Mr. Barclay when in Europe was authorized to settle all the European accounts of the United States:  he settled those of Dr. Franklin and Mr. Adams, and it was intended between us, that he should settle mine.  But as what may be done at any time is often put off to the last, this settlement had been made to give way to others, and that of Beaumarchais being pressed on Mr. Barclay before his departure for Morocco, and having long retarded his departure, it was agreed that my affair should await his return from that mission:  you know the circumstances which prevented his return to Paris after that mission was finished.  My account is therefore unsettled, but I have no anxiety on any article of it, except one, that is, the outfit.  This consists of, 1. clothes; 2. carriage and horses; 3. household furniture.  When Congress made their first appointments of ministers to be resident in Europe, I have understood (for I was not then in Congress) that they allowed them all their expenses, and a fixed sum over and above for their time.  Among their expenses, was necessarily understood their outfit.  Afterwards they thought proper to give them fixed salaries of eleven thousand one hundred and eleven dollars and one ninth a year; and again, by a resolution of May the 6th and 8th, 1784, the ‘salaries’ of their ministers at foreign courts were reduced to nine thousand dollars, to take place on the 1st of August ensuing.  On the 7th of May I was appointed, in addition to Mr. Adams and Dr. Franklin, for the negotiation of treaties of commerce; but this appointment being temporary, for two years only, and not as of a resident minister, the article of outfit did not come into question.  I asked an advance of six months’ salary, that I might be in cash to meet the first expenses; which was ordered.  The year following, I was appointed to succeed Dr. Franklin at this court.  This was the first appointment of a minister resident, since the original ones, under which all expenses were to be paid.  So much of the ancient regulation, as respected annual expenses, had been altered to a sum certain; so much of it as respected first expenses, or outfit, remained unaltered; and I might therefore expect, that the actual expenses for outfit were to be paid.  When I prepared my account for settlement with Mr. Barclay, I began a detail of the articles of clothes, carriage, horses, and household furniture.  I found that they were numerous, minute, and incapable, from their nature, of being vouched; and often entered in my memorandum-book under a general head only, so that I could not specify them.  I found they would exceed a year’s salary.  Supposing, therefore, that, mine being the first case, Congress would make a precedent of it, and prefer a sum fixed for the outfit, as well as the salary, I have charged it in my account at a year’s salary; presuming there can be no question that an outfit is a reasonable charge.  It is the usage here (and I suppose at all courts), that