Papers of John Adams, volume 21
ca. 6 October 1791
Agreeably to my instructions from the Directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia, I have the honor of communicating to you the following copies of their Resolutions—1
At a special Meeting of the Directors January 18th: 1791
“The Directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia, desirous of shewing a respectful mark of attention to the President and Congress of the United States—Resolve that the President, and Members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives of the United States shall have the free use of the Books in the Library in as full and ample a manner as if they were Members of the Company—[”]
At a Meeting of the Directors October 6th: 1791
“Resolv’d—that the Resolution of the 18th of January last be extended to the present
Congress of the United States and that the Secretary be directed to furnish
a Copies of the said Resolution to 69 the
President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the house of
Representatives[”]
Secretary to the Directors
of the Library Company
of Philadelphia
RC (DNA:RG 46, Records of the U.S.
Senate); addressed: “John Adams Esquire / Vice President of the United /
States and President of the / Senate”; docketed: “2d. Cong: Sess: 1st: / Resolution / of the Library Company / of Philadelphia
offer / ing to the Senate the / use of their Books. / October 6 /
1791.”
Philadelphia lawyer Benjamin Rawle Morgan (1765–1840)
acted as secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia from 1792 to
1825. In 1791 the directors were Joseph Paschall, Mordecai Lewis, Josiah
Hewes, Thomas Parke, Richard Wells, Benjamin Gibbs, John Kaighn, Thomas
Morris, Benjamin Poultney, and Richard Wister. JA laid this
notice before the Senate on 27 Oct. (Washington, Papers,
Presidential Series
, 17:175; George Maurice Abbot,
A Short History of the Library Company of
Philadelphia, Phila., 1913, p. 27, 28, 29; Pennsylvania Mercury, 7 May; U.S. Senate, Jour.
, 2d Cong., 1st sess., p.
328).
By special request of my Brother at Alicante I have the
Honour of communicating to your Excellency in his name of the demise of the
Dey of Algeirs on the 12th of July, and that the Minister Ali Hassan Who Was
Always Mr Montgomerys friend is now Dey and that S’or
Soliman an Algerun Nobleman Who paid him a Visit at Alicante is promoted in
consequance1
from these circumstances Mr
Montgomery has no doubt that Something might be don at this Critical period
towards a peace if proper measures were adopted by Congress
Interim I have the Honour to remn, / Sir / Your Excellencys / Obt
Humbl Servt
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “To His Excelly John Adams
Esqr / Vice President.”
Mohammad ibn Uthman, dey of Algiers, died on 12 July.
His successor was Sidi Hassan the Turk, later known as Ali Hassan
Bashaw, who ruled until his death in 1798. In the view of Montgomery’s
brother, Robert, an Irish-born merchant based in the region, Hassan was
a former chief admiral and treasurer who “showed partiality for the
United States” and paid for the medical treatment of the American
captives held in Algiers. The new dey was aided by advisor and diplomat
Suliman Benchellon, “a Moore of some Learning and Knowledge of European
Languages and manners” (vol. 20:93,
463–464; H. G. Barnby, The Prisoners of Algiers: An Account of the
Forgotten American-Algerian War 1785–1797, London, 1966, p. 95;
Jefferson, Papers
, 20:678–679; Washington, Papers, Presidential Series
,
16:676).