tions for a peace should happily succeed, I
shall have occasion for the money mentioned in my letter of September
5th, before I can expect an answer from Congress on that subject, and
I shall apply to Dr Franklin and Mr Adams to advance it between them.
It may not be amiss again to inform you, that by the express allowance
and order of her Majesty, there is to be paid by every power entering
into _any_ treaty with her, six thousand roubles to _each_ of her
Ministers signing the same; and it is now understood, that there shall
be four signatures on the part of her Majesty, viz. that of Count
Ostermann, the Vice Chancellor; Count Woronzow, the President of the
College of Commerce; M. Bakournin, Vice President of the College of
Finances, and M. Besborodko, Secretary of the Private Affairs, or
Particular Cabinet of her Majesty. Matters of this sort were formerly
secret and gratuitous. They have now changed, their nature become
public, and are demanded as of right, at least no treaty can be
otherwise obtained. And care is taken to make it the interest of most
powers, to form a commercial treaty with this Empire by declaring in
the new tariff, which is just published, that all nations not having
such a treaty shall pay the duties, one half in rix dollars, and the
other in the money of the country. This has heretofore, under the old
tariff, been the rule for all nations except the British, who by their
treaty obtained the right of paying _all_ the duties in the money of
the country. This privilege is extended to Denmark by their late
treaty, and will doubtless be made common to all nations, which shall
choose to enter into a commercial treaty with her Majesty, and thus
the British will lose the principal benefit of their treaty before it
expires, viz. 1786.

I have the honor to be, Sir, with great esteem, &c.

FRANCIS DANA.

* * * * *

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON TO FRANCIS DANA.

Philadelphia, December 17th, 1782.

Sir,

Your distance, and the difficulty of conveying letters to you, make it
proper at times to take a retrospective view of what has passed, and
by that means of supplying in part such despatches as may have
miscarried.

The last year closed with important advantages gained over the
southern States. The winter was unproductive of any events in this
country that merit your