Papers of John Adams, volume 18
th.April 1786
I this day recd. from the Secretary of States Department a letter from the Count D Expilly inclosin one from Mr Lamb, copies of which I have the honor to transmit for Your Excellencies Information.1 Messrs. Lamb and Randall left Barcelona the 11th. Ulto. After their Departure I procured a letter in their favor from his Excy. the Ct. de Florida Blanca to the Ct. D Expilly which I forwarded under cover of the Latter to Mr Lamb.
Until I can have an opportunity of conversing with the Secretary mentioned in the Cts. Letter I cannot particularly ascertain the cause which has retarded the conclusion of the Treaty between Spain & the Regency. The articles were long since adjusted & the
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Money was some time ago landed at Algiers destined for presents &c &. I presume however that new difficulties have arisen on acct. of the desire of this court to obtain a peace for Naples & Portugal; As Letters by the last Post from Carthagena mention that the Envoys from these Courts for that Object were waiting there to receive Intelligence from Algiers before they chose to embark for that Place. The Secretary from thence with dispatches to the Ministry here may possibly remove these Obstacles, or at least give some insight with respect to the Extraordinary delay which the Ct D Expilly has experienced in his Negotiation. The only obstacle to prevent its termination after the one before mentioned must arise from the Quantum of money to be paid by Spain to the Algerines. This court wishes to diminish, the Regency to augment the amount of the sum appropriated to this use.
I am very apprehensive that a truce for a short period will be the Utmost that we shall be able to Obtain. I am persuaded that the Ct. D Expilly will employ all the influence & experience he hath acquired by his residence there to render us service, in which he will perfectly second the views of his Court.
It is unnecessary for me to enter into any details respecting the Mission of Mr Barclay. I flatter myself that he is convinced that I have done every which depended on me to fulfill your Excys intentions in sending that Gentleman to Madrid: I cannot however refrain from mentioning the exceeding Liberal & friendly conduct of his Excy. the Ct. de Florida Blanca on this Occasion. The Manner of conferring adds greatly to the Obligation conferred.
I have the honor to be / with the highest respect / your Excellencies / Most Obedt. & Humble Sert.
RC and enclosures (Adams Papers); internal address: “Their Excellencies John Adams / & Ths. Jefferson Esqres.”; endorsed by JA: “Mr Carmichael / 5. April 1786.” For the enclosures see note 1.
Carmichael enclosed copies of letters of 26 March to him from the Conde d’Expilly and John Lamb that are at that date in the Adams Papers. According to Lamb, he and Paul R. Randall arrived in Algiers on 25 March, but only through d’Expilly’s intervention did they obtain “liberty to land,” and then only after their trunks were searched. Lamb, who had not yet reported to either commissioner, asked Carmichael to relay news of his progress, adding, “Do not leave me in this Country & not write me.”
Thomas Barclay also wrote to JA on 5 April (Adams Papers). In Barclay’s very similar letter to Thomas Jefferson of the same day, he provided a report on the Algerian mission similar to Carmichael’s, but he also noted that the American captives had “behaved with the utmost decorum [and] were made extreamly happy” by Lamb’s arrival (Jefferson, Papers
, 9:376–377). With his letter to JA, Barclay included a copy of his letter to Jefferson, referring JA to it for news of Lamb’s mission. In addition Barclay wrote that Spain was close
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to joining a defensive compact with France, Sweden, and the Netherlands and thought that Britain would form a counter-treaty with “some of the Northern powers.” He indicated that he would keep JA informed concerning his mission to Morocco. In a 15 April letter he informed JA that he was about to leave Madrid and had drawn a bill of £250 (both Adams Papers).
The letter from Carmichael to the commissioners and Barclay’s 5 April letter to JA were received while Jefferson was in London and probably arrived in the same packet, for Barclay’s letter to JA is endorsed “Mr Barclay & Mr Carmichael.” Jefferson replied to Carmichael’s letter on 5 May, following his return to Paris (Jefferson, Papers
, 9:448–449).
th.1786
We do ourselves the Honor of transmitting to you a Duplicate of our Letters to yourself, and the Commissioners of the Dutch Loans of the 7th: and 22d: March last.1 The latter together with one of this Date addressed to the same Gentlemen & Enclosing a Bill in their Favor on Messrs: Wilhem, and Jan Willink of Amsterdam, we Request the Favor of you to forward by the first Mail—2 Our Letter to the Commissioners is left open for your Perusal, by which you will find, that our Directions to those Gentlemen are to Appropriate the Proceeds of this Bill for the Purpose specified in the Resolve of Congress of the 14th: Feby. 1785 relative to the proposed Treaties with the Barbary Powers, in Case the Monies appropriated for this Object have not been drawn out of their hands, previous to the Receipt of this Bill: but in Case this Event has taken Place our Orders are to discount the Bill, and to apply the Proceeds for the Payment of the Dutch Interest, which becomes due on the first of June next— This Remittance, added to the Sum of Thirty thousand Dollars, which will be remitted to them for the same Purpose by Messrs: Constable Rucker & Co. in pursuance of a Contract made with this Board will very nearly Compleat the whole Sum of Interest which will become due on that day; the Deficiency we trust will be made up by additional Subscriptions to the Loan; but should this not be the Case, we must request you not to draw the whole Monies appropriated for the Barbary Treaties out of the hands of the Commissioners (if not already done) relying on our taking Measures to remit, with all possible Dispatch to those Gentlemen a further Sum of Twenty-thousand Dollars, with Directions to apply it in the first Instance to make up any Deficiency arising on this Account on the Sum of Eighty Thousand Dollars, appropriated for the Purpose above mention’d—
We have the Honor to be with great / Esteem, Your Obedt: Humble: Servts:
Walter Livingston
RC and enclosures (Adams Papers); internal address: “Honble: John Adams Esqr. / Minister Plenipoteniary / from the United States to the / Court of Great Britain.” Dupl (Adams Papers); addressed: “The Honble / John Adams Esqr. Minister / Plenipy. of the United States / to the Court of / London”; endorsed: “Board of Treasury. / 6. Ap. 1786.”
For the copies of the board’s 7 March letter in the Adams Papers, including the one enclosed with this letter, see note 1 to that letter, above. The enclosed 22 March letter to the consortium reported on the progress of the impost, indicated that funds for the Barbary negotiations would be remitted to it, commented on the De la Lande & Fynje bankruptcy, and expressed its hope that the favorable attitude of the States General would facilitate the consortium’s completion of the 1784 Dutch loan. It is not known when JA received the duplicate. For the bankruptcy, see vol. 17:index, Loan consortium.
JA forwarded the board’s letter to the Dutch bankers with his letter to them of 19 May 1786, below. In a reply of the same day to the board, also below, he advised that Congress should rely on collecting the impost to raise the necessary funds, since the Algerian and Moroccan missions had advanced to a degree that it was “not in my Power to withhold the Money appropriated for that Service.”