I enclose you a correspondence which has taken place between the Marechal de Castries, minister of the Marine, and myself.  It is on the subject of the prize-money, due to the officers and crew of the Alliance, for prizes taken in Europe, under the command of Captain Jones.  That officer has been here, under the direction of Congress, near two years, soliciting the liquidation and payment of that money.  Infinite delays had retarded the liquidation till the month of June.  It was expected, when the liquidation was announced to be completed, that the money was to be received.  The M. de Castries doubted the authority of Captain Jones to receive it, and wrote to me for information.  I wrote him a letter dated July the 10th, which seemed to clear away that difficulty.  Another arose.  A Mr. Puchilberg presented powers to receive the money.  I wrote then the letter of August the 3rd, and received that of the M. de Castries, of August the 12th, acknowledging he was satisfied as to this difficulty, but announcing another; to wit, that possibly some French subjects might have been on board the Alliance, and therefore, that Captain Jones ought to give security for the repayment of their portions.  Captain Jones had before told me there was not a Frenchman on board that vessel, but the captain.  I inquired of Mr. Barclay..  He told me he was satisfied there was not one.  Here, then, was a mere possibility, a shadow of right, opposed to a certain, to a substantial one, which existed in the mass of the crew, and which was likely to be delayed; for it was not to be expected that Captain Jones could, in a strange country, find the security required.  These difficulties I suppose to have been conjured up, one after another, by Mr. Puchilberg, who wanted to get hold of the money.  I saw but one way to cut short these everlasting delays, which were ruining the officer soliciting the payment of the money, and keeping our seamen out of what they had hardly fought for, years ago.  This was, to undertake to ask an order from Congress, for the payment of any French claimants by their banker in Paris; and, in the mean time, to undertake to order such payment, should any such claimant prove his title, before the pleasure of Congress should be made known to me.  I consulted with Mr. Barclay, who seemed satisfied I might venture this undertaking, because no such claim could be presented.  I therefore wrote the letter of August the 17th, and received that of August the 26th, finally closing this tedious business.  Should what I have done, not meet the approbation of Congress, I would pray their immediate sense, because it is not probable that the whole of this money will be paid so hastily, but that their orders may arrive in time to stop a sufficiency for any French claimants who may possibly exist.  The following paragraph of a letter from Captain Jones, dated L’Orient, August the 25th, 1785, further satisfies me, that my undertaking amounted to nothing in fact.  He says, ’It is impossible that