His Excellency the Chevalier Delfino, Ambassador from the Republic of Venice at the Court of Versailles ;

And to Mr. Favi, Chargé d'Affaires from the Grand Duke of Tuscany, which letter, from a mistake in transcribing, was not dated or sent until the 30th of September.

FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF PORTUGAL TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Paris, September 27, 1784.

The Ambassador of Portugal has the honor to inform Messrs. Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson, that he has received their letter, and that he immediately transmitted it to his Court, from whence he awaits an answer, in order to communicate with them upon the articles relative to the treaty of commerce.

FROM M. RIVIERE TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Paris, September 27, 1784.

Gentlemen,

I have received the letter with which you honored me the 22d instant, and I did not fail to transmit it to my Court, according to your desire. As soon as I receive an answer, I will make it a duty to submit it to you.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

RIVIERE,

I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write to me on the 22d instant upon the subject of a treaty of amity and

commerce, which the United States of America would wish to form with the King my master, for the welfare respectively of his subjects and their citizens. I hastened, gentlemen, to place before his Sicilian Majesty your proposition, and will communicate to you the answer as soon as it is received from my Court.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

DE PIO,

Chargé d'Affaires of the Court of Naples.

FROM M. DE SCARNAFIS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Paris, October 26, 1784.

Gentlemen,

I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write the 22d of September, wherein you inform me that the United States of America in Congress assembled have granted you power to form a treaty of amity and commerce with his Majesty the King of Sardinia. I have just communicated it to my Court; and if any particular order should be taken on the subject, I will not fail to inform you. I seize this occasion, gentlemen, with true eagerness, to assure you of my perfect respect, and have the honor to be, &c.,

DE SCARNAFIS, Ambassador of Sardinia.

FROM THE CHEVALIER DELFINO TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Gentlemen,

It is with the greatest satisfaction that I have just received the letter which you have done me the honor to write. I will not fail, gentlemen, to transmit your information to the Senate; and as soon as I receive an answer I will consider it a duty to communicate it to you.

In the interim, I have the honor to be, &c.,

LE CHEV. DELFINO,

Ambassador of Venice.

FROM M. FAVI TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Gentlemen,

Paris, October 10, 1784.

I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write the 30th ultimo, wherein you have done me the favor to announce the commission and full power with which you have been clothed by the United States of America in Congress assembled, in order to propose and to form bonds of amity and commerce with the States of Tuscany.

I shall esteem it a duty to communicate this information to my Court conformably to your desire, not doubting that it will be equally agreeable with the proposition enclosed.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

FAVI,

Chargé d'Affaires of Tuscany.

FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE BARON STAEL DE HOLSTEIN.

Sir,

Passy, near Paris, October 2, 1784.

The United States of America in Congress assembled, judging that it might be necessary, for the purpose of promoting and perfecting the commercial intercourse so happily begun between his Swedish Majesty and them, that supplementary treaties be formed, in addition to the treaty of amity and commerce already entered into between the two nations, on the third day of June last, constituted the subscribers their Ministers Plenipotentiary, giving them, or a majority of them, full power for the said States, and in their name to confer, treat, and negotiate with the Ambassadors, Minister, or Commissioner of his said Swedish Majesty, with full and sufficient powers of and concerning such supplementary treaty or treaties, to make and receive propositions for such treaty or treaties, and to conclude and sign the same, transmitting it or them to the said United States in Congress assembled for their final ratification.

We have now the honor to inform your Excellency that we have received the full power for the purposes abovementioned, and are here ready to enter on the negotiation whenever a full and sufficient

power from his Swedish Majesty shall appear, and to request your Excellency to lay this information before his Majesty, that such order may be taken as to his wisdom shall seem convenient.

I had the honor to reply in the first instance to the Secretary of the commission, Mr. Humphreys, for the formation of treaties by the United States of America, on receiving the letter which the Ministers Plenipotentiary have done me the honor to write, that I would not fail to place it before his Majesty; but I was desirous of gaining time in order to be enabled to communicate to his Majesty some ideas upon the amendments which are to be proposed on the part of the United States. Supposing, gentlemen, that you entertain this opinion, I will not delay to inform you that a Swedish courier departs hence in a couple of days, by whom a sure opportunity is offered of transmitting papers relative to this affair.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

E. M. STAEL DE HOLSTEIN.

October 8, 1784.

In consequence of the preceding letter the subsequent verbal information was remitted to his Excellency the Ambassador by Mr. d'Asp, Secretary to the Swedish Embassy, viz:

"The objects of the supplementary treaty proposed on the part 'of the United States with his Swedish Majesty, are, in substance, 'these:

"1st. To bring the condition of the subjects and citizens of each 'party trading in the dominions of the other more nearly to that of 'the natives than it is at present. The Island of St. Bartholomew

'presents itself as a part of this object which the United States would ' wish to have laid as open to them, as they will lay their countries to 'the subjects of his Swedish Majesty.

"2d. To provide by stipulations, while the two nations are in terms 'of friendship with each other, that if ever a war should unhappily 'fall out between them, it shall not interrupt commerce or agriculture, ' and that prisoners of war shall be favorably treated."

FROM THE COUNT DE ARANDA TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Gentlemen,

Paris, September 27, 1784.

I received yours of the 22d, the day before yesterday, by the hand of Mr. Humphreys, Secretary of Legation. I am there informed of the wish of the United States of America to establish with the Catholic King a correspondence which may prove convenient to both Powers, founded upon the principles of equality, reciprocity, and friendship, and which will be mutually advantageous to the two nations. That for this purpose the United States have, by their act of the 12th May, authorized your Excellencies, in due form, as their Ministers Plenipotentiary, to confer, to treat, and to conclude with the King, my master, a treaty of amity and commerce, to be sent for ratification to the said States.

Certainly such dispositions in the United States, and such principles of equality, reciprocity, and friendship, will be very pleasing to the purity of his Catholic Majesty's heart, to whom I will transmit your communication as I received it.

With the same end in view, and to enable his Majesty to take this step, allow me, gentlemen, to inquire if either or any of you will repair to Madrid for the purpose of negotiating and concluding this treaty? This request your Excellencies will not consider improper when it is understood that the customs of my Court, (the most regular and systematic of all others,) in matters between its Crown and any other Power, is to negotiate between themselves, without availing themselves of a third place.

It is difficult in adjusting a peace between more than two Powers, or between many parties whose interests are to be conciliated.

VOL. I.-33

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