Papers of John Adams, volume 17

To William Short, 30 August 1785 Adams, John Short, William
To William Short
Sir Grosvenor Square Westminster August 30: 1785

I have received your Favour of the 23. and I hope e’er this time the Baron has received Orders to Sign in both Languages. This is a favourite Point with me; but yet I would not make it a Sine qua non. I would urge it with decency, but give it up at last if it could not be [avoid]ed. Our Treaty with France is in English and French. That with [Ho]lland is in English and Dutch, and neither made any objection to it.

I am Sorry you did not inclose me a List of the Errata: I have a Copy in both Languages, taken while you was here. I Should be obliged to you for a Copy by the next Post. My Regards to Mr Madam & Miss Dumas. I am too ill, of a violent Cold, to write 379him to day. I will Send his Letters to N. York by Mr Storer, who will Sail next Week. With great Esteem, I have the / Honour to be, Sir your most obedient / and most humble servant

John Adams.—

RC (DLC:William Short Papers); internal address: “William Short Esqr.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 111. Text lost where the seal was removed has been supplied from the LbC.

From Christian Lotter, 30 August 1785 Lotter, Christian Adams, John
From Christian Lotter
May it please Your Excellency! Hague, September [August] the 30st: 1785.1

A Surprize, nourished from the contents of the inclosed from Messrs: Willink & Comp:, obliges me to an immediate address to Your Excellency, as those contents are quite the contrary to Your Excellency’s written and verbal promisses, to Stay in the Service, and that Your Excely: would graciously condescend to favour me with a recommendation to Your Successor.

Your Excellency will graciously be pleased to consider an impossibility to leave the hotel at Such Short a notice having by Your own advice brought my Effects and Family into it, and by a candid prospect and reliance upon Such firm promisses as Yours have fairly given up my lodgings, and to look for new once, at this time when all decent lodgings are occupied, and too far remote from the place of my employment, to Seek for Shelter in an obscure corner, I am Sure, is not Your Excelys: desire, nor can they, be consistent with Your Principles, for they are too well Known to me, and upon those in return I have Serv’d You, equally responsable to God and Men; another impediment equally unpleasing to me is the removal of my effects back and forwards, and the expences occurring upon it.

Messrs: Willink & Comp: are pleased to instruct me with the reason of this change, first, that the hotel conveniently can be Shut, is no doubt, but I assert that it will be more profitable to the hotel, when occupied, by which means it gets cleaned and aired at proper times, especially in rainy and Snowy Seasons, when, if no immediate assistance is at hand, the whole house would Stand under water; the Second is, that expences be Saved for Congress of which I have the honor to assure Your Excely: that I never intended to bring Congress any Single unnecessary, much less fraudulent expences in account, and in case this Should be the only reason for my quitting the hotel, I willingly Shall drop my Salary nor troubling the United 380States with any other expences; As for mentioning of the Turf, I have put up a provision in expectation of Your return to the Hague, otherwise for my own Consumption; and ready to Keep it to my own charge.

Undeservedly as I have incurred Your Excellencys displeasure upon me, I most humbly beg of Suspention of the orders of Messrs: Willink, at least till I am properly provided with convenient lodgings.

I most humbly request my obedient and dutiful Service to the Ladies, and remain with all possible respect / Your Excellencys / most devoted and humble Servant

C: Lotter.

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mr Lotter / Aug. 30. 1785.”

1.

In his reply of 4 Sept. (LbC, APM Reel 111), JA reminded Lotter that “the whole power of the hotel” and the question of his compensation now rested with the loan consortium, for which see JA’s letter to the consortium, also of 4 Sept., below.