hat he may settle this business with the Count de Vergennes.

The undersigned received the papers, of which a copy is annexed,
nearly four months ago. He had received orders, at the same time, to
inform his Court of the measures, which the United States might have
taken, for the accomplishment of the different articles of the
contract of the 16th of July, of last year. The undersigned has
deferred till this time, the communications in question, in the hope
that circumstances might become more favorable. As the peace has made
these stipulations, which were only eventual, executory, he can
refrain no longer from requesting Congress to acquaint him with the
arrangements which may have been made by the United States, or those
which they propose to make, for the execution of the contract of the
16th of July, of last year, as well as with those to be made for the
execution of the contract, of which a copy is annexed.

LUZERNE.

* * * * *

COUNT DE VERGENNES TO M. DE LA LUZERNE.

(Annexed to the note, sent on the 17th of September, 1783.)

Translation.

Versailles, March 10th, 1783.

Sir,

Dr Franklin, in the month of February last, communicated to me
different decrees of the Congress of the United States of North
America, passed on the 14th and 23d of September, and several letters
from Messrs Morris and Livingston, which not only authorised that
Minister, but even expressly ordered him to negotiate in Europe a loan
of four millions of dollars, amounting to about twenty millions of
livres tournois, for the service of the United States during the
present year, and under their warranty. It was at the same time
enjoined on Dr Franklin, earnestly to solicit the continuance of the
favors of the King, in the crisis in which Congress was then placed.

In the enumeration of the motives, which the Superintendent of the
finances alleged, in order to obtain a new loan of money from his
Majesty, he did not deny, that the Minister of France might assign
good reasons for declining to comply with this request, but he added,
that, as it was the last of this kind, which Congress would have
occasion to make, he hoped that it would not be rejected.

Dr Franklin, on his part, in obedience to the orders of Congress,
implored, in favor of the United Stat