the treaty as restraining either from discriminating between foreigners and natives.  Yet this is the sole effect of these acts.  The same opinion, as to the meaning of the treaty, seems to have been entertained by this government, both before and since the date of these acts.  For the Arret of the King’s Council, of August the 30th, 1784, furnished an example of such a discrimination between foreigners and natives, importing salted fish into his Majesty’s dominions in the West Indies; by laying a duty on that imported, by foreigners, and giving out the same, in bounty, to native importers.  This opinion shows itself more remarkably in the late Arrets of the 18th and 25th of September, which, increasing to excess the duty on foreign importations of fish into the West Indies, giving the double, in bounty, on those of natives, and thereby rendering it impossible for the former to sell in competition with the latter, have, in effect, prohibited the importation of that article by the citizens of the United States.

Both nations, perhaps, may come into the opinion, that their friendship and their interests may be better cemented, by approaching the condition of their citizens, reciprocally, to that of natives, as a better ground of intercourse than that of the most favored nation.  I shall rest with hopes of being authorized, in due time, to inform your Excellency that nothing will be wanting, on our part, to evince a disposition to concur in revising whatever regulations may, on either side, bear hard on the commerce of the other nation.  In the mean time I have the honor to assure you of the profound respect and esteem, with which

I have the honor to be,

your Excellency’s

most obedient and most humble servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CXXXVII.—­TO LISTER ASQUITH, November 23, 1785

TO LISTER ASQUITH.

Paris, November 23, 1785.

Sir,

I have received your letter of the 14th instant.  It was not till the 8th of this month, that I could obtain information from any quarter, of the particular court in which your prosecution was instituted, and the ground on which it was founded.  I then received it through the hands of Monsieur Desbordes, at Brest.  I have sent to the Count de Vergennes a statement of your case, of which the enclosed is a copy.  I wish you would read it over, and if there be any fact stated in it, which is wrong, let me know it, that I may have it corrected.  I at the same time wrote him an urgent letter in your behalf.  I have daily expected an answer, which has occasioned my deferring writing to you.  The moment I receive one, you may be assured of my communicating it to you.  My hopes are, that I may obtain from the King a discharge of the persons of all of you:  but, probably, your vessel and cargo must go through a process.  I have sincerely sympathized with your misfortunes, and have taken every step in my power to get into the right line for obtaining relief.  If it will add any comfort to your situation and that of your companions, to be assured that I never lose sight of your sufferings, and leave nothing undone to extricate you, you have that assurance.  I am, Sir,