that he had received. Yet he appears to have been perfectly silent, until on the 15th of February last he was alarmed by a project of the Directory, announced to him by the Minister, M. De La Croix, to send an Envoy Extraordinary to this Country. This he endeavoured to prevent and manifested his readiness to vindicate his Government. He had an audience of the Directory; and the project was suspended to give an opportunity to receive their complaints and make his answer. The result was not received here until the 18th July, in a letter from Mr. Monroe, dated the 2d of May. But this only covered M. De La Croix's statement of complaints and Mr. Monroe's answer; the effect of the latter remained to be learnt. The objections made were feeble and perhaps we may hear no more of them. But the dissatisfaction and uneasiness produced by Mr. Monroe's Letters of February and March, concurring with divers other causes, had determined the President early in July to recall him.

The President immediately wrote to General Pinckney, requesting him to accept the mission to Paris. He has accepted; and is daily expected here from Charleston.

DEAR SIR:

* R. KING TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

Sept. 8. 1796.

Mr. Trumbull's appointment as the fifth Commissioner in the capture question has prevented his acceptance of the agency for the relief and protection of our seamen. His duties must devolve on me for the present; and, I hope by a careful attention to the cases that shall come to my knowledge assisted by the several Consuls, whose vigilance on this subject is great and meritorious, that I shall be able to relieve many of our countrymen from the hardships and injustice to which they continue to be exposed. If I shall find occasional aid requisite for the purpose of extricating any of our seamen detained on board the British Ships of War, I * It should be stated that the correspondence with the Secretary of State which is given in these volumes is contained in the Letter Books of Rufus King, and consists of press copies from the letters, while that with foreign ministers and other official persons is either in the original letters from them or copied answers to them.-ED.

shall not hesitate to compensate the persons I may employ out of the money destined for this Service.

A practice has prevailed among our Consuls to grant Certificates of Citizenship, or Protections as they are called, to our seamen and I am informed that they have been efficacious in securing those who possessed them from Impressment. Some abuses are unavoidable, and it is said have been discovered; in consequence of which these consular Certificates have in some instances been disregarded, and in a late conference with Lord. Grenville, he asked me whether our Laws, or the President's Instructions gave to our consuls authority to grant these certificates; observing that it was not within the ordinary Functions of Consuls to issue Documents of this nature. Perceiving the importance of this enquiry, I told his Lordship that I would enquire concerning the authority of our Consuls, & give him an answer as soon as I should have obtained satisfactory information respecting it. The Fees taken for these Certificates may have some influence in rendering the Consuls less critical than would be proper in the examination of Evidence; but no complaint of this nature has been made, and as the Practice of granting these Certificates is not peculiar to our Consuls, but common with the consuls of other nations, and our Sailors are frequently found here without a certificate of citizenship, whereby they are exposed to impressment, I cannot take upon myself to instruct the Consuls to discontinue the practice, though I should find no positive law or instruction that authorizes it. With perfect respect &c.

RUFUS KING.

R. KING TO B. WOLCOTT, JR., ESQ.

Private.

DEAR SIR:

LONDON, Sept. 9, 1796.

to draw

Col. Humphries having authorized Mr. Donaldson on the Mess. Barings for Sterling sufficient to purchase at Leghorn 400,000 Dollars, and Donaldson having drawn for a part

* Mr. David Humphreys, United States Minister to Portugal, was authorized to make a treaty of peace with the Dey of Algiers, in the manner customary in those days. During an absence, Mr. Donaldson, who had been left by him in

and given notice that he should probably draw for the whole of that sum, Mess. Barings after sending me a statement explaining the probable deficiency of the public money in their hands, a copy of which is enclosed, asked my opinion whether they should pay Donaldson's drafts for a greater sum than the estimated amount of the public money in their hands. They manifested no disinclination to make the advance should it be requisite, but desired advice. As Col. Humphries is fully empowered on this subject and has authorized Donaldson to draw, I told Mess. Barings that I thought it adviseable that they should pay Donaldson's drafts, adding that I was convinced their conduct would be approved and the advance which they might make faithfully reimbursed by the U. S. They will pay the drafts should they exceed the funds appropriated for this object; I mean the amount of their sales added to the estimated value of the unsold stock in their hands.

I intimated to Sir Francis Baring a wish that the sale of the residue of the stock might not be forced, especially at a time of such general depression in the prices of all Funds. I understood him that they could without inconvenience make the requisite advance and that the 6 pr. cents unsold would not be sold under 90 for 100, without consulting you on the subject. I hope the Algerine Treaty may finally be effected, though hitherto it has been attended with a series of disasters. The low price of Stocks here and the high price of dollars at Leghorn make the present operation a very unfavorable one.

Though it is no relief, it is an argument against bad management to know that great embarrassments accompany all money operations at this period. Even here great difficulties are encountered and burthensome terms submitted to to make their loans. Farewell yrs. very truly & sincerely

RUFUS KING.

Algiers, concluded on the 5th September, 1795, a treaty of peace with the Dey, by which a payment of about 800,000 dollars was to be made in cash, besides an annual tribute, and goods to the value of $24,000 a year. The treaty was ratified by the United States and the money had to be borrowed by a sale of bonds for $800,000 through the Messrs. Barings in London. The allusions in this letter and in several others refer to this transaction. Before the Dey was satisfied, an agreement was made to give him a frigate and more money.-ED.

Le Cte. de la Prâde having on the 17th September, 1796, written to Mr. King a letter stating his services to the United States, that he had been made a member of the Cincinnati, that he proposed returning to the United States, and asking him certain questions based upon these statements, was answered as follows:

R. KING TO LE CTE. DE LA PRÂDE.

SIR :

LONDON, Sep. 18, 1796.

I have recd. the letter you did me the honor to write to me on the 17th instant, and regret that my answers to your enquiries will be less satisfactory and agreeable to you, than I could wish them. The members of the Society of Cincinnatus do not receive any pensions from the U. S.; indeed no person is allowed a pension except such officers and soldiers as are disabled by wounds received in war. The Military Establishment of the U. S. has always been small & since the peace lately made with the Savages, this establishment has been made less; so that no vacancies exist either in the infantry or cavalry. The U. S. have lands for sale, and at moderate prices; but they do not grant any lands gratuitously; neither do they supply or defray the Expenses of Passages to foreigners inclined to become American Citizens.

With great respect &c

RUFUS KING.

CHAPTER VIII.

French Order against neutral Vessels—Mr. Monroe's Statement relative to it— Complaints against British Cruisers—Washington declines a Re-election -Mr. Adet's Reception in Boston-M. de Liancourt's Opinion of French Designs on Neutrals to destroy British Power-R. King's Letter to Messrs. Baring relative to the Funds for Barbary Purposes-To Mr. Bayard relative to the Costs in Cases of Claims decided by the Admiralty Courts-To Mr. Monroe, Report that Genl. Pinckney had been appointed to succeed him in Paris-Letter to Mr. Pitcairn relative to the French Debt-Negotiations with England at a Standstill-American Affairs-Secretary of State on Impressments-Washington's Address-Letter from R. King to him on European Affairs.

R. KING TO A. HAMILTON.*

LONDON Sept. 10th, 1796.

DEAR SIR:

I received this morning a letter from Mr. Monroe, dated Paris, August 28th, of which the following is an extract:

"As soon as the order of this government, as notified by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Barthelemi, the present ambassador at Basle, appeared in the papers, for it was never notified to the foreign Ministers here, I applied for information whether orders were issued for the seizure of neutral vessels, stating equally as the motive of my application a report, apparently well authenticated, that one of our vessels had been lately taken near our own coast; and was informed, that no such order was issued, and further, that none such could be, in case the British did not seize our vessels. I am happy to give you this information, because I flatter myself the knowledge of this fact may be useful in respect to our commerce with the country in which you reside. *Works of Hamilton, vi., 150.