I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the most perfect esteem and respect, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant;

Th:  Jefferson,

LETTER CLXV.—­TO M. DE REYNEVAL, October 1, 1788

TO M. DE REYNEVAL.

Paris, October 1, 1788

Sir,

I have now the honor of enclosing to you a copy of the letter of September the 16th, which I had that of writing to his Excellency the Count de Montmorin, with the papers therein referred to, and of soliciting the order I have asked for.  The originals were sent at the date before mentioned.  Notwithstanding the refusal of the houses of Schweighaeuser and Dobree, and of Puchilberg, to settle their claim against the United States by arbitration, as I proposed to them, the United States will still be ready to do them justice.  But those houses must first retire from the only two propositions they have ever made; to wit, either a payment of their demand without discussion, or a discussion before the tribunals of the country.  In the mean time, I shall hope an acknowledgment with respect to us, of the principle which holds as to other nations; that our public property here cannot be seized by the territorial judge.  It is the more interesting to us, as we shall be more and longer exposed than other nations, to draw arms and military stores from Europe.  Our preference of this country has occasioned us to draw them from hence alone, since the peace:  and the friendship we have constantly experienced from the government, will, we doubt not, on this and every other occasion, insure to us the protection of what we purchase.  I have the honor to be, Sir, your friend and servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CLXVI.—­TO MR. CUTTING, October 2, 1788

TO MR. CUTTING.

Paris, October 2, 1788.

Dear Sir,

I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of the 16th and 23rd ultimo and to thank you for the intelligence they conveyed.  That respecting the case of the interrogatories in Pennsylvania, ought to make noise.  So evident a heresy in the common law ought not to be tolerated on the authority of two or three civilians, who happened, unfortunately, to make authority in the courts of England.  I hold it essential, in America, to forbid that any English decision which has happened since the accession of Lord Mansfield to the bench, should ever be cited in a court:  because, though there have come many good ones from him, yet there is so much sly poison instilled into a great part of them, that it is better to proscribe the whole.  Can you inform me what has been done by England on the subject of our wheat and flour?  The papers say it is prohibited, even in Hanover.  How do their whale-fisheries turn out, this year?  I hope a deep wound will be given them in that article soon, and such as will leave us in no danger from their competition.