The whole supply for the current year now amounts to twenty millions; but out of this are to be paid your usual drafts for interest money, those in favor of M. de Beaumarchais, and those heretofore drawn on Mr Jay and Mr Laurens, which I have already either paid or engaged for, with the support of your several Ministers, &c. &c. which I mention, that the Congress may avoid embarrassing my successor with drafts, which perhaps he may not have the means in his hands of honoring. Besides paying the second year's salaries of Messrs Adams and Dana, Jay and Carmichael, I have furnished Mr Dana with £1,500 sterling credit on Petersburgh, for which place I suppose he is now on his way. You will receive from Holland advices of the late declaration of that Court, with regard to the English refusal of its mediation, and of the assistance requested by the States-General. I hope Mr Dana will find it well disposed towards us. I have received no answer yet to my letters relating to the proposed mode of lodging funds here, by supplying the French fleet and army. Having as yet heard nothing of Colonel Palfrey, and it being now more than four months since he sailed, there is great reason to fear he may be lost. If that should unhappily be the case, the Congress cannot too soon appoint another consul, such an officer being really necessary here. Your Minister Plenipotentiary has hitherto had all that sort of business upon his hands, and as I do not now speak for myself, I may speak more freely, I think he should be freed from the burden of such affairs, from all concerns in making contracts for furnishing supplies, and from all your bill of exchange business, &c. &c. that he may be more at liberty to attend to the duties of his political function. The prisoners in England are increasing by the late practice of sending our people from New York, and the refusal of the English Admiralty to exchange any Americans for Englishmen not taken by American armed vessels. I would mention it for the consideration of Congress, whether it may not be well to set apart five or six hundred English prisoners, and refuse them all exchange in America, but for our countrymen now confined in England. Agreeably to the vote of Congress, and your Excellency's letter of the 4th of January, I have requested the assistance of this Court for obtaining the release of Mr President Laurens. It does not yet appear that the thing is practicable. What the present situation is of that unfortunate gentleman, may be gathered from the enclosed letters.[26] [26] The reference here is to the letters of Sir Grey Cooper, and Mr Charles Vernon. See this volume, pages 174, 175, 176.