Agreeably to your request it shall be immediately laid before Congress, and I shall take the earliest opportunity of communicating to you whatever answer I may be directed to convey on the subject. I have the honor to be, &c.,

JOHN JAY.

FROM MONSIEUR DE MARBOIS TO JOHN JAY.

Translation.

New York, July 18, 1785.

Sir,

I have the honor to address to you a copy of a letter of the King to the Congress of the United States.

I beg the favor of you to inform me when and in what manner the letter should be delivered.

I am, &c.,

DE MARBOIS.

Sir,

FROM JOHN JAY TO MONSIEUR DE MARBOIS.

Office for Foreign Affairs, July 19, 1785.

In obedience to the orders of Congress I have the honor of transmitting to you, herewith enclosed, a copy of a letter of the 4th of April last from Mr. Read, Secretary in the Marine Department, on the subject of Pierre Rousille's memorial, to which it affords an answer, which I flatter myself will appear satisfactory both to you and to him.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

JOHN JAY.

FROM ROBERT MORRIS TO JOHN JAY.

Dear Sir,

Philadelphia, April 6, 1785.

You will receive, herewith enclosed, the translation of the memorial

of P. Rousille, being the same that was enclosed in your letter of the 3d ultimo, and you will also receive herewith the report of Mr. James Read, as Secretary to the Agent of Marine, he being in possession of the books and papers of that department. I believe his report to be very proper, and upon any future occasion he will be ready to obey your commands. I mention this for the sake of propriety, not to save myself trouble, because I shall never think anything troublesome which may enable me to comply with any request of

yours.

I am, &c.,

ROBERT MORRIS.

FROM JAMES READ TO ROBERT MORRIS.

Marine Office, 6th April, 1785.

Sir,

I have read with attention the memorial of P. Rousille, which was transmitted by his Excellency the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, with his letter to you dated the 30th of last month; upon which I beg leave to observe that the officers and crews of the respective ships and vessels of war belonging to the United States, had the right (and I believe it was generally exercised) of choosing and appointing their own agent or agents to receive and distribute the proportion of prize money which should appertain to them as captors, and over which the United States did not reserve any control; wherefore, I presume the memorialist ought to exhibit his claims for prize money to the agent or agents whom he concurred in choosing, or to their legal representatives; and from what is set forth in the memorial, I cannot hesitate to suppose that Captain Tucker had been chosen by his crew to be their agent.

If M. Rousille has any claim against the Marine Department of the United States for pay due to him before the 1st of January, 1782, it ought to be exhibited to Joseph Pennell, Esq., the Commissioner appointed to liquidate and finally settle the accounts of the department up to that time. I cannot discover, by any documents now in this office, that M. Rousille has been in the marine service subsequent to that period.

I have the honor, &c.,

JAMES READ, Secretary.

FROM MONSIEUR DE MARBOIS TO JOHN JAY.

Translation.

New York, July 19, 1785.

Sir,

I have received the letter of this date with which you honored me, and the copy enclosed of a letter from Mr. James Read, in answer to the memorial of Pierre Rousille. I shall forward it to this latter that he may produce the papers which are required of him. I am much obliged to you, sir, for the attention you have bestowed on this subject.

I am, with respect, &c.,

DE MARBOIS.

FROM JOHN JAY TO MONSIEUR DE MARBOIS.

Office for Foreign Affairs, July 20, 1785.

Mr. JAY presents his compliments to M. De Marbois, and subjoins an extract from a letter which he has this moment received from Secretary Thomson, viz: "The design of this is to inform you that 'there has happened a mistake in the delivery of the letter from his 'most Christian Majesty. Your translation is of a letter dated 10th May, 1785. But the original letter delivered to the President is a 'duplicate of the letter of 27th March, informing Congress of the 'birth of the Duke of Normandy."

FROM MONSIEUR DE MARBOIS TO JOHN JAY.

Written in English.

July 20, 1785.

Sir,

I have at home the letter dated 10th May, 1785, at least I must suppose I have it, as I received two addressed to Congress similar on

the outside, excepting that the words La Fayette have been written with a pencil on the letter which I had the honor to deliver this morning to his Excellency the President. I shall bring the other to-morrow, and shall have the honor to agree with you, sir, about the manner of delivering it.

The resolution of Congress, of which I subjoin a copy, has been communicated to the heirs of the late Monsieur de Coudray. In consequence whereof they have sent me power to conclude this affair with Congress. I beg the favor of you to put me in capacity to inform them of the resolutions of this assembly.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

DE MARBOIS.

FROM JOHN JAY TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Office for Foreign Affairs, August 2, 1785.

Sir,

On Friday last M. De Marbois called upon me to inquire whether Congress had as yet directed any answers to be given to his memorials under their consideration. In the course of the conversation he mentioned the affair of Longchamps, and informed me that his Court would not persist in their demand of him. He proposed that the paper containing that demand, together with those that accompanied it, should be returned to him, so that the matter might remain as if no such demand had been made. If this idea should be adopted, the proposed letter to his most Christian Majesty would be unnecessary if not improper. He expressed a wish that Congress would pass

resolutions asserting the rights of Ministers, &c., and recommending to the States to pass laws to punish violations of them in an exemplary manner. If Congress should think proper to pass such resolutions, a copy of them might be enclosed to the King of France in a lettercalculated to remove any uneasiness which may remain in his mind from the case of Longchamps.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

JOHN JAY.

FROM JOHN JAY TO MONSIEUR DE MARBOIS.

Office for Foreign Affairs, August 9, 1785.

Mr. JAY presents his compliments to M. De Marbois, and has the honor of transmitting to him, herewith enclosed, a copy of an act of Congress of the 3d instant, on the subject of his note respecting demands on the United States by the heirs of certain French officers who died in the American service.

Extract from the Journal, August 3, 1785.

"On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Grayson, Mr. Howell, and Mr. King, to whom was referred a report of the Paymaster General on a note from the Chargé d'Affaires of his most Christian Majesty:

"Resolved, That in consideration of the peculiar circumstances under which Colonel Radiere, who died in the service of the United States in the year 1779, entered the service, the Paymaster General be, and he is hereby, directed to extend to his case the benefit of the resolution of April 10th, 1780, relative to depreciation.

Resolved, That the Paymaster General be, and he is hereby, directed to settle with the widows and orphans of officers who did not belong to any of the United States, entitled to seven years' halfpay, under the resolution of August 24th, 1780, and to issue to them certificates therefor: