ave ordered
that future packets coming from America, or elsewhere, to Nantes, for
us, shall be under your direction, of which you have informed M. Penet
and Mr Morris; you will, therefore, on the arrival of any vessel from
America, with despatches for us, inform the captains, or persons
charged with them, of your appointment, receive the letters, and send
them to us in the most safe and expeditious manner. We advise you to
charge the person bringing despatches, to say not a word of his errand
to any one, and we confide in your prudence to conduct the receiving,
as well as the expedition of the packets with all possible secrecy.

We are, Sir, &c.

B. FRANKLIN,
SILAS DEANE,
ARTHUR LEE.

* * * * *

FROM THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Philadelphia, 2d May, 1777.

Gentlemen,

Your despatches, dated February the 6th and 8th, were safely received
by us about the middle of April. We observe your remarks on the
timorousness of the French merchants, respecting the formation of
trading companies, which, you say, is occasioned by the change and
fluctuation of news. That the spirit for trade will always be governed
by the rise and fall of military strength, is a maxim always to be
admitted in the first attempts to establish a commerce between any two
nations, because success in war is supposed to give security or
protection to it. But this timidity ceases naturally, as soon as a
trade is opened, for losing or gaining after that equally produces a
spirit of adventuring further. Therefore we wish to enter into a trade
with them as soon as possible, because as nothing can abridge or
prevent their profits, but the enemy's making prizes of their ships,
the consequence will be, that they will either be encouraged by the
gain, or aggravated by the loss to come to a serious understanding
with the Court of Britain. We advise you to be constantly holding up
the great advantages, which the crown and commerce would receive by
their possessing themselves of the West Indies, and we trust to your
wisdom in making all the use possible of the English newspapers, as a
channel through which to counteract the tide of folly and falsehood,
of which you complain, and rest