DEAR SIR,-- * * * * * The approaching convention of Congress would render your assistance here desirable. Besides the varieties of general matter we have to lay before them, on which we should be glad of your aid and counsel, there are two subjects of magnitude in which your agency will be peculiarly necessary. 1st. The selection and digestion of the documents respecting Burr's treason, which must be laid before Congress in two copies, (or perhaps printed, which would take ten days.) 2d. A statement of the conduct of Great Britain towards this country, so far as respects the violations of the Maritime Law of nations. Here it would be necessary to state each distinct principle violated, and to quote the cases of violation, and to conclude with a view of her vice-admiralty courts, their venality and rascality, in order to show that however for conveniences, (and not of right) the court of the captor is admitted to exercise the jurisdiction, yet that in so palpable an abuse of that trust, some remedy must be applied. Everything we see and hear leads in my opinion to war; we have therefore much to consult and determine on, preparatory to that event. I salute you with affectionate respect. TO MR. PAINE. WASHINGTON, October 9, 1807. DEAR SIR,--Your second letter on the subject of gun-boats, came to hand just before my departure from Monticello. In the meantime, the inquiry into the proposition had been referred, agreeably to our usage, or to reason, to the practical persons of the department to which it belonged, deemed most skilful. On my arrival here, I found the answers of the persons to whom it was referred, the substance of which I now enclose you. I am not a judge of their solidity, but I presume they are founded, and the rather as they are from officers entirely favorable to the use of gun-boats. We have as yet no knowledge of the arrival of the Revenge in England, but we may daily expect to hear of it; and as we expected she would be detained there and in France about a month, it will be a month hence before we can expect her back here. In the meantime, all the little circumstances coming to our knowledge are unfavorable to our wishes for peace. If they would but settle the question of impressment from our bottoms, I should be well contented to drop all attempts at a treaty. The other rights of neutral powers will be taken care of by Bonaparte and Alexander; and for commercial arrangements we can sufficiently provide by legislative regulations. But as the practice of impressment has taken place only against us, we shall be left to settle that for ourselves; and to do this we shall never again have so favorable a conjuncture of circumstances. Accept my friendly salutations and assurances of great esteem and respect. TO HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR CABELL. WASHINGTON, October 12, 1807.