July, at which time their distribution in this country was prohibited. How long the prohibition may continue I cannot tell. As far as I can judge, it is the only paper in Europe worth reading. Since the suppression of the packet boats I have never been able to find a safe conveyance for a letter to you till the present by Mrs. Barclay. Whenever a confidential person shall be going from thence to London I shall send my letters for you to the care of Mr. Trumbull, who will look out for safe conveyances. This will render the epochs of my writing very irregular. There is a proposition under consideration for establishing packet boats on a more economical plan from Havre to Boston. But its success is uncertain, and still more its duration. I have the honor to be, &c., TH: JEFFERSON. Reply of the King to the Deputies and Commissioners of the States of Brittany. Translation. I have read the memorial which you delivered me. I had already read that which preceded it, and you need not have recalled them to my memory. I shall always receive any representations which are made to me in the forms prescribed. The assembly which deputed twelve gentlemen were not authorized, not having asked permission for the purpose. Those deputies have themselves convoked a more irregular assembly at Paris. I have thought it proper to punish them. The means to merit my clemency is not to continue in Brittany, by illegal assemblies, the cause of my discontent. The commissions which you have been charged with, to request the reëstablishment of Brittany, must not precede the conduct they must observe. They must not solicit for a mark of my confidence, while I am forced to give them these of my animadversion. But these personal punishments, which the good order and maintenance of my authority require, do not in any manner alter my affection for my province of Brittany. Your States will be assembled in the month of October. It is from them that I shall know the views of the province. I will attend to their representations, and will have that regard for them which they may merit. Your privileges shall be considered. In shewing me fidelity and submission, all may hope for my goodness; and the greatest complaint that my subjects will have in their power against me, is forcing me to acts of rigor and severity. My intention is that you return to-morrow to your functions. Extract from Silas Deane's Account Book-Account against Congress. ....... Livres. ..186,518 2 10 ..20,000 0 0 Amount brought up. Sundries, (advances made to several officers)..... 1779. To my expenses in Philadelphia, from August, 1778, to Novem ber, 1779, for myself, servant, and three horses, being fifteen months, which I paid, part in hard money, part in paper, which, computed at 90 livres per week, though less than what it cost me, I am content with, fifteen months is sixty-five weeks, at 90... November, 1780. To expenses of journey to Virginia, in continental ...... currency, dollars.... To do. paid board and lodging at Williamsburg, in Vir ..... ... 2,658 ..18,193 ginia for a passage,... ... 5,850 0 0 Thirty for one, the medium rate of exchange at the time is 898 June. To paid for rum, sugar, tea, &c., &c., for passage. Passage for self, secretary, and servant. .... .4,492 10 0 625 0 0 ..... 1,500 0 0 120 10 0 The maitre d'hotel and servant on board the Roderique... July. Expenses at Rochefort....... Do. at Rochelle...... Hire of the voirture to Nantes.. August. On the road to Nantes for horses, &c.... Expenses at Nantes ..... ...... Posts to Paris, and expenses on the road... Hire of the carriage from Nantes to Paris...... To cash advanced Captain Hy. Johnson, April, 1778, as per his receipt, dated December 12, 1778. July. To my time, from June 4th, 1778, to July, 1780, being two years and one month for myself, secretary, and servant, the use of my horses, carriage, &c., in America, during which time I attended solely on Congress, and in returning to settle Carried forward..... ..220,902 15 10 Brought forward...... Livres. ....220,902 15 10 .......20,863 64 their accounts, for which an allowance of 10,000 livres per ......13,000 0 0 ..... To cash paid W. T. Franklin towards family expenses, by an To wrong charge of April 9th, 1777, being the disbursements .... 4,000 0 0 1,440 0 0 9,706 16 5 To wrong charge, included in the general of 30th March, 1778, To cash charged by M. Grand, delivered to order of Franklin .... To sundry bills paid by Doctor Franklin after my leaving To cash paid Bousies's bill for wine, January and April, 1778, January, 1781. To paid bill for painting coach-wheels, November, 2,400 0 0 294 0 0 16 0 0 323,847 17 7 Deduct wrong charges in sundry entries, entered before in FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN JAY. Sir, Paris, August 10, 1788. I have waited till the last moment of Mrs. Barclay's departure to write you the occurrences since my letter of 3d instant. We have received the Swedish account of an engagement between their fleet and the Russian, on the Baltic, wherein they say they took one and burnt another Russian vessel, with the loss of one on their side, and that the victory remained with them. They say at the same time that their fleet returned into port, and the Russians kept the sea. We must therefore suspend our opinion till we get the Russian version of this engagement. The Swedish manifesto was handed about to-day at Versailles, by the Swedish Ambassador, in manuscript. The King complains that Russia has been ever endeavoring to sow dissensions in his kingdom, in order to reëstablish the ancient constitution; that he has long borne it through a love of peace, but finds it no longer bearable; that still, however, he will make peace on these conditions: 1st, that the Empress punishes her Minister for the note he gave into the Court of Stockholm; 2d, that she restores the Crimea to the Turks; and 3d, that she repays to him all the expenses of his armament. The Russian force in vessels of war on the Black sea-five frigates and three ships of the line-are shut up in port, and cannot come out till Oczakow shall be taken. This fleet is commanded by Paul Jones, with the rank of Rear Admiral. The Prince of Nassau commands the galleys and gunboats. It is now ascertained that the States General will assemble the next year, and probably in the month of May. Tippoo Saib's Ambassadors had their reception this day at Versailles with unusual pomp. The presence was so numerous that little could be caught of what they said to the King, and he answered to them. From what little I could hear, nothing more passed than mutual assurances of good will. The name of the Mareschal de Richlieu is sufficiently remarkable in history to justify my mentioning his death, which happened two days ago; he was aged 92 years. I have the honor to be, &c., TH: JEFFERSON. Sir, FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN JAY. Paris, August 11, 1788. In my letter of the last night, written in the moment of Mrs. Barclay's departure, I had the honor of mentioning to you that it was now pretty certain that the States General would be assembled in the next year, and probably in the month of May. This morning an arrêt is published, announcing that their meeting is fixed at the first day of May next, of which I enclose you a copy by post, in hopes it will get to Bordeaux in time for Mrs. Barclay. This arrêt ought to have a great effect towards tranquillizing the nation. There are still, however, two circumstances which must continue to perplex the Administration. The first is the want of money, occasioned not only by the difficulty of filling up the loan of the next year, but by the withholding the ordinary supplies of taxes, which is said to have taken place in some instances. This gives apprehension of a bankruptcy under some form or other, and has occasioned the stocks to fall in the most alarming manner. The second circumstance is, that justice, both civil and criminal, continues suspended. The Parliament will not resume their functions but with the whole body, and the greater part of the baillages decline acting. The present arrêt announces a perseverance in this plan. I am informed from Algiers, of the 5th of June, that the plague is raging there with great violence; that one of our captives was dead of it, and another ill; so that we have there in all now only fifteen or sixteen; that the captives are more exposed to its ravages than others; that the great redemptions by the Spaniards, Portuguese, and Neapolitans, and the havoc made by the plague had now left not more than four hundred slaves in Algiers, so that their redemption was not only become exorbitant, but almost inadmissible; that common sailors were held at four hundred pounds sterling, and that our fifteen or sixteen could probably not be redeemed for less than from twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars. An Algerine cruiser having twenty-eight captives of Genoa aboard, was lately chased ashore by two Neapolitan vessels. The crew and captives got safe ashore, and the latter of course recovered their freedom. The Algerine crew was well treated, and would be sent back by the French, but the Government of Algiers demand of France sixty |