It gives me pain to have occasion so often to repeat that the irregular Attendance of the members of Congress has, for a long Time past, prevented their paying a seasonable Attention to their foreign Affairs; for there have been very few, and those very short Intervals in which nine States were represented in Congress this Year.

Hence, and from some other Affairs deemed more pressing, it has happened that You have been so long kept in Suspence on the Subject of your public Letter of the 24, & your private one of the 25 Jany last.1 I have regretted this Suspence the more as it might have created in your mind some Doubts of my Attention. I wished to write to You that the Business was done, rather than that I would endeavour to get it done— The Probability of this, which from time to time flattered and disappointed me, led me on to omit one Opportunity after another, in Expectation of being able to write satisfactorily by the next. There are now nine States in Congress, & I am assured that the necessary Acts and Instructions shall be dispatched in Season to accompany this Letter by the Packet.

Your Experience in affairs, your knowledge of Characters, and your intimate Acquaintance with the concerns and Interests of this country, together with other circumstances & Considerations, induce me to wish that all Questions between us & the Court of London, as well as other Affairs in Europe, could be arranged and adjusted before You leave it. The Manner however in which You mention your Intention to return is decisive, and as the Prospect of your doing much good here, is fair & promising, perhaps it may upon the whole be best that you should be with us, especially considering the actual Situation of our affairs. You have my good Friend deserved well of your country, and your Services and Character will be truly estimated, at least by Posterity, for they will know more of you than the People of this Day.

I have collected your public Letters and Dispatches, and a good Clerk has already neatly recorded a large Volume of them. It is common you know, in the Course of Time for loose & detached Papers to be lost, or mislaid, or misplaced— It is to Papers in this office that future Historians must recur for accurate accounts of many interesting affairs respecting the late Revolution. it is best therefore that they should be recorded regularly in Books; and altho it will take much Time and Labor, which some may think unnecessary, I shall nevertheless persevere in the Work.2

Your Book circulates and does good— it conveys much Information on a Subject with which we cannot be too intimately acquainted, especially at this Period, when the Defects of our national Governmt. are under Consideration, & when the strongest arguments are necessary to remove Prejudices, and to correct Errors which in many Instances Design unites with Ignorance to create diffuse and confirm. If after all that we have seen and done and experienced in 126 public Life, we should yet live to see our Country contently enjoying the Sweets of Peace Liberty and Safety, under the Protection of wise Laws, and a well constructed steady Governmt., we shall have Reason to rejoice that we have devoted so many Years to her Service—

Be assured of my constant Esteem & attachmt. and believe me to be / Dear Sir / your affectt. Friend & Servt

Since my last to you of the 4th. Instant I have been honored with yours of the 8th. 14th. & 23d. of May last, which have been communicated to Congress.—1

I have now the Honor of transmitting to you herewith enclosed certified Copies of sundry Acts of Congress, Vizt. of the 21st. March and 13th. April last relative to our Treaty with Britain; also an Act of the 20th. July Instant containing certain Instructions to you on the same Subject. This latter Act as it now stands differs materially from the one reported by me, especially in the Plan and Extent of the proposed Convention.2

It gives me Pleasure to inform you that several of the States have removed all Obstacles to the full and fair Operation of the Treaty— and there is great Reason to expect that certain others of them will do the like at the ensuing Sessions of their Legislatures; but whether every State without Exception will adopt the Measure in its proper Latitude and Extent is not quite certain, especially considering the Conveniences which many of their Citizens have derived from Shelter against their british Creditors.

In the Act of Congress of the 23d. Instant also enclosed, you will find a Copy of a Letter to his Catholic Majesty—that Letter has been sent from hence to Spain in a spanish Vessel—also a Copy of a Letter to the Emperor of Morocco—that Letter was sent to Mr. Jefferson by the french Packet which sailed last Week—the Ratification of 127 the Morocco Treaty was also sent to him by the same Opportunity.3 Measures respecting the other african hostile States are under Consideration.—

On the 24th. Instant Congress was pleased to pass an Act of which a Copy is herewith enclosed, relative to the House at the Hague.—4

Your Letters respecting the new Loan &c: were referred to the Board of Treasury. Your Attention and Efforts on that Occasion merit Commendation.—5

I have taken much Pains to obtain a Decision on the Question of your Return &ca: but as yet without Success. I am not without Hopes that it will be done to Day, and as the Mail will not be closed before Tomorrow, I shall in that Case write you another Letter.—

It seems that the Convention at Philadelphia have agreed on the leading Principles or great Outlines of their Plan and appointed a Committee to put it into Form; but we know not what it is, and I believe it is best that we should not.—

I have the Honor to be with great and sincere Esteem and Regard / Dr Sir / Your most obt. & hble: Servt.—