I do myself the Honor to enclose for your Perusal Acts of Congress of the twenty seventh of November and third of December 1781, and the fourteenth and twenty third Instant.1 In Consequence I have to request that all Bills hitherto drawn by Authority of Congress be paid, and the Accounts of those Transactions closed. After this is done, and I hope and beleive that while I am writing this Letter it may have been already accomplished, you will be freed from the Torment and Perplexity of attending to Money Matters. I am persuaded that this Consideration will be highly pleasing to you, as such Things must necessarily interfere with your more important Attentions.

I have long since requested the Secretary of foreign Affairs to desire you would appoint an Agent or Attorney here to receive and remit your Salary, which will be paid quarterly: in the mean Time it is paid to him for your Use.2 As to any contingent Expenses which may arise, I shall readily make the necessary Advances upon Mr Livingston's Application. These Arrangements will I hope be both useful and agreable to you.

Your letter of the 22nd April has been delivered to me by Mr. Peter Paulus1 to whom I shall most chearfully Afford such advice or countenance as he may stand in need of. But it seems this Gentlemans wants are not confined to those Points, he applies to me for a Supply of Money to set up his Trade, I have explained that your desires in his favor do not extend to the advance of Money, and I am exposed by my Station to too many such Applications, they have indeed proved extreamly inconvenient and I am compelled to resist them all in my Power, it is probable that I shall be obliged to Number this Gentleman in the list of those whose Necessities encrease my advances.

I congratulate your Excellency most Sincerely on the event of the 19th April from which I hope and expect that our Country will derive essential benefits.

Just returned from a Tour through Hungaria, I have the Satisfaction of recieving your very Kind Favor of Augt. the 18th. inclosed in Mr. Bosset's Letter, the Resident of two german Courts at the Hague,1 whose ill-grounded Scruples have been the Cause of the long Detention of mÿ preceding application to Your Excellency, of april 11th. from Münich.2 I am happy to hear from your own honored Self, the final Reception of mÿ Letter, along with the Speedy Conveÿance of its Contents to Mr. H. Laurens, at Nantes, for which 493please to accept mÿ warmest Thanks. Not having, as yet, had the Pleasure of hearing from that worthy Patriote, I this Day write to him again, under Cover of the Widow Babut & Des bouchéres, at Nantes, to inform him of the present Place of my abode, and of mÿ Direction, under Cover A Monsr. le Baron de Fichtel, Agent du St. Empire Romain, á Vienne.

Alltho' my Law-Suite against a great Knave of a Debtor, now in this Capital be likely decided next Week, I shall not stirr from hence, before I am honored with Yr. Exc's. or Mr. Laurens's Commands, that I maÿ direct my steps accordingly, towards the latter End of next Month.

Previous to my Return to Switzerland, mÿ native Country, it might perhaps not be improper to visit Venice, to Sound the Dispositions of its Leaders, concerning the american independent and united States, and to laÿ a proper Foundation for a political, as well as a mercantile Connection with that respectable Free-State. The whole with the utmost Prudence and Secrecy, when Authorised, and Supported thereunto by Congress.

An immediate, direct, and free Intercourse with that maritime Commonwealth would pave the Waÿ to other Connections with Genoa, with Lucca, with Florence and Leghorne, with Naples and Sicily, with Turky and the Levant, with Trieste and Fiume, and give great Weight to any Subsequent Négociation with the Cantons of Switzerland; if it was but for their pecuniarÿ present Assistence. These, Yr. Exccy. Knows, are objects of no small Moment, which I have given due Attention to; and in which, I may flatter my self, from my local Knowledge of those several states, their Language, Policies, Laws, and Circumstances, to render our great Cause of publick Liberty, no small Services, when approved of, and encouraged thereto by Superior Comand.

Happy, if by the Exertion of my poor abilities, with indefatigable Zeal, Fidelitÿ and Attachment, I can further entitle my self to Yr. Excy's. Kind Esteem and Protection.