The following articles being on an equal footing in both countries, are thrown together. (a) By Arrêt of December the 29th. 1787. (c) By Arrêt of August the 30th, 1784. Free, by proclamation. Rum, molasses, sugar, coffee, cocoa nuts, ginger, pis mento, by proclamation. (b) By Arrêt of 1763. (d) By Arrêt of 1688. (e) By Arrêt of 1760. (f) Taken from the Custom House returns of the United States. (g) There is a general law of France prohibiting foreign flour in their islands, with a suspending power to their Governors, in cases of necessity. An Arrêt of May the 9th, 1789, by their Governor, makes it free till August, 1794: and in fact it is generally free there. (b) The Arrêt of September the 18th, 1785, gave a premium of ten livres the kental, on fish brought in their own bottoms, for five years, so that the law expired September the 18th, 1790. Another Arrit, passed a week after, laid a duty of five livres the kental, on fish brought in foreign vessels, to raise money for the premium before mentioned. The last Arrêt was not limited in time; yet seems to be understood as only commensurate with the other. Accordingly, an Arrêt of May the 9th, 1789, has made fish in foreign bottoms liable to three livres the kental only till August the 1st, 1794. (i) The port charges are estimated from bills collected from the merchants of Philadelphia. They are different in different ports of the same country, and different in the same ports on vessels of different sizes. Where I had several bills of the same port, I averaged them together. The dollar is rated at 48. 4d. sterling in England, at 6s. 8d. in the British West Indies, and five livres twelve sous in France, and at eight livres five sous in the French West Indies. Several articles stated to be free in France, do in fact pay one-eighth of a per cent., which was retained merely to oblige an entry to be made in their Custom House books. In like marner, several of the articles stated to be free in England, do in fact pay a light duty. The English duties are taken from the book of rates. (k) The exports to Great Britain and Ireland, are Dollars. 6,888,978 50 Dollars. 1,093,885 2,295,411 552,750 315,887 17,950 32,421 16,724 4,125 4,329,456 Remainder, including their consumption and the unknown re-exportations, 2,559,522. The exportations certainly known, then, are five eighths of the whole. SIR, TO THE PRESIDENT. Philadelphia, January 4, 1792. Having been in conversation to-day with Monsieur Payan, one of the St. Domingo deputies, I took occasion to inquire of him the footing on which our commerce there stands at present, and particularly whether the colonial Arrêt of 1789, permitting a free importation of our flour till 1793, was still in force. He answered, that that Arrêt was revoked in France on the clamours of the merchants there; and with a like permission to carry flour to the three usual ports, and he thinks to bring away coffee and sugar, was immediately renewed by the Governor. Whether this has been regularly kept up by renewed Arrêts, during the present troubles, he cannot say, but is sure that in practice it has never been discontinued, and that not by contraband, but openly and legally, as is understood. The public application to us to send flour there, is a proof of it. Instead, therefore, of resting this permission on a colonial Arrêt till 1793, it should be rested on temporary Arrêts renewed from time to time, as heretofore. This correction of the notes I took the liberty of laying before you, with the table containing a comparative view of our commerce with France and England, I thought it my duty to make. I have the honour to be, With the most perfect respect and attachment, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble servant, SIR, TO THOMAS PINCKNEY. Philadelphia, January 17, 1792. Your favours of November the 29th, 30th, and December the 1st, came duly to hand, and gave sincere pleasure, by announcing your disposition to accept the appointment to London. The nominations to Paris and the Hague having been detained till yours could be made, they were all immediately sent in to the Senate, to wit, yourself for London, Mr. G. Morris for Paris, Mr. Short for the Hague. Some members of the Senate, apprehending they had a right of determining on the expediency of foreign missions, as well as on the persons named, took that occasion of bringing forward the discussion of that question, by which the nominations were delayed two or three weeks. I am happy to be able to assure you, that not a single personal motive with respect to yourself entered into the objections to these appointments. On the contrary, I believe that your nomination gave general satisfaction. Your commission will be immediately made out, but as the opportunities of conveyance at this season are precarious, and you propose coming to this place, I think it better to retain it. As to the delay proposed in your letter, it was to be expected: indeed, a winter passage from Charleston to this place, or across the Atlantic, is so disagreeable, that if either that circumstance or the arrangement of your affairs should render it in the smallest degree eligible to you to remain at home till the temperate season comes on, stay till after the vernal equinox; there will be no inconvenience to the public attending it. On the contrary, as we are just opening certain negotiations with the British minister here, which have not yet assumed any determinate complexion, a delay till that time will enable us to form some judgment of the issue they may take, and to know exactly in what way your co-operation at the place of your destination, may aid us. On this and other accounts, it will be highly useful that you take this place in your way, where, or at New York, you will always be sure of finding a convenient passage to England. I have the honour to be, With the most perfect esteem and respect, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble servant, TO MESSRS. WILLINKS, VAN STAPHORSTS, AND HUBARD. Philadelphia, January 23, 1792. GENTLEMEN, On the 19th of March last, I had the honour to inclose you a bill for ninety-nine thousand florins, drawn on yourselves by the Treasurer of the United States, in favour of the Secretary of State, and I desired you to raise an account with the Secretary of State, and pass that bill to his credit in the account. In my letter of May the 14th, I inclosed you a duplicate of the same bill, and informed you that this money was destined to pay the salaries and contingent expenses of our ministers and agents of every description, from July the 1st, 1790, and nothing else; and I added these words: I must beg the favour of you, also, to make up your account to the close of the last day of June, this present year, into which no expenses are to enter which preceded the 1st day of July, 1790, these being the dates of the appropriation of the law. And lastly, in my letter of August the 5th, I enclosed a triplicate of the same bill, and added, In the mean time, I hope that your account of this fund, from July the 1st, 1790, to June the 30th, 1791, inclusive, is on its way to me, that I may receive it in time to lay before Congress at their meeting; but, in fact, I have neither received the account so much desired, nor even an acknowledgment of the receipt of any of the said letters or bills; and though Congress have been now sitting upwards of three months, I have it not in my power to lay before them a statement of the administration of this fund. When you consider the delicate situation of those entrusted with the disposal of public monies, and the express injunction under which I am laid by my office to submit this account to a proper and timely examination, I leave you to conceive what my sensations must be under the disability to do it, which the want of your account alone has brought on me; and I hope I shall soon be relieved by the receipt of it. I am, with great esteem, Your most obedient servant, TH. JEFFERSON. DEAR SIR, TO WILLIAM SHORT. Philadelphia, January 23, 1792. I have the pleasure to inform you that the President of the United States has appointed you minister resident for the United States, at the Hague, which was approved by the Senate on the 16th instant. This new mark of the President's confidence will be the more pleasing to you, as it imports an approbation of your former conduct, whereon be pleased to accept my congratulations. You will receive herewith a letter from myself to Monsieur de Montmorin, closing your former mission, your new commission, letters of credence from the President for the States-General and Stadtholder, sealed, and copies of them open for your own satisfaction. You will keep the cypher we have heretofore used. Your past experience in the same line renders it unnecessary for me to particularize your duties on closing your present, or conducting your future mission. Harmony with our friends being our object, you are sensible how much it will be promoted by attention to the manner, as well as the matter, of your communications with the government of the United Netherlands. I feel myself particularly bound to recommend, as the most important of your charges, the patronage of our commerce and the extension of its privileges, both in the United Netherlands and their colonies, but most especially the latter. your The allowance to a minister resident of the United States is four thousand five hundred dollars a-year, for all his personal services and other expenses, a year's salary for his outfit, and a quarter's salary for his return. It is understood that the personal services and other expenses here meant, do not extend to the cost of gazettes and pamphlets transmitted to the Secretary of State's office, to translating or printing necessary papers, postage, couriers, and necessary aids to poor American sailors. These additional charges, therefore, may be inserted in your accounts; but no other of any description, unless where they are expressly directed to be incurred. The salary of new grade being the same as of your former one, and your services continued, though the scene of them is changed, there will be no intermission of salary; the new one beginning where the former ends, and ending when you shall receive notice of your permission to return. For the same reason, there can be but one allowance of outfit and return, the former to take place now, the latter only on your final return. The funds appropriated to the support of the foreign establishment do not admit the allowance of a secretary to a minister resident. I have thought it best to state these things to you minutely, that you may be relieved from all doubt as to the matter of your accounts. I will beg leave to add a most earnest request, that on the 1st day of July next, and on the same day annually afterwards, you make out your account to that day, and send it by the first vessel, and by duplicates. In this I must be very urgent and particular, because at the meeting of the ensuing Congress always, it is expected that I prepare for them a statement of the disbursements from this fund, from July to June inclusive. I shall give orders, by the first oppor |