Papers of John Adams, volume 15
st.July 1783.
Mr. Laurens & Son arrived here last Evening from Paris— I waited upon them immediately, and learnt that they were going over to England as soon as Mr. Barclay should arrive, which will be to day, in all probability, as he left Paris the 29th. instant.
Capt Barney, it seems, is directed to give Mr. Laurens a Passage to Portsmouth, which is but a short run from hence— Mr. Laurens will, upon landing, go off for London, & do the business he is sent upon, (which you know better than I) and then dispatch Barney— This will take up about four days at farthest after his Arrival in London— I know not the Object of his so speedy Return to England—but imagine it is to know what some folks will or will not do.—1
As this opportunity by the Packet, if She should go over, will be so good, & as the Captain has offered me a place, I mean to improve it. It will be less expensive than going to Dieppe, or even taking Passage in any other Vessel from hence.
’Tis hinted that the present Ministry are very uneasy on the Saddle, & that a Change is talked of— When I get over, I will enquire into the Truth of the matter, & inform you— Another piece of News is, that there is a large Fleet fitting out in England, but for what purpose, I have not heard— But you are in a better Situation for Intelligence than I am at present, & will therefore more easily determine the Truth or falsehood of the Reports.
You will please to remember me affectionately to your Son, & believe me to be, with an invariable Attachment, / Sir, your most obedient Servant.
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excelly. Mr. Adams.”
Henry Laurens’ haste in returning to England was probably owing to his desire to meet with Charles James Fox about Britain’s receiving an American minister, for which see Laurens’ 9 Aug. letter to the commissioners, and note 1, below.
31 July 1783]1
Your Excellency’s Letter for the Honourable R: Livingston Esqr. by want of Ships opportunity we recommanded this morning to the Care of Mr. Brush, and having received with the french mail the inclosed, we forward it immediately.2
We have had a great deal of trouble with the Coachman, who made his acct. that the hire agreed upon of 2ƒ a day till the return made already till now
| 290 days 2ƒ | ƒ580— |
and then pretended Sixty pounds for the Coach, we aft. a great deal of talking Settled with him for |
ƒ750 in all |
| for we Considered that if your Excellency had returned With the Coach, Said hire’d have been pay’d, so deducting of the | ƒ750— |
| Said hire rent | 580— |
| the Coach in Reality only costs | ƒ170— |
to you and the repairs in paris at
|
"400 |
| Leaves the Coach to you | ƒ570— |
now repaired in good order, whch. we Consider at a very moderate price and cheap. We flatter ourselves your Excellency ’ll be pleased With this transaction being said ƒ750 charged to the acct. of the United States.
We pay our Compliments to the Young Mr. Adams and have the honour to be With respectfull Regard. / Sir / Your most Humb Servants
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “To his Excellency John Adams Esqr / at the Hague.” Filmed at [5–6 Aug. 1783].
This date is derived from the Willinks’ reference to charging the f750 for the coach “to the acct. of the United States.” They did so on 31 July (DNA:RG 39, Foreign Ledgers, Public Agents in Europe, 1776–1787, Microfilm, Reel 1, f. 366). JA and JQA had returned to The Hague on the 30th (JQA, Diary
, 1:176).
The letter to Robert R. Livingston may be that of 28 July, above, the only letter that JA wrote to Livingston during his visit to Amsterdam. JA may also have sent the Willinks copies of the six letters—30 and 31 July, above, and 1, 2, and 3 (2) Aug., below—that he wrote to Livingston following his return to The Hague. In a letter of 8 Aug. (Adams Papers), the Willinks indicated that they had given six letters to Eliphalet Brush, who was going to depart the following morning. The letter “received with the french mail” cannot be identified with certainty but may be John Jay’s of 26 July, above, in which Jay mentions the treaty with Denmark. See JA’s reference to that treaty and Jay in his 1 Aug. letter to Livingston, below.