That part of the letter last mentioned, which relates to the effect of drawing bills, together with the letters of the 2d and 3d of August, need no comment. They merely serve to show the desire, which animates the servants of the United States, to economise the resources of France. I am not disposed to criminate, but it is right that I should inform you of my opinion, which is, that the French troops in this country have cost much more than was necessary, if my information is not extremely erroneous. I have now in contemplation plans for feeding them more cheaply, and I think the French ration ought not to cost more than half a livre, at least not much more, if so much. The officers who now return to Europe can best answer, whether it has formerly exceeded that amount, and the Court must know how much has been lost on the negotiation of their bills. While on this subject it is my duty to add, that the Minister of France here, has demonstrated the most earnest desire to introduce economy in the expenditures of the army, and that the readiness shown by the Count de Rochambeau, and other general officers, to aid in it, demand acknowledgements. On the 24th of September the Chevalier wrote me a note, of which a copy is enclosed. This, you will observe, was after the receipt of those letters, in consequence of which, he, among other things, communicated the account, on which I have already had the honor of making some remarks. This letter, while it assigns reasons for continuing my drafts, shows clearly that the Chevalier had communicated his instructions to stop them, which was done, not only to me, but to the committee. But I confess, that I was very far from considering those instructions as absolute. I concluded, that a line of discretion had been left to the Minister; and, indeed, his answer to my letter confirmed me in that opinion. This answer is of the 26th. He does indeed say, that _it is impossible to depart from the precise instructions received on that subject, and authorise my drafts to the amount of two millions five hundred thousand livres_; but he immediately goes on to permit an addition of two hundred and ninetyeight thousand nine, hundred and eightyone livres, fifteen sous, and four deniers. Wherefore, it followed, that either those instructions left him at liberty to extend those drafts, or that he was at liberty to disregard the instructions. I therefore did expect to have gone on to the sum first agreed for. These expectations were frequently mentioned in conversation, and particularly so in that alluded to in mine of the 22d instant.