without any deduction whatever, and until it is weighed, it shall be at my risk and expense. 7th. The damaged tobacco shall be cut and sent to some other place, if my correspondents shall think proper, otherwise it shall be burned in their presence. And I, Le Normand, accept in general, and submit to all the clauses and conditions mentioned in the seven foregoing articles; and, as a preliminary to the present contract, I have remitted the sum of a million of livres tournois, mentioned in the 4th article, to Messrs. Le Couteulx & Co. as appears by their receipt annexed at the foot of the present contract, for the said sum, to be re-imbursed conformably to said article. I moreover consent, 1st. That in case that the vessels employed in this business, shall become subject to greater or new duties or taxes, than what the French vessels coming from France pay, the aforesaid duties shall be charged to me. 2nd. That all the duties which hereafter or posterior to the present treaty, may be put either on exportation from America, or on the importation into France, shall be charged to me, and in consequence I will be accountable to Mr. R. Morris for those which may happen in America, on the exportation, at the rate of 5 liv. 5s. tournois for each hard dollar, and this upon an authentic certificate that the duty is imposed. 3rd. I engage that the Farmers General shall not make, either directly or indirectly, any purchases of tobacco in America, and, consequently, if I have occasion for a greater quantity of tobacco, it shall be furnished to me, on the same price and conditions. Done in five parts, at Paris, four of which to be sent to America, by the English and French packets, the fifth to be deposited in the hands of Messrs. Le Couteulx & Co. At Paris, 11th January, 1785, LE NORMAND, Receiver General of Finances. Signed at Philadelphia, 10th April, 1785, ROBERT MORRIS. Certified to be true and conformable to the original in my hands, at Paris, 20th February, 1788. LE NORMAND. We, the undersigned, acknowledge to have received from Mr. Le Normand, Receiver General of the Finances of the Generality of la Rochelle, the sum of one million livres tournois, in effects to our satisfaction, which we promise to hold at the disposal of Mr. Robert Morris, heretofore Superintendent General of the Finances of the United States of America, after the absolute acceptation of the present treaty, a duplicate of which has been placed in our hands. At Paris, 11th January, 1785. LE COUTEULX & CO. FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN JAY. Sir, Paris, May, 31, 1786. A safe opportunity occurring by the way of London, I have it now in my power to transmit you the sequel of the papers relative to Algiers, which could not be in rea diness to go with my letter of the 27th inst. by the French packet, which I expect will sail from L'Orient to-morrow. I am enabled at the same time to send you a copy of the resolutions of the Committee on the subject of the tobacco together with a copy of the Count de Vergennes' letter to me, giving official notice of them, having enclosed a copy of Mr. Morris's contract in my letter of May 27th on the same subject. You will be enabled to give such notice of the whole as you think proper. I have the honor to be, &c. I take the earliest opportunity to inform you, that notwithstanding the treaty, which the Farmers General have made with Mr. Robert Morris, for the delivery of a certain quantity of tobacco, they have just concluded to take in the way of trade as much as 15,000 hogsheads per annum. To let you understand better the extent of the decision in question, I send it to you in the extract enclosed. I beg that you will make it known both in America, as also to the American owners of vessels, who be found in our ports, so that they may direct their commercial speculations accordingly. I have the honor to be, &c. may DE VERGENNES. Translation. Resolves of a Committee held at Berni, 24th March, 1786. The Committee resuming their former deliberations respecting a treaty made with Mr. Morris, informed of the circumstances in which it was made: also informed of the despatch of twelve thousand hogsheads of tobacco, the approaching arrival of which has been announced by Mr. Couteulx, the correspondent of Mr. Morris, have unanimously thought, that the execution of the treaty ought to extend until the 1st of January, 1788, saving the right of annulling in case of failure of execution, on the part of the said Mr. Morris, the conditions of the said treaty, taking afterwards into consideration the interest of the national commerce, with that of the United States, have agreed on the resolutions hereafter enumerated. 1st. After the expiration of the treaty with Mr. Morris, there shall be made no more bargains of the same kind. 2nd. The Farmer General shall always have in his magazines a necessary supply for the exercise of his privilege, which supply shall be formed, by what shall be furnished by the contract with Mr. Morris, as well as by what he shall procure by means of commerce. 3rd. To secure this supply the Farmer General shall purchase, during the continuation of the contract with Mr. Morris, only the tobacco which can be furnished by trade and brought in French or American vessels, to the amount of 12 to 15 thousand hogsheads every year, at the same price, and on the same conditions stipulated with the said Mr. Morris. 4th. In cases where cargoes shall not be assorted, the tobacco shall be paid for at the following prices : Livres. 1st quality James and York river tobacco, nett cwt. 38 36 34 All the first qualities of each kind proper for France. 5th. In cases of difficulty respecting the quality, samples shall be sent to the Council, and it shall be determined by a commission, which shall be authorized to have the samples examined, by such person as may be proper. 6th. When the tobacco furnished by the Americans shall not be delivered in a manufacturing port, there shall be deducted from the stipulated prices, thirty sols per nett quintal, for expenses of transportation. FROM JOHN JAY TO THOMAS JEFFERSON. Sir, New York, August 18, 1786. My last to you was dated the 14th of last month, since which, I have received and laid before Congress, your several letters of 12th, 22nd, 23rd, two of 27th, and one of 31st May last, with the papers enclosed with them. It has happened from various circumstances, that several reports on foreign affairs still lay before Congress, undecided upon. The want of an adequate representation for long intervals, and the multiplicity of business which pressed upon them when that was not the case, has occasioned delays and omissions, which, however |