y
your powerful influence, whether in the illustrious assembly of their
noble and grand Mightinesses, whether among the other Confederates, or
elsewhere, there, and in such manner, as your noble and great Lordships
shall judge most proper, that the resolution of their noble and grand
Mightinesses of the date of the 28th of March last, for the admission of
Mr. Adams, in quality of Minister of the United States of America, be
promptly executed; and that the petitioners, with the other commercial
Citizens, obtain the effectual enjoyment of a treaty of commerce with
the said Republic, as well by the activity of the marine of the State,
and the protection of commerce and navigation, as by all other measures,
that your noble and great Lordships with the other members of the
Sovereign Government of the Republic, shall judge to tend to the public
good, and to serve to the prosperity of our dear country, as well as to
the maintenance of its precious liberties."

_So doing, &c._

ROTTERDAM.

_PETITION of the Merchants, Insurers, and Freighters of Rotterdam to the
Regency of that City_.

Give to understand, in the most respectful manner, that it is
sufficiently notorious that the inhabitants of this Republic have, as
well as any other nation, an interest, that they give us an opportunity
to open a free communication and correspondence with the inhabitants of
America, by making a treaty of commerce, as Mr. Adams has represented in
his memorial; to which they add, that the advantages which must result
from it, are absolutely the only means of reviving the fallen commerce
of this country; for re-establishing the navigation, and for repairing
the great damages which the perfidious proceedings of the English have,
for so many years, caused to the commercial part of this country.

That with all due respect, they represent to the venerable Regency the
danger we run, in prolonging farther the deliberations concerning the
article of an alliance of commerce with North America; being moreover
certain that the interposition of this State cannot add any thing more
to the solidity of its independence, and that the English Ministry has
even made to the Deputies of the American Congress propositions to what
point they would establish a correspondence there, to our prejudice, and
thereby deprive the inhabitants of this country of the certain
advantages which might result from this reciprocal commerce; and that
thus we ought not to de