1778-07-17

 Jonathan Williams to the Commissioners, 17 July 1778 Williams, Jonathan First Joint Commission at Paris Adams, John
Jonathan Williams to the Commissioners
Honble Gentlemen Passy, 17 July 1778

I am highly sensible of the Confidence you honour me with by your Approbation of my Drafts on Mr. Grand,1 and am ready to account for the expenditure of them up to the 30th May. The Charges since my Departure from Nantes, to go to new Account.

As your Time is too constantly and too importantly employed to attend to the Details of commercial Concerns, would it not be well to appoint some Gentleman in whom you have Confidence to compare the Bills and Receipts with the Charges in the Accounts.2 The general Approbation of them to depend afterwards on the Commissioners?

I submit the Matter to your Judgement and have the Honour to be with great Respect Honble Gentlemen Your most obedient & most humble Servant

Jona Williams RC (ViU: Lee Papers); docketed, not by JA: “Jonan. Williams to Ministers Pleny. U.S. (17 July 1778.)”; and “Williams.” 1.

Apparently a reference to the action taken by JA and Benjamin Franklin in their letter to Ferdinand Grand of 10 July (above).

 2.

The Commissioners apparently took no action on this request, but Williams renewed it when the dispute with Arthur Lee over his accounts reached a head in early 1779 (Williams to Franklin and JA, 31 Jan. 1779, PPAmP: Franklin Papers).