March 8th, 1782.

Sir,

I have the honor of informing your Excellency, that I am about to take
a journey to Virginia, and shall probably be absent some weeks. M. de
Marbois will remain here during this interval, as _Charge d'Affaires_
of his Majesty. Be pleased to honor him with your confidence, in case
that circumstances shall render it necessary for him to make any
communication to Congress.

If your Excellency has any commissions, with which to intrust me, for
Virginia, I entreat you to be assured of my punctuality in performing
them.

I am, Sir, respectfully, &c.

LUZERNE.

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Translation.

Philadelphia, April 17th, 1782.

Sir,

I have repeatedly applied to the Department of War, to have a
settlement made of the accounts of M. de la Radiere, an officer of
Engineers, and General Baron de Kalb, both of whom died in the service
of the United States.

I have been answered, in the absence of General Lincoln, that the
demands, which I made by order of my Court, for the benefit of their
heirs, were just, but as yet no money has been paid to me, and I
therefore entreat you to be pleased to procure it as soon as possible.
I have received several letters from the family of Baron de Kalb, and
I wish to be able to send them a satisfactory answer. General Lincoln
having returned, I hope that these two affairs will suffer no delay.

The Count de Barras also demanded, in the month of July of last year,
the payment of the sums due to the volunteers, who have served on
board the Ariel, Captain Paul Jones; and on leaving the Chesapeake he
has renewed his demands, in order that this money may be sent to
France, where it will be paid to those to whom it belongs. This debt
amounts to four thousand one hundred and ninetyseven livres tournois,
not including the sum of one thousand one hundred and fiftyone livres,
which has been paid to Joseph Caron, Francois Marais de Tulipe, Joseph
Powaruce, and Paterne Jean, who were on board the Hermione. Congress,
by a resolution, the date of which I cannot recollect, last year
ordered the whole of this sum to be paid. I entreat you, Sir, to be
pleased to persuade the Board of Admiralty to bring this affair to a
close, and to transmit this sum to his Majesty's Consu