I have received your Letter of the 22d. Instant by the Hand of Mr Humphreys Secry. of the Legation, in which you communicate the Intention of the United States of America to establish with his Catholic Majesty an Agreement that may be convenient to the two Powers founded on the Principles of Equality, Reciprocity and Friendship, mutuably advantageous to the two Nations.— That for this purpose the United States, have by their Commission dated the 12th of May last, authoriz’d your Honours in due from to be their Plenipotentiaries, to confer, treat & conclude with those of the King my Master, a Treaty of Friendship & Commerce, to be sent for Ratification to the said States.1

Certainly such Dispositions in the United States, and such Principles of Equality, Reciprocity & Friendship will be very pleasing and agreable to Purity of his Majesty’s Heart; and I shall communicate your Honours Declaration of them to him as they come to me.

But to the same End, and to put his Majesty at once in a Situation to take such a Step, I request your Honours to inform me if one or more of you can render yourselves at Madrid for the carrying on and concluding the Negotiation. This Request I hope your 333 Honours will not judge improper, when it is considered that the Sistem of my Court, which is the most regular in Matters directly between its Crown and another is always to treat between themselves, and in one of the two Governments, without availing themselves to a third Place.2

In adjusting a Peace indeed between more than two Powers and between many Parties whose different Interests are to be conciliated, the Case is different, for then a Point of Union is indispensable, as happen’d to us in making the last Peace; on which I may mention to your Honours, that the Capital Points being agreed to, the incidental ones of Commerce, Limits and other Particular Articles between Spain & England were not compriz’d in my Powers of treating at Paris but were to be treated in one of the two Courts or in both conformable to the most common Rule which ordinarly has no exceptions, except in Cases that require a Continuation of the Treaty in the third Place where it commenced.

This being the first Treaty between our Courts, I conceived it the proper time to make this Observation to your Honours, in order to give to my Master an Account of it and at the same time prevent the Delay which would be occasion’d by my not having acquainted him with it from the Beginning

As soon as your Honours shall have acquainted me with your Disposition as to this Point, I will hasten the Expedition of it, being always desirous that from it may result to the two States the Satisfaction of a good Intelligence.

I take this Occasion to offer to your Honours my personal Desires of doing you Services & that God may preserve you many Years. I kiss your Hands & am, / Your faithful Servant