[31] See this Treaty at large in the public Journals of Congress, Vol. IV. p. 639.

[32] See these letters, pp. 223, 224, 225.

[33] Deane did not arrive in Paris till the first week in July.

[34] This matter was not cleared up till 1794, when Gouverneur Morris was American Minister in Paris. By application to the government he procured a copy of the receipt of the person, who received the million of francs on the tenth of June, 1776. It proved to be Beaumarchais, as Dr Franklin had conjectured. See Pitkin's History of the United States, Vol. I. p. 422.

[35] A letter to Mr Barclay, written in France, see p. 218.

[36] In another letter, which Mr Adams afterwards wrote to Mr Samuel Adams, he says the account of the Commissioners' expenses here given is "exaggerated," and "put much too high," owing to his having been but a short time in Paris, and not being accurately informed on the subject. See this letter hereafter, dated February 14th, 1779, in the present volume.

By a letter from Mr Arthur Lee, dated May 9th, 1778, containing a transcript from the banker's books, it appears, that from December, 1776, to March, 1778, a period of fifteen months, Silas Deane received on his private account, $20,926; Arthur Lee, $12,749; and Dr Franklin, $12,214. See Arthur Lee's Correspondence, Vol. II. p. 159, where the above sums are stated in livres, and they are here reduced to dollars by the rule practised at that time, of allowing five livres and eight sols to the dollar. The fractions are omitted in the reduction. It must be observed, that the above payments are not a specification of the amounts actually received for the period in question, because the Commissioners may have had other expenses for which they afterwards drew on the banker, but these sums may serve as a tolerably correct indication of their expenses, and were probably intended as such by Mr Lee. At this time no fixed salary was allowed, but Congress resolved that all expenses should be paid, and that such an additional compensation should be granted, as might afterwards be deemed expedient by Congress.

On the 1st of June, 1778, Mr Lee wrote to Congress; "I am of opinion, with our colleague, Mr Adams, that it would be better for the public, that the appointment of your public Ministers were fixed, instead of being left at large, and their expenses indefinite. From experience, I find the expense of living in that character cannot well be less than three thousand pounds sterling a year, ($13,333) which I believe is as little as is allowed to any public Minister beyond the rank of consul." Arthur Lee's Correspondence, Vol. II. p. 165.

The original mode of paying Ministers abroad continued, however, till October 4th, 1779, when Congress,

Resolved, That each of the Ministers Plenipotentiary, be allowed at the rate of two thousand five hundred pounds sterling ($11,111) per annum; and each of their Secretaries at the rate of one thousand pounds sterling ($4,444) per annum, in full for their services and expenses respectively.

"That the salary of each of the said officers be computed from the time of leaving his place of abode to enter on the duties of his office, and be continued three months after notice of his recall." Secret Journals, Vol. II. p. 272.

The salaries continued fixed at the above sums during the remainder of the revolution, and till May 7th, 1784, when the salary of Ministers was reduced to $9000, and that of Secretaries to $3000 per annum.

[37] Dr Franklin expresses this opinion very strongly on several occasions; and after he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary, with the duties of commercial agent attached to his office, he repeatedly solicited Congress to separate these duties, and to leave him in charge only of those branches of business, which pertained to him in the character of Minister. See Franklin's Correspondence, Vol. III. pp. 90, 108, 119, 131.

[38] The capture of Burgoyne was the immediate cause of the treaty of alliance between France and the United States.

[39] This alludes to a clause in the 10th Article of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the United States.

[40] See a letter from Paul Jones on this subject in the Commissioners' Correspondence, Vol. I. p. 399.

[41] See the proceedings of Congress on Foreign Affairs, October 22d, 1778, in the Secret Journals, Vol. II. p. 107.

[42] Dissolving the commission in Paris, and appointing Dr Franklin Minister Plenipotentiary.

[43] See the statement here referred to, in a letter dated May 21st, 1778, p. 245, of the present volume.

[44] These letters relate to Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, and may be found in Arthur Lee's Correspondence, Vol. II, pp. 224, 227.

[45] See this letter in Arthur Lee's Correspondence, Vol. II. p. 224.

[46] See as above, p. 249.

[47] See these letters in Arthur Lee's Correspondence, Vol. II. pp. 224, 227.

[48] See the present volume, under the dates of February 16th, 1779, p. 294; February 21st, p. 298; February 27th, p. 299.

[49] See these letters in Arthur Lee's Correspondence, Vol. II. pp. 224, 227.

[50] See Izard's Correspondence, Vol. II. p. 434.

[51] See the Correspondence of the Commissioners in France, Vol. I. p. 500.

[52] See above, p. 295. The answer of M. de Lafayette is missing.

[53] This alludes to the appointment of Colonel John Laurens to be Secretary to the Minister Plenipotentiary in France. Secret Journals, Vol. II. p. 261. It does not appear that Colonel Laurens accepted the appointment. He was the son of Henry Laurens, to whom this letter from Mr Adams is addressed.

[54] These instructions, and those for a treaty of commerce which follow were agreed to unanimously in Congress on the 14th of August, nearly six weeks before the Minister was chosen. They were drawn up by Gouverneur Morris.

[55] These instructions, and those for a treaty of commerce which follow were agreed to unanimously in Congress on the 14th of August, nearly six weeks before the Minister was chosen. They were drawn up by Gouverneur Morris.

[56] Convention of Massachusetts, of which Mr Adams had been chosen a member soon after his return from France.

[57] Alluding to the journey through the north of Spain.

[58] Mr Jennings was an American, and although he resided in London during the war, he was a warm friend to the cause of his country.