He then proceeded to speak of the bills of exchange in the possession of the Messrs Joyce, and seemed to be surprised that that House should be possessed of so many of them. He advised Mr Jay to be cautious of those gentlemen, saying, that they were as much English in their hearts as the Ministry of that country; that he had known them long, that he thought their conduct extraordinary in being so urgent for the acceptance of these bills. Mr Jay then informed his Excellency, that he had paid those gentlemen a visit in order to obtain further time, and that they had consented to wait until Monday next. The Count mentioned a fortnight or three weeks as necessary, in order that he might have an opportunity of seeing the person he had sent for, and making some arrangements with him. He said, that it would be more agreeable to his Majesty to pay those bills at Cadiz, Bilboa, or Amsterdam, than here; lamented the precipitancy with which Congress had entered into this measure, saying, that if they had previously addressed the King on the subject, ways and means might have been found, either to transport from their possessions in America specie for the service of Congress, or to have enabled them to have drawn bills of exchange at a shorter sight, which would have prevented the loss of one third of the money to which Congress had subjected themselves, by the terms on which the present bills were sold. Mr Jay assured his Excellency, that by letters he had received from America, from members of Congress and others, he was informed, that the terms were judged so unfavorable to the buyers, that the bills drawn on him sold heavily from that circumstance solely, and not from any doubt of their credit and payment.