I have the honor to be, Sir,

your most obedient

and most humble servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER LXXVII.—­TO MESSRS.  FRENCH AND NEPHEW, July 13,1785

TO MESSRS.  FRENCH AND NEPHEW.

Paris, July 13,1785.

Gentlemen,

I had the honor of receiving your letter of June the 21st, enclosing one from Mr. Alexander of June the 17th, and a copy of his application to Monsieur de Calonne.  I am very sensible that no trade can be on a more desperate footing than that of tobacco, in this country; and that our merchants must abandon the French markets, if they are not permitted to sell the productions they bring, on such terms as will enable them to purchase reasonable returns in the manufactures of France.  I know but one remedy to the evil; that of allowing a free vent:  and I should be very happy in being instrumental to the obtaining this.  But while the purchase of tobacco is monopolized by a company, and they pay for that monopoly a heavy price to the government, they doubtless are at liberty to fix such places and terms of purchase, as may enable them to make good their engagements with government.  I see no more reason for obliging them to give a greater price for tobacco than they think they can afford, than to do the same between two individuals treating for a horse, a house, or any thing else.  Could this be effected by applications to the minister, it would only be a palliative which would retard the ultimate cure, so much to be wished for and aimed at by every friend to this country, as well as to America.

I have the honor to be, Gentlemen,

your most obedient, humble servant,

Th:  Jefferson

LETTER LXXVIII.—­TO DR. STILES, July 17,1785

TO DR. STILES.

Sir,

Paris, July 17,1785.

I have long deferred doing myself the honor of writing to you, wishing for an opportunity to accompany my letter with a copy of the Bibliotheque Physico-oeconomique, a book published here lately in four small volumes, and which gives an account of all the improvements in the arts which have been made for some years past.  I flatter myself you will find in it many things agreeable and useful.  I accompany it with the volumes of the Connoissance des Terns for the years 1781, 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787.  But why, you will ask, do I send you old almanacs, which are proverbially useless?  Because, in these publications have appeared, from time to time, some of the most precious things in astronomy.  I have searched out those particular volumes which might be valuable to you on this account.  That of 1781 contains De la Caillie’s catalogue of fixed stars reduced to the commencement of that year, and a table of the aberrations and nutations of the principal stars. 1784 contains the same catalogue