Last Tuesday Week Mr. Dobrie informed me of an Additional mortification I had received by your refusing to accept my Bill, adding at same time that you informed him You had wrote to me; Since which time I have, without Effect, been waiting for your letter.1 It is to be lamented that such a Fatality should attend your Correspondence as to 368subject your Answers to miscarriage or some other Cause whereby they in general are prevented from reaching the hands of the persons they are addressed to.

I can't however forbear to remind you that without being supplied I cannot go and how to procure such Supply but from you I don't know. There is one method yet by which I may raise the money I want and to which no Scantiness of Funds on your part can be put in Opposition—That is—to indorse a Bill drawn by me upon the president of Congress; No reason, I think can be urged for a refusal of this proposition, As it is every days practice in every nation, And it is well known to you that Ambassadors of every Country never hesitate to indorse their officers Bills.

If this mode, a most disadvantageous one to me, shou'd meet your refusal also, I am afraid it will be attributed in general to an absolute resolution in you not to regard the protection or care what becomes of any officer in the Service of the United States2 (Except some particulars who have received better Treatment.)

No Blame, or at most a little inattention, can be imputed to the honble. the Congress in not having given direct Orders for your proceeding in such Cases, As they certainly look upon it as part of your duty of Course, to give the necessary protection and supply to every one who has the honour to bear a Commission in the Service of America. And I am certain when they shall know that you have omitted it they will give you positive instructions on that head.

Tho' they may not all of them, as some Gentleman may have, laboured for fifteen or twenty years past to bring about this revolution, Yet I dare venture to say they know the interest of their Country too well to neglect any means for the protection of any of its subjects or suffer any one to be treated with Contempt who has a right to require their Assistance. At least I may venture to assure myself they wou'd politely have answered every decent and respectful letter which they received, And which I can't with Justice avoid observing You have most cruelly neglected.

Whatever may be your Determination I hope you will favour me with an answer and shall be glad if it may be any means of taking away the discontent which I am sorry to observe too generally prevails here.

If you shoud imagine that I take too great a Liberty in complaining to you of neglect and inattention—I beg leave to observe that 'tis the privilege and right of every one who thinks himself injured by any one who for the present may be out of the reach (tho' perhaps not always) of other resentment; and that an easy way is open to prevent like Complaints in future.

I have the honour to be with due respect Honble. Gentlemen Your most obedt. and hble. Servant

We had the honour to receive your letter of the 13th of this month in due course, and are thankful for Your Honours polite attention to us.

We are obliged for the transmission of the Copy of the letter which Your Honours received from His Excellency The Count de Vergennes, and with pleasure observe, that in consequence an application had been made to His Excellency, to request, that the Convoy might be sent here without delay.

It is with concern We inform Your Honours, that the weather has been, and still continues so very severe, as to prevent any navigation upon the River, and that We have been obliged for the preservation of our Vessels to lay them on Shore, but so sudden and unexpected was the appearance of the Ice, that we could not do it before they had received more or less damage, and which We are sorry to say cannot be repaired until after the River opens. We flatter ourselves, that the injuries which they have sustained will not be found so considerable, but that they may be refitted in a few days, and which shall be done with all possible dispatch, as soon as the weather permits.

We are sorry, that the King's Service will not admit of a Convoy for our Vessels, quite to America. Your Honours repeated applications for that purpose, merit our grateful thanks. We however hope, and flatter ourselves, that we shall be protected beyond the Western Islands.

We are obliged to Your Honours, for the authentick Copy of the Treaty of Commerce, it being the only one we have seen. Your Honours will be pleased to excuse our saying, that we are surprised you 370should observe to us: “That it has been printed perhaps in every News paper in Europe.” Certainly Your Honours cannot imagine, that We who are so materially interested ought to give faith to such a mode of communicating a transaction of so great, and so important a nature.

The Treaty having been finally, and formally ratifyed We presume to request, that Your Honours will be so obliging as to let us know What Port, or Ports, is, or are, made free, pursuant to the 30th Article?

As the risque of falling into the hands of the Barbary Corsairs, is, a circumstance that gives us serious concern, We should be glad to receive an acceptable information respecting the consequences of the gracious promises contained in the 8th Article, and We pray Your Honours to favour us with your advice, how we ought to proceed, to protect ourselves, and properties, from their violence, and depredations. We did not intend that any expression in our letter should induce Your Honours to think, that we complained of impositions. But, we beg leave to observe, that the Subjects of France can readily, and precisely obtain a certain account of the Imposts, which they are liable to pay, in each of the United States, and it is a knowledge, that we think essential for conducting with satisfaction a Commercial intercourse between the two Countries. However, if the System of Duties and Finances in this Kingdom, is such, as will not permit any alteration, we must submit.

We agree with Your Honours that several branches of American Trade might be carried on with this Kingdom, to more advantage than any other Country of Europe.

With respect to the great, and noble object of our present Contest, Your Honours may be confident, that Patience and Perseverance, shall on our parts never be wanting to obtain it, and We heartily concur in wishing, that the present Year may produce to us the blessing, we have in prospect.

We request that Your Honours will accept our thanks for your friendly wishes, and be assured, that We are with due respect Honourable Gentlemen Your Countrymen and most Obedt. Servants