congress to consider of it, and give such powers as may be necessary to whom they may think proper; that if a favorable opportunity of making an advantageous treaty should offer, it may not be slipt.

Admiral Arbuthnot, who was going to America with a large convoy and some troops, has been detained by a little attempt upon Jersey; and contrary winds since that affair was over, have detained him farther until within these few days.

Since I began writing this letter I have received a packet from the committee by way of Statia and Holland, sent by Mr. Lovell, containing his letters of December 8, January 29, and February 8, with one from the president, dated January 3. Several papers are mentioned as sent with them, and by other opportunities, but none are come to hand, except the resolution to postpone the attempt upon Canada, and these are the first dispatches received here since the date of those sent by the marquis de la Fayette.

I have also just received a letter from Mr Bingham, acquainting me that the ships Deane and the General Gates, are just arrived at Martinico and apply to him to be careened, refitted, and procure a fresh supply of provisions; and that though he has no orders, he must draw upon me for the expence. I think it right to acquaint you thus early that I shall be obliged to protest his bills. I have just obtained from his majesty, orders to the government of Guadaloupe, to make reasonable reparation to captain Giddins of Newburg, for the loss of this vessel, sunk in mistake by a battery of that Island.

Great preparations are now making here with much activity in all the sea ports, taking up transports, and building small vessels proper for landing of troops, &c, so that many think an invasion of England or Ireland is intended. The intention, whatever it is, may change; but the opinion of such an intention, which seems to prevail in England, may tend to keep their troops and ships at home.

General and lord Howe, generals Cornwallis and Grey, colonel Montresor, captain Hammond, and others, have formally given it as their opinion in parliament, that the

conquest of America is impracticable. This week, as we hear, John Maxwell, Esquire, Joseph Galloway, Esquire, Andrew Allen, Esquire, John Patterson, Theophilus Morris, Enoch Story, and Jabez Fisher, are to be examined to prove the contrary. One would think the first set were likely to be the best judges. Be pleased to present my dutiful respects to the congress, and assure them of my most faithful services.

I have the honor to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

From Doctor Richard Price.

London, January 18, 1779. DOCTOR PRICE, returns his best thanks to the honorable Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, and John Adams, Esquires, for conveying to him the resolution of congress of the sixth of October last, by which he is invited to become a member of the United States, and to give his assistance in regulating their finances. It is not possible for him to express the sense he has of the honor which this resolution does him, and the satisfaction with which he reflects on the favourable opinion of him, which has occasioned it. But he knows himself not to be sufficiently qualified for giving such assistance, and he is so connected in this country, and also advancing so fast in the evening of life, that he cannot think of a removal. He requests the favour of the honorable commissioners to transmit this reply to congress, with assurances that Doctor Price feels the warmest gratitude for the notice taken of him, and that he looks to the American States as now the hope, and likely soon to become the refuge of mankind.

SIR,

To James Lovell, Esq.

Passy, September 30, 1779. 2, P. M.

I have received within these few days a number of dis patches from you, which have arrived by the Mercury and

other vessels. Hearing but this instant of an opportunity from Bordeaux, and that the courier sets out from Versailles at five this evening, I embrace it just to let you know, that I have delivered the letters from congress to the king, and have laid the invoices of supplies desired (with a translation) before the ministers, and though I have not yet received a positive answer, I have good reason to believe I shall obtain most of them, if not all: but as this demand will cost the court a vast sum, and their expenses in the war is prodigious, I beg I may not be put under the necessity by occasional drafts on me, to ask for more money than is required to pay our bills for interest. I must protest those I have advice of from Martinico and New Orleans (even if they were drawn by permission of congress) for want of money; and I wish the committee of commerce would caution their correspondents not to embarrass me with their bills. I put into my pocket nothing of the allowance congress has been pleased to make me, I shall pay it all in honoring their drafts, and supporting their credit, but do not let me be burthened with supporting the credit of every one who has claims on the boards of commerce or the navy. I shall write fully by the Mercury; I send you some of the latest newspapers, and have the honor to be, &c.

SIR,

B. FRANKLIN.

To John Jay Esq. President of Congress.

Passy, October 4th, 1779.

I received the letter your excellency did me the honor to write to me of the-of June last, enclosing acts of congress, respecting bills of exchange for two millions four hundred thousand livres tournois, drawn on me in favour of M. de Beaumarchais. The bills have not yet appeared, but I shall accept them when they do, relying on the care of congress to enable me to pay them. As to the accounts of that gentleman, neither the commissioners when we were all together, nor myself since, have ever been able to obtain a sight of them, though repeatedly promised, and I begin to give over all

expectation of them, indeed if I had them, I should not be able to do much with them, or to controvert any thing I might doubt in them, being unacquainted with the transactions and agreements on which they must be founded, and having small skill in accounts.. Mr. Ross and Mr. Williams pressing me to examine and settle theirs, I have been obliged to request indifferent persons, expert in such business, to do it for me, subject to the revision of congress; and I should wish that my time and attention were not taken up by any concerns in mercantile affairs, and thereby diverted from others more important.

The letters of congress to the king were very graciously received; I have earnestly pressed the supplies desired, and the ministers (who are extremly well disposed towards us) are now actually studying the means of furnishing them. The assistance of Spain is hoped for. We expect to hear from thence in a few days. The quantity is great and will cost a vast sum. I have this day accepted three of your drafts, part of the three hundred and sixty thousand livres drawn for on the 9th of June: but when I ask for money to pay them, I must mention that as they were drawn to purchase military stores, an abatement equal to the value, may be made of the quantity demanded from hence. For I am really ashamed to be always worrying the ministers for more money. And as to the private loans expected, I wrote in a former letter that our public credit was not yet sufficiently established, and that the loan in Holland had not exceeded eighty thousand florins, to which there has since been no addition. A Mr. Neufville came from thence to me last spring, proposing to procure great sums if he might be employed for that purpose, and the business taken away from the house that had commenced it. His terms at first were very extravagant, such as that all the estates real and personal in the thirteen provinces should be mortgaged to him, that a fifth part of the capital sum borrowed should every year for five years be laid out in commodities and sent to Holland consigned to him, to remain in his hands till the term (ten years) stipulated for final payment was completed,

as a security for the punctuality of it; when he was to draw the usual commissions: that all vessels or merchandize, coming from America to Europe, should be consigned to him or his correspondents, &c. &c. As I rejected these with some indignation, he came down to the more reasonable ones of doing the business as it was done by the other house, who, he said, could do no more, being destitute of the interest which he possessed. I did not care abruptly to change a house that had in other respects been very friendly and serviceable to us, and thereby throw a slur upon their credit without a certainty of mending our affairs by it; and therefore, told Mr. Neufville that if he could procure and show me a list of subscribers amounting to the sum he menmentioned, or near it, I would comply with his proposition. This he readily and confidently undertook to do. But after three months, during which he acquainted me from time to time, that the favorable moment was not yet come, I received instead of the subscription, a new set of propositions, among the terms of which were an additional one per cent. and a patent from congress, appointing him and his sons "commissioners for trade and navigation, and treasurers of the general congress, and of every private state of the thirteen United States of North America, through the seven United Provinces" with other extravagancies, which I mention, that it may be understood, why I have dropt correspondence on this subject, with a man who seemed to me a vain promiser, extremely self interested, and aiming chiefly to make an appearance without solidity; and who, I understand intends applying directly to congress, some of his friends censuring me as neglecting the public interest in not coming into his measures. The truth is that I have no expectations from Holland, whilst interest received there from other nations is so high, and our credit there so low; while particular American states offer higher interest than the congress; and even our offering to raise our interest tends to sink our credit. My sole dependence now is upon this court: I think reasonable assistance may be obtained here, but I wish I may not be obliged to fatigue it too much with my applications, lest it should grow tired of the connection.