A true bill being found by the grand jury, let the officer in whose custody the fugitive is, deliver him to the person charged to demand and receive him.

In the British provinces adjoining us, the same proceedings will do.

In the Spanish provinces, a proceeding adapted to the course of their laws should be agreed on.

March 22, 1792.

LETTER CVIII.—­TO GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, April 28,1792

TO GOUVERNEUR MORRIS.

Philadelphia, April 28,1792;

Dear Sir,

My last letter to you was of the 10th of March.  The preceding one of January the 23rd had conveyed to you your appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary to the court of France.  The present will, I hope, find you there.  I now enclose you the correspondence between the Secretary of the Treasury and Minister of France, on the subject of the monies furnished to the distressed of their colonies.  You will perceive that the Minister chose to leave the adjustment of the terms to be settled at Paris, between yourself and the King’s ministers.  This you will therefore be pleased to do on this principle; that we wish to avoid any loss by the mode of payment, but would not choose to make a gain which should throw loss on them.  But the letters of the Secretary of the Treasury will sufficiently explain the desire of the government, and be a sufficient guide to you.

I now enclose you the act passed by Congress for facilitating the execution of the consular convention with France.  In a bill which has passed the House of Representatives for raising monies for the support of the Indian war, while the duties on every other species of wine are raised from one to three fourths more than they were, the best wines of France will pay little more than the worst of any other country, to wit, between six and seven cents a bottle; and where this exceeds forty per cent, on their cost, they will pay but the forty per cent.  I consider this latter provision as likely to introduce in abundance the cheaper wines of France, and the more so, as the tax on ardent spirits is considerably raised.  I hope that these manifestations of friendly dispositions towards that country, will induce them to repeal the very obnoxious laws respecting our commerce, which were passed by the preceding National Assembly.  The present session of Congress will pass over, without any other notice of them than the friendly preferences before mentioned.  But if these should not produce a retaliation of good on their part, a retaliation of evil must follow on ours.  It will be impossible to defer longer than the next session of Congress, some counter regulations for the protection of our navigation and commerce.  I must entreat you, therefore, to avail yourself of every occasion of friendly remonstrance on this subject.  If they wish an equal and cordial treaty with us, we are ready to enter into it.  We would wish that