Papers of John Adams, volume 14
Mr Hartley presents his Compts to Mr Adams and if it be convenient to him, wd be glad to have the honour of waiting upon him and the gentlemen who are the other Commissioners and Ministers from the united States of America at 11 O’clock on Sunday morning, at Mr Adams's hotel, or any where else if more convenient.1 Mr Hartley has had the pleasure of seeing Dr Franklin who lives at the greatest distance, & therefore can inform Mr Adams that the hour and place above mentioned will be very convenient to him, if it shd prove so to Mr Adams and to the other gentlemen.
Saturday Morning
PS I am just going to Passy & from thence to Versailles to pay my respects to Monsr Le Comte de Vergennes
RC (Adams Papers).
Hartley met with JA, Franklin, Jay, and Laurens at JA's lodgings on Sunday, 27 April, and presented his credentials, which the American Peace Commissioners rejected as insufficient, demanding “a Commission under the great Seal” instead of the king's privy seal and one “promising to ratify what he [Hartley] should do.” JA noted that “Mr. Hartley was chagrin'd” by the commissioners’ response and that at the meeting “much 444Conversation passed, which might as well have been spared.” As a result, Hartley requested a new commission that would meet the commissioners’ requirements and on 19 May “the American Ministers met Mr. Hartley at my House, and he shewed Us his Commission and We shewed him ours. His Commission is very magnificent, the Great Seal in a Silver Box with the Kings Arms engraven on it, with two large gold Tassells.” For the text of the new commission, dated 14 May 1783 at the Court of St. James, see JA's Diary entry for 22 May (JA, D&A
, 3:112–113, 120, 129–130).