"I cannot prevail upon myself to conclude, without expressing to your Excellency my apprehension of the anxiety, and painful concern, with which Congress would receive intelligence of the failure of their bills, and especially after the expectations they have been induced to conceive of the successful issue of their affairs here. What conclusions the enemy would draw from the inability of Spain to advance the sum in question, even to men actually in arms against Great Britain, I forbear to mention, nor would it become me to point out the several evil consequences flowing from such an event, to those who enjoy from nature and experience more discernment than I am blessed with. "I still flatter myself, that some expedients may be devised to surmount the present difficulties, and that the harvest of laurels now ripening for his Majesty in America will not be permitted to wither for want of watering. "Influenced by this hope, I shall delay transmitting any intelligence respecting this matter to Congress, till your Excellency shall be pleased to communicate to me his Majesty's further pleasure on the subject. "I have the honor to be, &c. JOHN JAY." Your Excellency will doubtless observe, that this answer does not comprehend all the objections to which the Minister's plan is liable, such, for instance, as the proposal that the vessels proposed to be built in America, with the money of America, and to be navigated by Americans, should sail under _Spanish colors, &c._ I thought it most prudent to avoid taking notice of these and similar circumstances, lest objections, which might be ascribed to pride, as well as reason, might lose their force in that supposition, and, instead of convincing, serve only to irritate. Nothing further passed between the Minister and myself except a message or two respecting each other's health, until the 19th day of June, when I sent him the following card. "Mr Jay presents his respectful compliments to his Excellency, the Count de Florida Blanca, and takes the liberty of enclosing the copy of a note he has just received, respecting a bill drawn upon him for three hundred and thirtythree dollars. From this his Excellency will perceive the painful situation Mr Jay is in. He forbears making any reflections on it, being persuaded that his Excellency's wisdom and sensibility render them unnecessary. "_Madrid, June 19th, 1780._" On the 20th instant I received the following answer. Translation.