December 2, 1780, Franklin acknowledges "favors," a conventional phrase which seems sarcastic. These tell him that Congress has resolved to draw on him "bills extraordinary, to the amount of near $300,000." These were doubtless what led to the foregoing correspondence with de Vergennes. In reply he says that he has already engaged himself for the bills drawn on Mr. Laurens, and adds: "You cannot conceive how much these things perplex and distress me; for the practice of this government being yearly to apportion the revenue to the several expected services, any after demands made, which the treasury is not furnished to supply, meet with great difficulty, and are very disagreeable to the ministers." A short fragment of a diary kept in 1781 gives a painful vision of the swarm of bills:-- "Jan. 6. Accepted a number of loan office bills this day, and every day of the past week. "Sunday, Jan. 7. Accepted a vast number of loan office bills. Some of the new drafts begin to appear. "Jan. 8. Accepted many bills. "Jan. 10th. Informed that my recall is to be moved for in Congress. "Jan. 12th. Sign acceptation [qu. "of"? mutilated] many bills. They come thick. "Jan. 15th. Accepted above 200 bills, some of the new. "Jan. 17th. Accepted many bills. "Jan. 22d. M. Grand informs me that Mr. Williams has drawn on me for 25,000 livres; ... I order payment of his drafts. "Jan. 24th. A great number of bills. "Jan. 26th. Accept bills."