immediately. You will please to say to Mr. Jones, that he ought not to set sail before I have imparted to him the instructions which have been sent, as it will be necessary to suspend his departure till a new order; but not to lose an instant in hastening the repairs. I have the honor to be, &c., THE DUC DE LA VAUGUYON. TO THE DUC DE LA VAUGUYON. November 13th, 1779. Sir, Yesterday I was at the Texel with the Commodore, to adjust affairs with a Commissioner of the Admiralty, as to the light-house dues, so as to satisfy every body; but this morning the Dutch ViceAdmiral sought me, in his boat, to repeat to me what he had already said to the Commodore, that he ought to depart with the first good wind; in consequence, I have been with Captain Ricot and the commandant of the Scarborough on board of the French cutter to adjust things, of which I will give a verbal account to your Excellency. I have the honor to be, &c., DUMAS. THE DUC DE LA VAUGUYON TO C. W. F. DUMAS. Amsterdam, November 17th, 1779. Sir, They write me from the Hague that the States of Holland adopted yesterday, by a majority, a resolution to compel Mr. Jones to depart. I inform you of it that you may lose no time in returning to the Texel and executing the necessary arrangements. I have the honor to be, &c., THE DUC DE LA VAUGUYON. TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. The Hague, December 9th, 1779. Gentlemen, On the 16th and 17th of November, the French Ambassador having given us a meeting at Amsterdam, apprized us of the inten tion of the King, to wit, that the cruise should terminate at the Texel, and that the prizes should be conducted into France by two French Captains of the squadron. Captain Jones, on his part, had an order from Dr. Franklin to go on board the Alliance. On the 18th and 19th we returned to the Texel. The following days we effected these changes. The Dutch Vice-Admiral (a decided Tory, who had succeeded the brave Captain Riemersma, a good Republican and friend to the Americans) perceived it, and disturbed us very much, particularly after having received the resolution of the 19th of November, and the instructions of his Court on this subject. Every day he pressed and threatened us, though the wind was always contrary. On the 24th of November, among others, the officer second in command came to read to us a paper, which he afterwards put in his pocket. I had anticipated the contents, and made on my part a writing, which I likewise read to him as follows: "The Commodore loses not a moment in providing for his departure with the first good wind in his vessel, the Alliance, and he will give the signal for departure to the others, which will follow him if they can. He thinks he cannot give a stronger proof of his respect for the resolution of their High Mightinesses. Thus the threats of the Vice-Admiral are superfluous, and against the very terms of this resolution of their High Mightinesses. He cannot go on board any other vessel than the Alliance, without counteracting the designs of his superiors. "As to the prizes, the placard of 1756, and of course the designs of their High Mightinesses, are scrupulously observed, in that they have not disposed of or changed anything, and that when they depart they may be recaptured. I require for the future every order or threat in writing, in order to send copies to the general Congress and to Dr. Franklin." November 28th. Having sent again to hasten us, I made him confess with a loud voice, in presence of our crew and of his own rowers, that he required an impossibility, a declaration which I made the pilot sign afterwards. Then he let us alone during ten days. December 8th. The wind appearing favorable, his officer found us ready to depart; but the wind changing, it was necessary to cast anchor again after it had been already weighed. By the extract of the resolution of the 26th November, you will see, gentlemen, that the Stadtholder had taken on himself to apply to the Alliance only what had been resolved in regard to the whole squadron, and especially to the prizes; that the States-General have approved it, and that thus they have thought they might dispense with consulting the Province of Holland on this new case. They are not content with this arbitrary procedure, and will make new protests, copies of which they have promised to furnish me. The others, on their side, appear to think that they have gone too far, as may be seen by the letter of the Vice-Admiral, which certainly is not written without order. As to the arrangement made on the 16th and 17th, I suspend my opinion till I see where the whole will end. But I highly applauded Mr. Jones for having answered the Dutch Admiral as he did. I have the honor to be, &c., DUMAS. TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. December 10th, 1779. Gentlemen, The following intelligence will show in what manner the StatesGeneral have proceeded respecting Sir Joseph Yorke's demand for the seizure of Paul Jones's prizes: Leyden, November 25th. "The publicity of the claims which Sir J. Yorke, Ambassador of Great Britain, has made by order of his Court, on the occasion of the entry of Paul Jones with his prizes into the road of the Texel, having excited the attention of Europe to this affair, on which subject the spirit of party on both sides has spread sundry unfounded reports, we think ourselves under obligation to communicate to our readers the definitive resolution which the States-General took in relation to it last Friday; a resolution which. reconciles the most scrupulous obligations of neutrality with the friendship which subsists between Great Britain and this Republic. Here is the translation of it: "Wednesday, November 19th, 1779. Having deliberated by resolution on the memorial presented by Sir Joseph Yorke, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King of Great Britain, to their High Mightinesses, on the 29th of last month, to renew, in pursuance of the precise orders of his said Majesty, the most urgent instances for the seizure and restitution of two of the King's ships, Serapis and Countess of Scarborough, as well as for the release of their crews, which a certain Paul Jones had seized, as is more fully related in the registers under date of the 29th of last month, it has been resolved and determined to answer the aforesaid memorial of Sir Joseph Yorke, that, upon the reiterated instances which the Ambassador has made, by order of his Court, for the seizure and restitution of the ships Serapis and Countess of Scarborough, as well as for the release of the crews of said vessels, which a certain Paul Jones has taken, and with which he has entered into the road of the Texel, their High Mightinesses have repeatedly taken into mature consideration all the circumstances of this affair, and they find themselves under the necessity of requesting his Majesty to consent that their High Mightinesses should persist in their ancient maxim, which is that, without interfering in any decision upon the legality or illegality of prizes brought into their ports, they should compel them to put to sea, their High Mightinesses judging that this maxim itself is founded on treaties. "But for evident proof that they do not desire that any supplies may be furnished from this country to the inhabitants of his Majesty's American Colonies, they gave orders immediately on the arrival of Paul Jones that he should not be furnished with any munitions of war or other articles, except those of which he would have need in order to put to sea and reach the nearest port in which he might be admitted. That their High Mightinesses will also give orders that he set sail as soon as his vessels can put to sea, and when wind and weather will permit, and even will compel him in case it should be required. That their High Mightinesses are assured that it will be evident thereby that they persist invariably in the declaration made to his Majesty "that they desire to do nothing from which it might lawfully be inferred that they recognise the independence of the Colonies of his Majesty in America ;" and that they grant to Paul Jones neither supplies nor harbor, but that following solely the treatment which they have at all times been accustomed to give to those who come into their roads to obtain for a time shelter against the disasters of the sea, they do not concern themselves with what passes on the sea; and without taking cognizance of it, they leave and cause to be restored every thing to the state in which it was a short time before the vessels came into the country. That their High Mightinesses flatter themselves that his Majesty and the English nation, for whom their High Mightinesses have all possible respect, will be satisfied with these dispositions without insisting further on the claim they have made; that an extract from the resolution of their High Mightinesses will be sent to Sir Joseph Yorke, by the agent, Vander Burch de Spierinxhoek. "That, moreover, directions shall be given to the College of Admiralty at Amsterdam, to cause it to be signified and made known to Paul Jones, that their High Mightinesses are assured that having only put in to place his injured vessels in shelter from the dangers of the sea, there has been sufficient time to put them in condition for sea, and that consequently they desire that he should make sail as soon as possible, when the wind and weather shall be favorable, and withdraw from this country; forasmuch as their High Mightinesses cannot permit him to continue here, and as the season of winter, which is approaching, may create greater inconveniences in this respect; so that to avoid them it is necessary that he allow no favorable opportunity to escape of putting to sea. That this is the serious intention of their High Mightinesses, and that they cannot delay; but if he should not comply, it would oblige them to take measures that would not be agreeable to him. "That, however, to allow no mistake on this point, and to prevent delays, his Serene Highness will be required, and he is hereby required, to give orders to Vice-Admiral Reynst, or to the officer commanding in the roadstead of the Texel, to effect with all possible discretion that the aforesaid Paul Jones depart with his prizes as soon as wind and weather will permit; not to admit any delay in this respect, that the nature of the case does not require, and to provide, if need be, by all suitable means, not excepting force, that the orders of their High Mightinesses be executed in the roadstead.'" I have the honor to be, &c., JOHN PAUL JONES. TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. The Hague, December 11th, 1779. Gentlemen, I send you the following intelligence relating to further proceedings in regard to Captain Paul Jones: "Circumstances having changed in regard to the squadron of |