was actually engaged in, and the difficulty of providing for it, which rendered the lending us twenty-five millions at present impracticable, but he informed me that the letter from the congress, and my memorial, had been under his majesty's consideration, and observed, as to loans in general, that the sum we wanted to borrow in Europe was large, and that the depreciation of our paper, hurt our paper on this side of the water, adding that the king could not possibly favour a loan for us in his dominions, because it would interfere with, and be a prejudice to those he was under the necessity of obtaining Himself to support the war; but in order to justice, states a signal proof of his friendship, his majesty had resolved to grant them the sum of six millions, not as a loan, but as a free gift; this sum, the minister informed me, was exclusive of the three millions which he had before obtained for me, to pay the congress drafts, for interest, &c. ex

in the said pages, which I have marked with a red line in the margin; the whole to be sent by the first good opportunity. I think it would be well also to send five thousand more good fusils, with fifty tons of lead, and two hundred thousand flints for fusils. If these could go with the fleet, it would be of great service. More powder is not necessary to be sent at present, as there goes in the marquis de la Fayette the remainder of the two thousand barrels granted last year, and also two hundred tons of salt petre, which they will make into powder. For the other articles that may be wanted, as colonel Laurens will come fully instructed, as well by the list given to him, as from his own observation and experience in the army, and from the informations he will receive from general Washington, with whom and the marquis de la Fayette, he was to consult before his departure, I conceive it will be best to wait a little for his arrival. "I return the lists, and having by some un-pected in the current year. He added, that accountable accident mislaid and lost the paper* you gave me containing what count de Vergennes said to me yesterday, I must beg the favour of you to report it, and send it by the bearer. I am ashamed to give you this trouble, but I wish to be exact in what I am writing of it to congress. B. FRANKLIN."

"Samuel Huntingdon, President of Con

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gress.

"PASSY, March 12, 1781.

"SIR,-I had the honour of receiving, on the 13th of last month, your excellency's letter of the first of January, together with the instructions of November 28th and December 27th, a copy of those to colonel Laurens, and the letter to the king. I immediately drew up a memorial, enforcing as strongly as I could, the request contained in that letter, and directed by the instructions, and delivered the same with the letter, which were both well received; but the ministry being extremely occupied with other weighty affairs, and I obtaining for some time only general answers, that something would be done for us, &c. and Mr. Laurens not arriving, I wrote again, and pressed strongly for a decision on the subject, that I might be able to write explicitly by this opportunity, what aids the congress were or were not to expect-the regulation of their operations for the campaign depending on the information I should be enabled to give. Upon this I received a note appointing Saturday last for a meeting with the minister, which I attended punctually. He assured me of the king's good will to the United States; remarking, however, that being on the spot, I must be sensible of the great expense France

The paper was found soon after this letter was sent.

as it was understood the clothing, &c. with which our army had been heretofore supplied from France, was often of bad quality, and dear, the ministers themselves would take care of the purchase of such articles as should be immediately wanted, and send them over, and it was desired of me to look over the great invoice that had been sent hither last year, and mark out those articles; that as to the money remaining after such purchases, it was to be drawn for by general Washington, upon M. d'Harvelay, garde du tresor royal, and the bills would be duly honoured, but it was desired that they might be drawn gradually, as the money should be wanted, and as much time given for the payment, after sight, as could be conveniently, that the payment might be the more easy. I assured the minister, that the congress would be very sensible of this token of his majesty's continued goodness towards the United States, but remarked, that it was not the usage with us for the general to draw, and proposed that it might be our treasurer, who should draw the bills for the remainder, but was told that it was his majesty's order. And I afterwards understood from the secretary of the council, that as the sum was intended for the supply of the army, and could not be so large as we had demanded for general occasions, it was thought best to put it in the general's hands, that it might not get into those of the different boards or committees, who might think themselves under the necessity of diverting it to other purposes. There was no room to dispute on this point, every donor having the right of qualifying his gifts with such terms as he thinks proper. I took with me the invoice, and having examined it, I returned it immediately with a letter, of which a copy is enclosed, and I suppose its contents will be followed, unless colonel Laurens, on his arri

president of congress, will go by different ships, and I hope you will succeed in your application for a farther allowance, which I think you merit, though I do not know what the difficulties are which you mention, as being involved in them by the congress. Please to explain them to me, that I may write about them more exactly. Your last news from Russia is very good, if true, that the independence of America is to be a fundamental article.

"The bearer, Mr. Hazlehurst, is a merchant of Philadelphia, who visits Holland with commercial views. He is a gentleman of excellent character and much esteemed there. I recommend him warmly to your civilities. Please to let me know how the loan goes on, and believe me ever. B. FRANKLIN."

"M. Lafayette.
(EXTRACT.)

"PASSY, March 14, 1781.

"You mention my having enemies in America. You are luckier, for I think you have none here, nor any where. Your friends have heard of your being gone against the traitor Arnold, and are anxious to hear of your success, and that you have brought him to justice. Enclosed is a copy of a letter from his agent in England, by which the price of his treason may be nearly guessed at. Judas sold only one man, Arnold three millions; Judas got for his one man 30 pieces of silver, Arnold not a half penny a head. A miserable bargainer! Especially when one considers the quantity of infamy he has acquired to himself, and entailed on his family.

"The English are in a fair way of gaining still more enemies; they play a desperate game. Fortune may favour them, as it sometimes does a drunken dicer; but by their ty; ranny in the east they have at lenth roused the powers there against them; and I do not know that they have in the west a single friend. If they loose their India commerce, which is one of their present great supports, and one battle at sea, their credit is gone, and the power follows. Thus empires by pride, and folly, and extravagance, ruin themselves like individuals. M. la Motte Piquet has snatched from between their teeth, a good deal of their West India prey, having taken 22 sail of their homeward bound prizes; one of our American privateers has taken two more, and brought them into Brest; and two were burnt. There were thirty-four in company, with two men of war of the line and two frigates; who saved themselves by flight, but we do not hear of their being yet got in. "B. FRANKLIN."

yours, dated January the 2d, containing sundry questions relating to the ship Alliance, and the expedition under the command of John Paul Jones, esquire.

"I apprehend that the letters and papers sent by the Alliance, if they came to your hands, and those which went in the Ariel, taken together, would pretty well inform you of most of the particulars you inquire about, and the deficiencies might be supplied by captain Jones himself, and others who were engaged in the expedition. But as I learn from colonel Laurens, that his arrival was not heard of at Boston, the 11th of February, though he sailed the 18th of December, and possibly he may have miscarried, I shall endeavour to answer, as well as I can, your several queries, and will hereafter send you duplicates of the papers that may be lost. But I would previously remark, as to the expedition in general, that this court having, I suppose, some enterprise in view, which captain Jones, who had signalized his bravery in taking the Drake, was thought a proper person to conduct, had soon after the action requested we could spare him to them, which was the more readily agreed to, as a difference subsisted between him and his lieutenant, which laid us under a difficulty that was by Some time passed, that means got over. however, before any steps were taken to employ him in a manner agreeable to him, and possibly the first project was laid aside, many difficulties attending any attempt of introducing a foreign officer into the French marine, as it disturbs the order of their promotion, &c.; and he himself choosing to act rather under the commission of congress. However, a project was at length formed, of furnishing him which were to have temporary American with some of the king's ships, the officers of commissions, which being posterior in date to his commission, would put them naturally intention, after various changes, was to inunder his command for the time, and the final tercept the Baltic fleet. The Alliance was back to America, but the minister of the maat that time under orders to carry Mr. Adams rine, by a written letter, requesting I would lend her to strengthen the little squadron, and offering a passage for Mr. Adams in one of the king's ships, I consented to the request, hoping, that besides obliging the minister, I might obtain the disposition of some prisoners, to exchange for our countrymen in England.

Questions of the Admiralty Board respecting the squadron under chevalier Jones, answered.

Question 1st. "Whether the ships with which the frigate Alliance was concerted in an expedition, of which captain John Paul Jones had the command, were the property of

private persons, and if so, who were the own- Answer. No division has yet been made of ers of those ships?" the Serapis and Scarborough. It is but lately Answer. The ships with which the Alli-that I have heard of the money being ready ance was concerted, were, 1st. the Bonhomme for division at L'Orient. I suppose the mode Richard, bought and fitted by the king on pur-will be, that agreed on by the captains. pose for captain Jones. 2d. The Pallas frigate. 3d. The Vengeance, a corvette. 4th. The Cerf, a cutter, all belonging to the king, and the property of no private person what-dition?" ever, as far as I have ever heard or believe.

Question 4th. "What were the neat proceeds of the Serapis, Scarborough, and the other prizes taken during the said expe

Answer. I have not yet heard what were the neat proceeds of the prizes, nor have seen any account. As soon as such shall come to my hands, I will transmit it to you, and will endeavour to obtain it speedily. No satisfaction has yet been obtained for the prizes carried into Norway, and delivered up by the king of Denmark.

Question 5th. "What benefit the United States of America have received from the prisoners made during said expedition."

Answer. I did expect to have had all the

Two privateers, the Monsieur and the Granville, were indeed with the little squadron on going out. I suppose to take advantage of its convoy, but being on their own account, and at their own discretion, the Monsieur quitted company on the coast of Ireland, and the Granville returned about the same time to France. I have not heard that the Monsieur ever claimed any part of the prizes; the Granville has made some claim on account, not only of what were taken while she was with the squadron, but of the whole tak-prisoners taken by the squadron, to exchange en after her departure, on this pretence, that some prisoners being put on board her, and losing company, she found herself obliged to go back with them, not having wherewith to maintain them, &c. but this claim is opposed by the other ships, being regarded as frivolous, as she was not concerted; the claim, however, is not yet decided, but hangs in the courts. These circumstances show that the vessels were not considered as a part of the armament. But it appears more plainly by the concordat of the captains, whereof I send you a copy. Who the owners were of those privateers, I have not heard. I suppose they may be inhabitants of Bourdeaux and Granville.

Question 2d. "Whether any agreement was made by you, or any person in your behalf, with the owners of the ships, connected with the Alliance, in that expedition respecting the shares they were severally to draw, of the prizes which might be taken during said expedition ?"

Answer. I never made any such agreement, nor any person in my behalf. I lent the vessel to the king, simply at the minister's request, supposing it would be agreeable to congress to oblige their ally, and that the division, if there should be any thing to divide, would be according to the laws of France, or of America, as should be found most equitable. But the captains, before they sailed, entered into an agreement, called the concordat abovementioned, to divide, according to the rules of America, as they acted under American commissions and colours.

Question 3d. "Whether the Serapis and the Scarborough, and other captures made during said expedition, were divided among the captors, and the distribution made according to the resolutions of congress; and if not, what mode was pursued in making the distributions?"

for Americans, in consideration of my having lent the Alliance; and captain Pearson, engaged in behalf of the British government, by a written instrument, that those set on shore in Holland, should be considered as prisoners of war to the United States, and exchanged accordingly. But I was, nevertheless, disappointed in this expectation. For an exchange of all the prisoners being proposed to be made in Holland, it was found necessary, at that time, by the Dutch government, in order to avoid embroiling their state with England, that those prisoners should be considered as taken by France, and they were accordingly exchanged for Frenchmen, on the footing of the French cartel with England. This I agreed to, on the request of the French ambassador at the Hague, and also to avoid the risk of sending them by sea to France, (the English cruising, with seven ships, off the Texal, to retake them) and as it would be more convenient and certain for us to have an equal number of English, delivered to me by France, at or near Morlaix, to be sent over in the cartel. But the English government afterwards refused, very unjustly, to give any Americans in exchange for English that had not been taken by Americans. So we did not reap the benefit we hoped for.

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Question 6th. What orders were given to captain Landais?"

Answer. That we should obey the orders of captain Jones.

Question 7th. "What was the ground of the dispute between captain Jones and him?" Answer. That when at sea together he refused to obey captain Jones's orders.

Question 8th. "What the disbursements were on the Alliance, from the time of her first arrival in France, until she left that kingdom?"

Answer. The disbursements on the All

ance, from the time of her first arrival in putting their vessels under the care of persons, France till the commencement of the cruise living perhaps one hundred leagues from the under captain Jones, as appears by the ac-port they arrive at, which necessarily creates counts of Mr. Schweighauser, agent appoint- delays, and of course enormous expenses, and ed by William Lee, Esq. amounted to- for a remedy, I have as often recommended the appointment of consuls, being very sensible of my own insufficiency in maritime affairs, which have taken up a vast deal of my

-which I paid. T'he disbursements on her refit in Holland were paid by the king, as were also those on her second refit, after her return to L'Orient, as long as she was un-time, and given me abundance of trouble, to der the care of captain Jones. But captain Landais, when he re-assumed the command of her, thought fit to take what he wanted, of Mr. Schweighauser's agent, to the amount of £31,668 12s. 3d. for which, it being contrary to my orders given to Mr. Schweighauser, on his asking them upon the occasion, I refused to pay, (my correspondence with him on the occasion will show you my reasons) and of those paid by the king I have no account.