Papers of John Adams, volume 13
1782-07-10
I inclose you a Letter to Messrs Gerbrand Ravekes, and J. G. Thin Van Keulen,1 and request you to pay them, the Sum of f1281:12s, and take up the Lease, and a Receipt in full for half a years Rent in Arrear, and for the Loss and Expences upon the present year, arrising from their Letting the House to another with my Consent. This Sum you will please to charge to the United States of America.
I inclose you also the Account of Mr Hodshon, for Thirty Seven Florins and twelve, which I request you to send him, and charge it also to the Same Account.2
I Sent you Sometime ago, the Second Thousand of Obligations Signed by me, the Receipt of which you have not yet acknowledged. By Mr Barclay, I sent you, Three Dispatches to Congress, for their Ratification of the obligations, and two other Copies of my Letter to enable you to make up two more Similar dispatches, which will be quintuplicate.3
You will please also to acknowledge the Receipt of these, and send one of them, by one Vessell and another by another, that some 173one May arrive, and We may be sure of receiving the Ratification in Time. I wish also that you would write to Congress and inform them, how much Money, they may safely draw upon you for, and by what time.4 You will be Sure not to exceed. You had better be a few hundred Thousand Guilders under, than any Thing above the Sum because there are bills every day arriving, which were drawn two years ago upon Mr Laurens, which I accept upon the Supposition that you will be able to pay them, five or Six months hence.
10 July, above.
See John Hodshon to JA, 4 July, above.
The three dispatches and two letters that Barclay carried to the consortium were copies of JA's second letter of 5 July to Robert R. Livingston, above. The dispatches presumably included the letter with five copies of the loan contract for one million guilders in Dutch and English enclosed. Two other copies were sent with the intention that the consortium complete the dispatches by enclosing five copies of the loan contract with each before sending them off. For the consortium's transmission of the five dispatches with their letter of 11 July to Robert R. Livingston (PCC, No. 78, XIV, f. 523–526), see their reply of 11 July to JA, below.
Ostensibly this led to their letter of 11 July to Livingston, although they presumably would have written to Livingston without any instruction from JA.
1782-07-11
In Consequence of Your Excellencys request,1 We have Sent the Accounts to Mrs DelaLande & Fynje and these Gentn: in combination with Mrs W & J Willink, and N & J Van Staphorst, have paid the Same, against double receipts for each. We added to that of Your Excellencys private acct: f 12:15:— for the frame of Young Mr Adams's picture in conformity to our last.2 We Could as to ourselves have no objection against any body whatsoever Seeing these accounts and are as well Satisfi'd with this mode of payment as any other, happy to See an end of that matter. We thank your Excellency for the acceptance of the 2 bills you were pleasd to return us and have the honour to be Sir Your Excellencys Most Obedient & very humble Servants
8 July, above.
5 July, above.