deliberation and discussion of the different legislatures; for such references would sap the foundation of federal government. Whether any and what measures may be necessary to obviate the difficulties you allude to on those points, will best be decided when the nature and extent of them can be ascertained. Your conferences with the Minister will soon put you in capacity to remove all doubts on that head.

May 13th. The attention paid you by the Duke of Dorset, strikes me as marks of his good sense; and the cautious manner in which he compared notes with you, shews that much is not to be expected from his frankness; but, whatever may be the intentions of his Court as to our frontiers, &c. and in whatever degree of silence and mystery they may wish to involve their designs, your first conversation with the Minister on those heads, must furnish you at least with a clue to them.

The expenses of the presentation of yourself and family, will doubtless be considerable, and I have long been of opinion that your salary is not equal to what the expenses of a Minister ought to be; for custom and fashion often exact a tribute, which however just and virtuous to refuse, is often very expedient to pay. In short, your salary is more than what a private gentleman may with care live decently upon, but is less than is necessary to enable you to live as other Ministers usually and generally do. Whether Congress will make any alterations in this respect is very uncertain. There are men in all the States who make a merit of saving money in small matters, without sufficiently attending to the consequences of it.

May 29th. I congratulate you sincerely on your

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arrival in London; and think you were very right in settling all matters of etiquette with the Marquis of Carmarthen previous to your presentation. A letter of credence to the Queen was, I believe, neither heard nor thought of here. I think it would be well to make further enquiries respecting that matter; so that we may form some judgment of the usual tenor and contents of such letters. I wish you had informed me whether such a letter could, with propriety, yet be sent you, or whether it would be better to be silent about the omission, and only take care not to repeat it on a future occasion. Your opinion would be the more decisive, because you may learn with certainty whether such a letter is yet expected from Congress. At any rate, I think it would be well to give assurances that the omission proceeded not from want of respect, but for want of information ; for that, undoubtedly, was the fact.

May 30th. Your communicating to the Danish Minister a copy of the resolution of the 21st March was rendered very proper by M. de St. Saphorin's having been recalled.

On the 25th March last, the papers you alluded to respecting the Morocco business were forwarded to captain Lamb, by a messenger whom he sent for them. At what time exactly he sailed, I am not informed, though I am persuaded it must have been very soon after the return of his messenger.

June 1st. It gives me pleasure to hear that your reception at St. James's was such as you represent it. I flatter myself that the difficulties you expect to encounter will be surmounted, by the like address and temperate perseverance, which gave success to your negotiations in Holland.

I hope by the next conveyance to be enabled to communicate to you some directions of Congress, respecting the payment of the salaries of yourself and the other public Ministers and servants in Europe. I made a report on that subject to Congress the 1st April last, which is still under their consideration.

You will receive some of our latest newspapers, and the journal of Congress from the 1st March to 19th

Yesterday, the ninth of the month, I was presented to the Queen, by my Lord Ailesbury, her Lord Chamberlain, having been attended to his Lordship and introduced to him by the master of the ceremonies. The Queen was attended by her ladies, and I made my compliments to her Majesty in the following words:

"Madam,

"Among the many circumstances which have rendered my mission to his Majesty desirable to me, I have ever considered it as a principal one, that I should have an opportunity of making my court to a great Queen, whose royal virtues and talents, have ever been acknowledged and admired in America, as well as in all nations of Europe, as an example to Princesses and the glory of Permit me, Madam, to recommend to your

her sex.

Majesty's royal goodness, a rising empire and an infant virgin world. Another Europe, Madam, is rising in America. To a philosophical mind, like your Majesty's, there cannot be a more pleasing contemplation, than this prospect of doubling the human species, and augmenting, at the same time, their prosperity and happiness. It will in future ages be the glory of these kingdoms to have peopled that country, and to have sown there those seeds of science, of liberty, of virtue, and permit me, Madam, to add, of piety, which alone constitute the prosperity of nations, and the happiness of the

human race.

"After venturing upon such high insinuations to your Majesty, it seems to be descending too far, to ask, as I do, your Majesty's royal indulgence to a person, who is indeed unqualified for courts, and who owes his elevation to his distinguished honor of standing before your Majesty, not to any circumstances of illustrious birth, fortune, or abilities, but merely to an ardent devotion to his native country, and some little industry and perseverance in her service."

The Queen answered me in these words: "I thank you, Sir, for your civilities to me and my family, and am glad to see you in this country."

The Queen then asked me if I had provided myself with a house. I answered, I have agreed for one, Madam, this morning. She then made her courtesy, and I made my reverence and retired into the drawing room, when the King, Queen, Princess Royal and the younger Princess, her sister, all spoke to me very obligingly. I attended until the drawing room was over, and then returned home.

It has been necessary, in order to guard against false reports and malicious fictions, to reduce to writing what was said in my audience of the King and Queen, and it is the custom of all Ministers to transmit these compliments to their courts.

I transmit them to you in cypher, that they may be exposed to as little criticism as possible, as the Court knew very well that the eyes of all nations were fixed upon these audiences. It may be fairly concluded from them that it is the intention of the royal family and of Ministers to treat America like other foreign powers; but our inferences can go no farther. We cannot infer from this, that they will relax their navigation act for us, any more than for France. We are sure of one thing, that a navigation act is in our power, as well as in theirs, and that ours will be more hurtful to them than to us. In short, it is scarcely possible to calculate to what an height of naval power a navigation act will raise the United States in a few years.

With great esteem, &c.

JOHN ADAMS.

Sir,

FROM JOHN ADAMS TO JOHN JAY.

Westminster, June 17, 1785.

At three o'clock, according to appointment, I went to the Secretary of States' office, in Cleveland Row, St James's, and was immediately received by the Marquis of Carmarthen.

His Lordship began the conversation, by saying that