The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3 (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
You will have known, that the ordinance passed by M. de Chillon in St.
Domingo, for opening ports to our importations in another part of the
island, was protested against by Marbois. He had always led the Count
de La Luzerne by the nose, while Governor of that island. Marbois'
representations, and Luzerne's prepossessions against our trade with
their colonies, occasioned him, as minister of that department, not only
to reverse the ordinance, but to recall Chillon and send out a successor.
Chillon has arrived here, and having rendered himself very popular in the
islands, their deputies in the National Assembly have brought the question
before them. The Assembly has done nothing more, as yet, than to appoint
a committee of inquiry. So much of Chillon's ordinance as admitted the
importation of our provisions, is continued for a time. M. de Marbois,
too, is recalled, I know not why or how. M. de La Luzerne's conduct will
probably come under view only incidentally to the general question urged
by the colony deputies, whether they shall not be free in future, to
procure provisions where they can procure them cheapest? But the deputies
are disposed to treat M. de La Luzerne roughly. This, with the disgrace
of his brother, the bishop de Langres, turned out of the presidentship
of the National Assembly, for partiality in office to the aristocratic
principles, and the disfavor of the Assembly towards M. de La Luzerne
himself, as having been formerly of the _plot_ (as they call it) with
Breteuil and Broglio, will probably occasion him to be out of office soon.
The Treasury board have no doubt attended to the necessity of giving
timely orders for the payment of the February interest at Amsterdam.
I am well informed that our credit is now the first at that exchange,
(England not borrowing at present.) Our five per cent. bonds have risen to
ninety-seven and ninety-nine. They have been heretofore at ninety-three.
There are, at this time, several companies and individuals here, in
England and Holland, negotiating to sell large parcels of our _liquidated
debt_. A bargain was concluded by one of these the other day, for six
hundred thousand dollars. In the present state of our credit, every dollar
of this debt will probably be transferred to Europe within a short time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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