compromitted by this act of their officer, as not to doubt their due notice of _him_, indemnification to the sufferer, and a friendly assurance to these States that effectual measures shall be adopted in future, to protect the persons of their citizens while in British ports. By the express command of the President of the United States, you are to lay this case, and our sense of it, before his Britannic Majesty's minister for Foreign Affairs, to urge it on his particular notice by all the motives which it calls up, and to communicate to me the result. I have the honor to be, with great esteem, your most obedient humble servant. TO JOSHUA JOHNSON. Philadelphia, December 23, 1790. Dear Sir,--The vexations of our seamen and their sufferings under the press-gangs of England, have become so serious, as to oblige our government to take serious notice of it. The particular case has been selected where the insult to the United States has been the most barefaced, the most deliberately intentional, and the proof the most complete. The enclosed letter to you is on that subject, and has been written on the supposition that you would show the original to the Duke of Leeds, and give him a copy of it, but as of your own movement, and not as if officially instructed so to do. You will be pleased to follow up this matter as closely as decency will permit, pressing it in firm but respectful terms, on all occasions. We think it essential that Captain Young's case may be an example to others. The enclosed letters are important. Be so good as to have them conveyed by the surest means possible. I am, with great esteem, dear Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant. TO A. HAMILTON. December 29, 1790. Thomas Jefferson presents his respectful compliments to the Secretary of the Treasury, and his condolences on the accident of the other evening, which he hopes has produced no serious loss. He encloses to the Secretary of the Treasury a report of a committee of the National Assembly of France, on the subject of Billon, containing more particular information as to that species of coin than he had before met with. If the metal be so mixed as to make it of 1-5 of the intrinsic value of the standard silver coin of the United States, the cent of billon will be a little smaller than the present 16ths of dollars, and consequently be more convenient than a copper cent. This he submits to the better judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, and hopes he will consider the liberty taken as an advance towards unreserved communications for reciprocal benefit. TO MR. SHORT. Philadelphia, January 23, 1791.