Papers of John Adams, volume 16
le 2. Juillet 1784
Le Sousigne Ministre Plenipotentiaire des Etats Unis de L’Amerique, a l’honneur de proposer, qu’il laissa l’année passée, a Paris, quelques Effets, en Habillemens, Papiers, Livres, Argenterie &c dont il S’etoit Servi pendant Son Sejour dans cette Ville—qu’il envoya, il y a quelque tems, un Exprès, nommé Egberts D’Amsterdam, pour transporter ces Effets a la Haye; que le dit Expres est maintenant à Bruxelles avec les dits Effets contenus en trois Malles. Le Sousigné prie Vos Hauts Puissances, de vouloir faire depecher, ou de lui accorder, un Passeport pour le dit Egberts avec ces Effets, Sans payer des Droits1
The undersigned minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America has the honor of declaring that he left last year at Paris some effects, including clothing, papers, books, silverware, etc., which he had used during his stay in that city; that he sent sometime ago an express named Egberts of Amsterdam to transport those effects to The Hague; and that the said express is now at Brussels with the said effects contained in three trunks. The undersigned entreats Your High Mightinesses to be so kind as to dispatch or grant to him a passport for the said Egberts along with his effects, without payment of duties.1
RC (Nationaal Archief:Staten-Generaal, 1.01.02, inv. nr. 7461). LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 107. The LbC is dated 3 July.
The States General issued the requested passport for JA’s effects, probably dated 2 July like that for his books from London, for which see JA’s first letter to the States General of this date, note 2, above. JA enclosed the second passport in his letter of 3 July to the Willinks for them to send on to Egberts, the express, at Brussels (LbC, APM Reel 107).