The acquaintance I had the honor to make with you in 1776 & the high opinion I then entertained of your Abilities & goodness of disposition—emboldens me at this time to address you by the hands of my Son Carter who will deliver you this Letter.1

He goes to London under my power of Attorney to put a finishing hand to a Suit in Chancery of considerable consequence to me & which has been depending upwards of thirty years in their high Court of Chancery. The delays which have been unwarrantably practised convince me that Americans are not treated with that Justice they ought to be. Apprehensive that similiar deceptions may be offered to a young Man I have made free to solicit your advice to him in the Counsell he should consult & in the proper Steps he had better pursue. Your Knowledge in the Law enables you to give Advice & your elevated Station demands respect to every Opinion. As far as you can interfere in a Business of this sort you will greatly oblige me by giving Aid to my Son. I am perswaded he will not become troublesome to you or make an ill Use of any private instructions you may think proper to favour him with. At all times I shall rejoice at an Opportunity to oblige you.

It would be presumptuous in an Individual to attempt to furnish you with any intelligence of American Affairs, as I presume you are fully instructed by Congress by every Conveyance.

The Convention we are told is broke up—nothing has transpired from their secret Counsells—but a resolution to recommend the appointment of a federal Council under the direction of a President.2 120 This Board is to exist independent of Congress & is to have a negative on all Laws passed by the different States.

However private Men may concur in this Sentiment which undoubtedly will give permanency to our Laws & Stability to our Governments—yet I fear such an abridgment of Power will not be relished by the different Assemblies.

It is pity the Confederation had not reserved this power to Congress of determining upon the propriety of Laws. The power would have been given at that Day, but I fear another Day, will not arrive untill similiar apprehensions compell a union of disinterested Conduct.

Some directing, super intending power must be necessary, to preserve a System somewhat uniform throughout America. That Justice in one State may be so in another & due attention paid to the rights of Individuals. That our national Engagements may be fulfilled & commercial Regulations made to correspond.

To these your comprehensive Mind will add many more Benifits resulting from such a power. You will I presume have the particulars of this grand Meeting very soon transmitted to you & my observations will be too trifling to merit yr. attention

I beg pardon for the liberty taken in this Letter & am Sir / with great regard yr. hum Sert.

Frouillé, the bookseller here who is engaged in having your book translated and printed, understanding that you were about 121 publishing a sequel to it, has engaged me to be the channel of his prayers to you to favor his operation by transmitting hither the sheets of the sequel as they shall be printed; & he will have them translated by the same hand, which is a good one.1

It is necessary for me to explain the passage in mr̃ Barclay’s letter of July 13th. of which he writes me he had sent you a duplicate, wherein he mentions that I had given him a full dispensation from waiting on you in London.2 mr̃ Barclay was arrested in Bourdeaux for debt & put into prison. the parliament released him after five days on the footing of his being Consul & minister from the U.S. to Marocco. his adversaries applied here to deprive him of his privilege. I spoke on the subject to the minister. he told me that the character of Consul was no protection at all from private arrest, but that he would try to avail him of the other character. I found however that the event might be doubtful, and stated the whole in a letter to mr̃ Barclay, observing at the same time that I knew of nothing which rendered it necessary for him to come to Paris before his departure for America. he determined therefore to go to America immediately which indeed was his wisest course, as he would have been harrassed immediately by his creditors.—3 our funds here have been out some time and mr̃ Grand is at the length of his tether in advancing for us. he has refused very small demands for current occasions, and I am not clear he will not refuse my usual one for salary. he has not told me so, but I am a little diffident of it. I shall know in a few days. whether he does or not, I cannot approve of his protesting small & current occasions calls. having had nothing to do with any other banker, I cannot say what their practice is: but I suppose it their practice to advance for their customers, when their funds happen to be out, in proportion to the sums which they pass thro’ their hands. mr̃ Grand is a very sure banker, but a very timid one, & I fear he thinks it possible that he may lose his advances for the United states. should he reject my draught, would there be any prospect of it’s being answered in Holland, merely for my own & mr̃ Short’s salaries, say 4500 livres a month?— you will have heard that the emperor has put troops into march on account of the disturbances in Brabant. the situation of affairs in Holland you know better than I do. how will they end?— I have the honour to be with sentiments of the most perfect esteem & respect Dear Sir / your most obedient / & most humble servt.