Papers of John Adams, volume 16
I have received repeated Letters from Mr. Barclay, who is settling American Accounts, requiring me to produce the Bills of Exchange which were accepted by me, and paid by you in Amsterdam in behalf of Mr Grand at Paris, or of Dr. Franklin
If you are willing to deliver them to me, I will come to Amsterdam to receive them, and will take them with me to Paris. But I will not dissemble to you, that I think them your Vouchers, and that you should have them to produce to Mr. Barclay, or at least that Mr. Grand of Paris or Dr. Franklin should have them to shew, in support of the Account of the Money expended in the Payment of them. I should be obliged to you for an Answer, as speedily as may be convenient1
with much respect I have the honour to be / Gentlemen, your most obedient & most humble / servant &c.
LbC in C. W. F. Dumas’ hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs. Fizeaux, Grand & Co:”; APM Reel 107. This and two other letters of 4 May, to the loan consortium and Jonathan Jackson, not printed, are the only known instances in which Dumas performed the role of JA’s secretary by copying letters into a Letterbook, but for another example of Dumas in the secretarial role, see Proposed Prussian-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce, [9 April – post 5 May], No. II, descriptive note, above.
The principals in the Amsterdam firm of Fizeaux, Grand & Co. were Henri Fizeaux and Georges Grand, brother of Ferdinand Grand of Paris. It was the successor firm to Horneca, Fizeaux & Co., which had previously served as the United States’ banker in the Netherlands and sought to raise the American commissioners’ unsuccessful 1778 loan. It was formed in 1779 upon the death of Fizeaux’s partner, Jean Jacques Horneca (vol. 6:60–61). For the correspondence between JA and the firm that ultimately resulted in an accounting for 544 bills accepted by JA totaling ƒ 477,252.13 (to Thomas 188 Barclay, 24 May 1784, below), see JA’s letters of 8, 12, 19, and 20 May, all LbC’s, APM Reel 107, and the firm’s replies of 6, 14, and 19 May, all Adams Papers.
Mr Adams presents his Compliments to the Baron De Thulemeier: He has received from Paris, the Project of a Treaty, returned with the Remarks of his Colleagues Messrs Franklin and Jay.1 He desires to know the Hour tomorrow, when it will be most agreable to the Baron, that he Should wait upon him, to make the Communication.2
LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 107.
From Benjamin Franklin and John Jay, 29 April, above, but see note 2.
Thulemeier replied in a note dated 5 May at 9 o’clock in the morning (Adams Papers). There he stated that he would be available to meet with JA after 8 o’clock that evening. JA replied later on the 5th, enclosing the draft returned to him by Franklin and Jay and indicating that “the Alterations are soon made, and are so inconsiderable that if you and I can arrange them, which may be done in half an Hour, I will transmit the whole to Congress, by the earliest Opportunity, as a Plan approved by the Ministers on both sides” (LbC, APM Reel 107). For the proposed changes and the outcome of the 5 May meeting, see Proposed Prussian-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce, [9 April – post 5 May], above, and JA’s 13 May and 7 June letters to the president of Congress, both below.
th.May 1784—
I had the pleasure of receiving your letter relative to the House at Auteuil, since which several Messages pass’d between the Count de Rouault and Me, and all have Ended in an appointment to Meet Tomorrow on the spot, where I shall make known my demands for Repairs, and more than probably I will Inform you by next post that the House is taken for you
The Furniture must absolutely be alterd, and some few arrangements made Concerning the Garden and water pipes, without which I shall not Meddle with the place
I observe your opinion about the vouchers which are in the hands of Fezeaux Grand & Co. and though I differ with you in My sentiments about the Matter, I shall write to those Gentlemen to send them to Me, for if I Can procure them it is Not Material either to you or Me whether at your desire or Not— However the holders Certainly Cou’d have No pretense to Refuse giving You up your
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acceptances which have been discharged, though perhaps they might scruple to give them to Me, I shall procure a letter from Mr. Grand on the subject, for the account is much wanted in America, and Cannot be furnish’d by Me without the vouchers
Mr. Carmichael Came here on purpose from Madrid to bring the Bills which were drawn on Mr. Jay and the other vouchers for the settlement of his account, which is happily got through, My Best wishes attend you and your son I remain always / Dear sir / your Afft. Obed Sert
s:Barclay
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. Adams at the Hague”; endorsed: “Mr Barclay / May 6. ansd 11 / 1784.”