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I am, with great esteem, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER XCIII.—­TO WILLIAM SHORT, January 23, 1792

TO WILLIAM SHORT.

Philadelphia, January 23, 1792.

Dear Sir,

I have the pleasure to inform you, that the President of the United States has appointed you Minister Resident for the United.  States, at the Hague, which was approved by the Senate on the 16th instant.  This new mark of the President’s confidence will be the more pleasing to you, as it imports an approbation of your former conduct, whereon be pleased to accept my congratulations.  You will receive herewith, a letter from myself to Monsieur de Montmorin, closing your former mission, your new commission, letters of credence from the President for the States General and Stadtholder, sealed, and copies of them open for your own satisfaction.  You will keep the cipher we have heretofore used.

Your past experience in the same line, renders it unnecessary for me to particularize your duties on closing your present, or conducting your future mission.  Harmony with our friends being our object, you are sensible how much it will be promoted by attention to the manner as well as the matter of your communications with the government of the United Netherlands.  I feel myself particularly bound to recommend, as the most important of your charges, the patronage of our commerce and the extension of its privileges, both in the United Netherlands and their colonies, but most especially the latter.

The allowance to a Minister Resident of the United States, is four thousand five hundred dollars a year, or all his personal services and other expenses, a year’s salary for his outfit and a quarter’s salary for his return.  It is understood that the personal services and other expenses here meant, do not extend to the cost of gazettes and pamphlets transmitted to the Secretary of State’s office, to translating or printing necessary papers, postage, couriers, and necessary aids to poor American sailors.  These additional charges, therefore, may be inserted in your accounts; but no other of any description, unless where they are expressly directed to be incurred.  The salary of your new grade being the same as of your former one, and your services continued, though the scene of them is changed, there will be no intermission of salary; the new one beginning where the former ends, and ending when you shall receive notice of your permission to return.  For the same reason, there can be but one allowance of outfit and return, the former to take place now, the latter only on your final return.  The funds appropriated to the support of the foreign establishment do not admit the allowance of a secretary to a Minister Resident.  I have thought it best to state these things to you minutely, that you may be relieved from all doubt as to the