The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
They were in a box with
Dr. Currie's, and addressed to Mr. Madison, who will forward them to
Richmond. I have heard you are in the Assembly. I will beg the favor of
you, therefore, to give me, at the close of the session, a history of the
most remarkable acts passed, the parties and views of the House, &c. This,
with the small news of my country, crops and prices, will furnish you
abundant matter to treat me, while I have nothing to give you in return,
but the history of the follies of nations in their dotage. Present me
in respectful and friendly terms to Mrs. Monroe, and be assured of the
sincere sentiments of esteem and attachment with which I am, dear Sir,
your friend and servant.
TO THE HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS OF THE TREASURY.
PARIS, August 5, 1787.
GENTLEMEN,--In my last of June 17, 1787, I had the honor of communicating
to you the information I had received from Mr. Grand, that your funds
here were out, and he considerably in advance. I took occasion to mention
to him the paragraph in your letter of February 17, wherein you were so
kind as to say your attention should be immediately turned to the making
a remittance. However, I understood soon after that he had protested a
draught of Mr. Carmichael's, as also a smaller one of five hundred livres.
He called upon me, and explaining to me the extent of his advances,
observed that he should not be willing to add to them, except so far as
should be necessary for the private expenses of myself and secretary,
which he wished to be reduced as much below the ordinary allowance as
we could, until remittances should be received. He will send you by this
packet a state of his accounts, by which he informs me that your account
is in arrear about thirty-two thousand livres, advanced by him, and about
fifteen thousand livres from a fund of the State of Virginia, placed
here for the purchase of arms, making General Washington's statue, &c.
In examining his accounts, I found by the one he had sent you formerly,
that you were debited two articles of ten thousand livres and two thousand
seven hundred and twenty-four livres and sixty-six sous, which belonged
to the account of the State of Virginia. This I must explain to you.
That State had directed me to have the statue of General Washington
made, and given me assurances such as I could rely on, that I should
receive funds immediately. Doctor Franklin was setting out to America,
and Houdon, the statuary, expressed a willingness to go with him. But
it was necessary to advance him a sum of money for that purpose. Rather
than lose the opportunity, I ventured to borrow from the fund of the
United States those two sums for the State of Virginia, which I knew
would be immediately replaced. The funds of the State arrived, (being
nearly two hundred thousand livres,) and enabled me not only to replace
those sums immediately, but to furnish much larger supplies to the wants
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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