I am happy to hear that your Government has agreed to furnish Congress with the Means of discharging the national Debt. The Obstruction that Measure met with in some of the States has had many mischievous Effects on this side the Water; it discouraged the Loan going on in Holland, and thereby occasioned a Protest of some of Mr. Morris' Bills. Nothing can recover our Credit in Europe and our Reputation in its Courts, but an immediate proof of our Honesty and Prudence by a general Provision in all the States for the punctual Payment of the Interest and the final regular Discharge of the Principal. I hope we will never deserve, nor any longer appear likely to deserve, the Reproof given to an Enthusiastical Knave in Pennsylvania, who being called upon for an old Debt, said to his Creditors: Thou must have a little more patience; I am not yet able to pay thee. Give me then your bond, says the Creditor, and pay me Interest. No, I cannot do that; I cannot in conscience either receive or pay Interest, it is against my Principle. You have then the Conscience of a Rogue, says the Creditor: You tell me it is against your Principle to pay Interest; and it being against your Interest to pay the Principal, I perceive you do not intend to pay me either one or t'other.

My young Friend, your Grandson, must have had a long Passage, since he was not arrived when you wrote. Indeed all the Vessels that left Europe for America about the time he did have had long Passages which makes me less uneasy on his account. I hope he is in your Arms long before this time. His father never made any Provision here for his

passed an Act for a Duty of 5 per cent on all goods imported for paying the Interest of our National Debt, according to the Requisition of Congress." ED.

VOL. IX-L

Return that I have heard of, and therefore I have drawn on you for the Ballance of the Account as you directed.

I wrote you a too long letter some time since, respecting Mr. A.'s Calumnies,' of which perhaps it was not necessary to take so much notice.

The Government of England is again disordered. The Lords have rejected the ministry's favorite Bill for demolishing the Power of the India Company. The Commons have resented it by some angry Resolutions, and it is just now reported here that the Ministers are dismissed and the Parliament dissolved. Of this we have not yet certain advice, but expect it hourly.

There are hopes that the War against the Turks will blow over; the rather, as all Flames are apt to spread, and the late belligerent powers have all need of a continued Peace; This however, is not certain, and it behoves us to preserve with Care our Friends and our Credit abroad, and our Union at home, as we know not how soon we may have occasion for all of them.

With great and sincere Esteem, I am ever, my dear Friend, yours, etc.

B. FRANKLIN.

1467. TO ELIAS BOUDINOT 2

(P. C.)

Passy, Dec. 26, 1783.

SIR,

Your two Letters to the Commissioners, dated at Princeton the 27th of October and 1st of November, and one to me of the first of November came duly to Hand; Mr. Adams

1 Mr. John Adams. — En.

From the original in the possession of Mr. George C. Thomas.

saw the public Letters in England, Capt. Jones having landed with them at Plymouth. We thank you much for the Intelligence they contain. I am now alone here, Mr. Jay being at Bath, with Mr. Laurens, and Mr. Adams either in England or Holland: But I have written fully to the new President respecting the Instructions etc. communicated with your Letters. And now, Sir, give me leave to congratulate you on the fortunate Events that have distinguished your Presidency, and on your honourable Retreat from it into private Life. The first well-improv'd may make us all happy, and the last must make you so; for I can hardly conceive a happier Being than the Man, who, having been long laden with public Cares and fatigu'd by every-body's Business, is allow'd to retire into the Bosom of his Family, and enjoy Otium cum dignitate.

With great and sincere Respect, I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient and most humble Servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

1468. TO MICHEL-GUILLAUME-JEAN DE

CRÈVECŒUR1

(L. C.)

SIR: I have perused the foregoing Memoir, and having formerly had some Share in the Management of the Pacquet Boats between England and America, I am enabled to furnish you with some small Remarks.

The Project is good, and if carried into Execution will certainly be very useful to Merchants immediately, and profit

1 This letter is without date, but it must have been written either late in December, 1783, or early in January, 1784. — ED.

able to the Revenue of the Post-Office at least after some time; because not only Commerce increases Correspondence, but Facility of Correspondence increases Commerce, and they go on mutually augmenting each other.

Four Packet Boats were at first thought sufficient between Falmouth and New York, so as [to] dispatch one regularly the first Wednesday in every Month. But by Experience it was found that a fifth was necessary; as without it, the Regularity was sometimes broken by Accidents of Wind and Weather, and the Merchants disappointed and their Affairs deranged, a Matter of great Consequence in Commerce. A fifth Packet was accordingly added.

It is probable, as you observe, that the English will keep up their Packets. In which Case I should think it adviseable to order the Dispatch of the French Packets in the intermediate times, that is on the third Wednesdays. This would give the Merchants of Europe and America Opportunities of Writing every Fortnight. And the English who had miss'd Writing by their own Packet of the first Wednesday, or have new Matter to write which they wish to send before the next Month, will forward their Letters by the Post to France to go by the French Packet, and vice versa, which will encrease the Inland Postage of both Nations.

As these Vessels are not to be laden with Goods, their Holds may, without Inconvenience, be divided into separate Apartments after the Chinese Manner, and each of those Apartments caulked tight so as to keep out W

case if a Leak should happen in one Apr

would be affected by it, and

that the Ship would not b

and sink at Sea. This being known would be a great Encouragement to Passengers.

I send you a Copy of a Chart of the Gulf Stream, which is little known by European Navigators, and yet of great Consequence; since in going to America they often get into that Stream and unknowingly stem it, whereby the Ship is much retarded and the Voyage lengthened enormously.

The directions being imperfectly translated and expressed in French, I have put them more correctly in English. I have the honour to be, etc.,

1469. ON IMMIGRATION

TO AN UNKNOWN CORRESPONDENT

(L. C.)

Your Queries concerning the Value of Land in different Circumstances & Situations, Modes of Settlement, &c. &c. are quite out of my Power to answer; having while I lived. in America been always an Inhabitant of Capital Cities, and not in the way of learning any thing correctly of Country Affairs. There is a Book lately published in London, written by Mr. Hector St. John, its Title, Letters from an American Farmer,2 which contains a good deal of Information on those Subjects; and as I know the Author to be an observing intelligent Man, I suppose the Information to be

Maritime Observations," letter to David Le Roy. — ED.

-

from an American Farmer, describing certain provincial situaand customs not generally known; . . written for the infor

in England, by J-Hector Saint John, a farmer in PennsylThomas Davies, 1782. — ED.