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consigning the whole jointly to both houses. This would not only excite an emulation between the two houses to make the most advantage for the interest of the United States, but would prevent delays and other inconveniences which must arise from two houses meeting to consult and dispose of a vessel and cargo.

As the brokers or money-lenders were pleased to insist upon my signature to all the obligations, I was obliged to make a tour to Amsterdam for that purpose, and happened to enter the city the day after the first riots, which continued two nights while I was there. The proceedings of the Prince of Orange have at last brought on a crisis; and the English are holding out an appearance as if they thought it possible they might be obliged to take a part in it. If no foreign Power interferes, the patriotic party is so much stronger than the other, that I think the Prince must give way in the principal points in controversy. If any one foreign Power interferes, many others must follow the example. This being well known, and France and England weary of war for the present, I hope the Dutch will be left alone to settle their own disputes.

With great respect, &c.,

JOHN ADAMS.

A Contract for a Loan of one million Guilders.-Translated from the Dutch.-WOLFF.

On the 1st day of June, in the year 1787, appeared before me, Peter Galenus Van Hole, notary of Amsterdam, admitted by the honorable Court of Holland,

His Excellency the Honorable John Adams, Esquire, Minister Plenipotentiary on the part of the United States of America, &c., &c., in quality, as especially empowered and authorized by the abovementioned States of America, in Congress assembled, for and in behalf of said States of America, to raise a loan with any person or persons, States or companies, with subjoined assurance, in good faith to ratify and fulfil all that shall be done in this respect by him, honorable appearer, according to authentic copy and translation of the original commission or power exhibited to me, notary, and deposited in my custody in behalf of the joint money-lenders.

The honorable appearer residing in London, but being now in this city.

And the honorable appearer acknowledged himself in his aforesaid quality, and thus, in the name and in behalf of the abovementioned States of America, to be duly and lawfully indebted to and in behalf of sundry persons or money-lenders, in all a sum of one million of guilders, Dutch current money, arising from and on account of so much ready money received by him, the honorable appearer, in his aforesaid quality, to his perfect satisfaction, from the said moneylenders, pursuant to the receipt hereafter mentioned to be signed by the honorable appearer, under the authentic copies hereof; expressly and formally disavowing the excuse of untold moneys.

And the honorable appearer promised, in his aforesaid quality, to repay and reimburse, in this city, the said sum of one million of guilders, free from all costs, charges, and damages, to the abovementioned money-lenders, or their assigns, at the expiration of fifteen years after the 1st day of June, 1787, and that in the following manner, to wit:

That the abovementioned principal shall remain fixed during the space of ten years, and that, with the eleventh year, and thus on the 1st day of June, 1798, a fifth part, or two hundred thousand guilders, of the said principal of one million, shall be redeemed; and in the same manner, from year to year, until the 1st day of June, 1802, inclusive; so that the whole principal shall be redeemed and discharged within the abovementioned space of fifteen years.

And that meanwhile, for said principal, at first for the whole, and afterwards for the residue, at the expiration of every year, interest shall be paid at the rate of five per cent. in the year, commencing the 1st day of June, 1787, and continue until the final accomplishment, and that on coupons to be signed by, or on the part of, said honorable appearer, in his aforesaid quality.

That the abovementioned redeeming shall be performed by drawing, in the presence of a notary and witnesses, in this city, after the expiration of the first-mentioned ten years, in such a manner that the numbers of the bonds or obligations drawn shall be betimes made known in the public papers.

That the payment of the interests, as also the redeeming of the respective periods, shall be made at the counting-houses of the hereafter mentioned gentlemen directors, or at such other places within this city as shall likewise be advertised in the public papers.

That the directors of this negotiation shall be Messrs. Wilhem

and Jan Willink, and Nicholas and Jacob Van Staphorst, of this city, merchants; who are, by these presents, thereto named and appointed by the honorable appearer, in his aforesaid quality.

The honorable appearer promising and engaging, in the names of his constituents, that the amount of the interests and of the redeemings, to be made, from time to time, of the said principal, shall be in due time remitted to the aforesaid gentlemen directors, their heirs or successors, in good bills of exchange, American products, or in ready money, without any abatement or deduction whatsoever.

That this bond or obligation shall never be subject to any imposts or taxes already laid, or in time to come to be laid, in the said United States of America, or any of them, even in case (which God forbid) any war, hostilities, or divisions, should arise between the aforesaid United States, or any of them, on the one side, and the States of these lands on the other; and that the payment of principal or interests of this bond or obligation, accordingly, can, in nowise, nor under any pretext whatsoever, be hindered or delayed.

The honorable appearer, in his aforesaid quality, promising and engaging, moreover, for and in the names of the said United States, that there shall never be made, or entered into by them, or on their parts, or any of them in particular, any convention or treaty, public or private, at the making of peace or otherwise, by which the validity and accomplishment of these presents might be prejudiced, or whereby any thing contrary thereto might be stipulated; but that, without any exception, the contents hereof shall be kept and maintained in full force.

The honorable appearer, in his aforesaid quality, likewise promises, engages, and binds himself, by these presents, that this engagement shall be ratified and approved as soon as possible by said United States in Congress assembled, and that an authentic copy, translation of said ratification, with the original, shall be deposited in custody of me, the said notary, to be there kept with said authentic copy, translation of the commission or power of him, honorable appearer, and the engrossed hereof, for the security of the money-lenders, until the abovementioned principal and interests as aforesaid shall be redeemed and paid off.

And there shall be made of this act, (as the honorable appearer in his aforesaid quality consents,) above and besides the above

mentioned engrossed, one thousand authentic copies, which shall be of the same force and value, and have the same effect as the engrossed one, under every one of which copies shall be placed a receipt of one thousand guilders, Dutch current money, either on name or in blank, at the choice of the money-lenders, to be signed by him, honorable appearer, and which receipts shall be respectively numbered from number one to one thousand, inclusive, and countersigned by the abovementioned gentlemen directors, and duly recorded by me, the said notary, as a testimony that no more than one thousand bonds or obligations are numbered by virtue of this

act.

All which authentic copies, with the receipts thereunder placed, shall, at the redeeming of the principal, be restored by the bearers.

On failure of prompt payment, as well of the principal as of the interests, at the appointed periods, the principal, or residue thereof, may be demanded by the gentlemen directors, in behalf of the money-lenders who shall be then interested therein; and the aforesaid constituents and committents of him, honorable appearer, shall, in that case, be held and bound to redeem and discharge immediately, in one sum, the remaining principal, with the interests and charges; for the accomplishment and performance of all the above written, the honorable appearer binds in his aforesaid quality, and thus, in the names and on the part of the abovementioned United States of America, the said United States of America, jointly, and each of them in particular, together with all their lands, chattels, revenues, and products, and also the imposts and taxes already laid and raised in the same, or in time to he laid and raised, and thus of all the United States of America, jointly, and each of them in particular, and for the whole.

He, the honorable appearer, renouncing in the names as above, for that purpose expressly, beneficium divisionis, as likewise de duobus vel pluribus reis debendi, signifying a retribution of debts, and that when two or more are indebted, each of them can satisfy with the payment of his portion; the honorable appearer promising, in his aforesaid quality, never to have recourse to the said or to any other evasions whatsoever.

This being passed, (after translation into English was made hereof, and which likewise is signed by the honorable appearer, and deposited in the custody of me, the said notary,) within Amsterdam aforesaid,

in the presence of Martinus Gerardus Brondgeest and Jacob D. Wolff, witnesses.

JOHN ADAMS,

M. G. BRONDGEEST,

J. D. WOLFF,

P. G. VAN HOLE, Notary.

Amsterdam, the 1st day of June, anno 1787.

Faithfully translated from the Dutch.

JOANNES VERGEEL LAC SON,

Sworn Translator.

Office for Foreign Affairs, October 12, 1787.

The Secretary of the United States for the Department of Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred a letter of the 16th June, 1787, from Mr. Adams, with the contract therein mentioned, reports: That this contract appears to him to have been made under such circumstances as to render it expedient to ratify it; and, therefore, in his opinion, it would be proper for Congress to ratify it in the usual form.

All which is submitted to the wisdom of Congress.

FROM JOHN JAY TO JOHN ADAMS.

JOHN JAY.

New York, September 4, 1787.

Dear Sir,

Although I have nothing important to say or transmit, yet I cannot let the packet sail without a few lines to you.

I wrote to you the 31st of July, by Major Sears, and have since received yours of the 16th June, with the contract mentioned in it. They are on the table of Congress, but the want of an adequate representation of the States has prevented anything being yet done on that, or, indeed, on any other subject, since their arrival.

Until the convention rises, I fear Congress will continue much in its present state, and, of course, many things will be left undone. which ought to be done.

My report respecting your return lies in the state it was, although nothing on my part has been omitted to obtain a decision on it. It