It was with very sincere pleasure I heard of your appointment to the board of treasury, as well from the hope that it might not be disagreeable to yourself, as from the confidence that your administration would be wise.  I heartily wish the States may, by their contributions, enable you to re-establish a credit, which cannot be lower than at present, to exist at all.  This is partly owing to their real deficiencies, and partly to the lies propagated by the London papers, which are probably paid for by the minister, to reconcile the people to the loss of us.  Unluckily, it indisposes them, at the same time, to form rational connections with us.  Should this produce the amendment of our federal constitution, of which your papers give us hopes, we shall receive a permanent indemnification for a temporary loss.

All things here promise an arrangement between the Emperor and Dutch.  Their ministers have signed preliminary articles, some of which, however, leave room for further cavil.  The Dutch pay ten millions of florins, yield some forts and territory, and the navigation of the Scheldt to Saftingen.  Till our treaty with England be fully executed, it is desirable to us, that all the world should be in peace.  That done, their wars would do us little harm.

I find myself under difficulties here, which I will take the liberty of explaining to you as a friend.  Mr. Carmichael lately drew a bill on Mr. Grand for four thousand livres, I suppose for his salary.  Mr. Grand said, he was not used to accept drafts but by the desire of Dr. Franklin, and rested it on me to say, whether this bill should be paid or not.  I thought it improper, that the credit of so confidential a person, as Mr. Carmichael, should be affected by a refusal, and therefore advised payment.  Mr. Dumas has drawn on me for twenty-seven hundred livres, his half year’s salary, informing me he always drew on Dr. Franklin.  I shall advise the payment.  I have had loan-office bills, drawn on the commissioners of the United States, presented to me.  My answer has been, ’These are very old bills.  Had they been presented while those gentlemen were in Europe, they would have been paid.  You have kept them up till Dr. Franklin, the last of them, has returned to America; you must therefore send them there, and they will be paid.  I am not the drawee described in the bill.’  It is impossible for me to meddle with these bills.  The gentlemen who had been familiar with them, from the beginning, who kept books of them, and knew well the form of these books, often paid bills twice.  But how can I interfere with them, who have not a scrip of a pen on their subject, who never saw a book relating to them, and who, if I had the books, should much oftener be bewildered in the labyrinth, than the gentlemen who have kept them?  I think it, therefore, most advisable, that what bills remain out, should be sent back to America for payment, and therefore advise Mr. Barclay to return thither all the books and papers relative