Eager to please you on every occasion, I did not wait at all to take the necessary steps with regard to the general government of the Netherlands under the dominion of His Majesty the Emperor so that not only might the express charged with your effects and detained at Brussels be immediately given free passage but also your effects might receive favorable treatment in so far as that is possible with regard to His Majesty’s duties. Here is what the Comte de Belgiojoso wrote me on this subject on the 5th of this month: As for the request that Mr. Adams made to you, provision was made at the first word of it, on the basis of what we knew here, to remove the obstacles that impeded passage of his effects from Paris. There remain duties to be paid with regard to which I know that arrangements have already been made, but I believe that Mr. Adams should by now have received the effects in question, which, incidentally, were detained with good reason, given that there was no declaration at all and that the express himself was not able to make up the deficiency. From this information, I must suppose that your effects have in fact arrived, and I would be obliged to you, sir, if you would let me know.1 Customs officers in our country, like everywhere, are rather inclined to ransom foreign effects, but as we look out for their greed, and all their superiors are determined to bridle it, it is for the public good that they be closely watched and in case of infraction punished.

I have the honor of being with the most perfect respect, sir, your very humble and obedient servant