“GENERAL: We are a committee of the Senate and House of Representatives charged with the office of informing you of the passage of an act, a copy of which we now present. You will perceive from this act, sir, that the two Houses of Congress, aware of the large pecuniary as well as other sacrifices which your long and arduous devotion to the cause of freedom has cost you, have deemed it their privilege to reimburse a portion of them, as having been incurred in part on account of the United States. The principles which have marked your character will not permit you to oppose any objection to the discharge of so much of the national obligation to you as admits of it. We are directed to express to you the confidence as well as request of the two Houses of Congress that you will, by an acquiescence in their wishes in this respect, add another to the many signal proofs you have afforded of your esteem for a people whose esteem for you can never cease until they have ceased to prize the liberty they enjoy, and to venerate the virtues by which it was acquired. We have only to subjoin an expression of our gratification in being the organs of this communication, and of the distinguished personal respect with which we are, “Your obedient servants, “S. SMITH, ) “ROBERT Y. HAYNE, ) Committee of the “D. BOULIGNY, ) Senate. “W. S. ARCHER, ) Committee of the “ S. VAN RENSSELAER } House of “PHILIP S. MARKLY, ) Representatives. Washington, Jan. 1, 1825.” To this address of the committee the general returned the following answer:— “WASHINGTON, Jan. 1, 1825. “GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS:— “The immense and unexpected gift which, in addition to former and considerable bounties, it has pleased Congress to confer upon me calls for the warmest acknowledgments of an old American soldier and adopted son of the United States, two titles dearer to my heart than all the treasures in the world. “However proud I am of every sort of obligation received from the people of the United States, and their representatives in Congress, the large extent of this benefaction might have created in my mind feelings of hesitation, not inconsistent, I hope, with those of the most grateful reverence. But the so very kind resolutions of both Houses delivered by you, gentlemen, in terms of equal kindness, precludes all other sentiments except those of the lively and profound gratitude, of which, in respectfully accepting the munificent favor, I have the honor to beg you will be the organs. “Permit me, also, gentlemen, to join a tender of my affectionate personal thanks to the expression of the highest respect, with which I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, “LA FAYETTE.”