We feel ourselves very much beholden to your Excellency, for your Condescension to favour us with Your respected letter of the 24th Inst:, but especially so, for the friendlÿ and sympathysing manner, 285in which your Excelly hath been pleased to express himself. We thank you most Sincerely for having already before the receipt of our Letter, written in our favour to the Honourable Board of the Treasurÿ and if on a minute Scruting our character is found free from any fraudulous intentions, we beg to claim your further protection, and to Sollicit your Excelly to continue to intercede in our behalf.

Messrs Willink & van Staphorst have hinted to us, that our agreement with Mr Geyer hath been misrepresented, as if the money which hath been Stipulated to be furnished by us into that Partnership, was really money we had in hand, belonging to the United States, whereas it was part of monies intrusted to us by Several individuals, for the very purpose to carry on the American Trade. We have made no difficulty to let them have an English Copy of it, and we do not doubt, but they will transmit it to your Excellency this post, and will also explain to your Excellencÿ that the arrangement with Mr Geyer hath made with his Creditors in England, if even it shd be thought partial, which however we don’t pretend to say it is, yet is made without our Concurrency.

Those Gentn: are also authorised by the chief part of our Creditors here, together with Messrs Clicquet & Co & Couderc & Brants, to take upon them jointly with us the further management and liquidation of our affairs. Every part of it therefore must be laid open to them; they will see the whole of our Transactions; and as they are men of abilities and Gentlemen, we most chearfully leave to them the vindication of our Character, and submit to their judgment, whether we deserve Lenity or Rigour

We certainly cannot but expect (how painful this may be to our feelings) but our conduct will be Subjected to misrepresentation, may be, even to slander. To this we must Submit, and have no other remedy against it, but to beg those whose good opinion is most valuable for us, not to condemn us unheard. May we therefore intreat your Excellencÿ if our conduct or any part thereof, should appear mysterious or dubious, or be represented in a wrong light to your Excellency, to favour us with your remarks, and to rest assured that every explanation your Excellency may require, shall be most faithfully given by us, as this is a right we owe our Creditors, and—may we add—we owe ourselves.

Permit us to Subscribe ourselves with due Sentiments of regard / Your Excellency’s / most devoted humble Servants

We refer to what we had the Honor to write you last post, and now send you inclosed a Copy of the Articles of Partnerschip between Geyer and De la Lande & Fynje.1 We don’t believe you’ll find it a fraudulent Contract, at least on the part of De la Lande & fynje, who certainly are not benefited by it, on the contrary it appears to us, that they rather acted imprudently, and depended too much upon casualities, and a flattering Picture, which had been made to them of the Success of the undertakings. As to the Arrangement which is now made at London, we don’t believe that De La Lande & fynje can be blamed for it, as it was made by Mr. Geyer in virtue of the Power, which he thinks to posses as active Partner. The House in London being kept up by the Assistance of some People, the English Creditors, to the Amount of about £40,000. Sterlg., consented to wait for the payment till remittances are made, provided they shall be paid out of the first returns, before the Partners in the House can get any Part of their Stock or Advances, and in consequence of this, Powers were Sent out to attack the Property in Ameria. This whole arrangement was made without the knowledge of De la Lande & Fynje, and consequently without their consent. Notwithstanding this we don’t see any possibility to alter it, and we fear that any Step taken to this Purpose would involve the Estate into extensive Lawsuits, which would certainly injure the Interest of the Concern’d. We think your Excellency being fully acquainted with the Brittish and American Laws, and in the Situation to take every Information on the matter, is a competent Judge, and we will thank you for your Advice, how to conduct ourselves, assuring that you’ll find us disposed to do every thing for the benefit of our Principals, which is consistent with Honour and the Laws of this Country; And it is with this Intention, and in order to have at all times Inspection into the Business, that we consented to accept, jointly with two Gentlemen out of the Number of the other Creditors, to be appointed Trustees of the Estate, which we certainly would have 287declined, in consideration of the great Trouble it will cause us, unless we had immagined that we were obliged to it by our relation to Congress.— For the remainder in case it should prove that Congres, and the Creditors in Holland were prejudiced by Mr. Geyer’s arrangement, we think it proves at the same Time the inconveniency of the Priviledge of private Attatchments, which we learn is established by the American Laws, and it may afford an Inducement to the Legislatures of the different States to make more equitable Institutions, which we think, Independent of this Instance, is highly necessary to estab[lish] American Credit in Europe.

We remain most respectfull, and with Esteem / Sir / Your most humb. Obedt. Servts.