and vexations of private
avarice. We desire you, therefore, to dissuade the government, as far as
you can prudently, from listening from any overtures of that kind, and
as to the speculators themselves, whether native or foreign, to inform
them, without reserve, that our government condemns their projects, and
reserves to itself the right of paying nowhere but into the treasury of
France, according to their contract.

I enclose you a copy of Mr. Grand's note to me, stating the conditions
on which Drost would come, and also a letter from the Secretary of the
Treasury, expressing his ideas as to those terms, with which I agree.
We leave to your agency the engaging and sending Mr. Drost as soon
as possible, and to your discretion to fix the terms, rendering the
allowance for expenses certain, which his first proposition leaves
uncertain. Subsistence here costs about one third of what it does in
Paris, to a housekeeper. In a lodging house, the highest price for a
room and board is a dollar a day, for the master, and half that for the
servant. These facts may enable you to settle the article of expenses
reasonably. If Mr. Drost undertakes assaying, I should much rather
confide it to him, than to any other person who can be sent. It is the
most confidential operation in the whole business of coining. We should
expect him to instruct a native in it. I think, too, he should be
obliged to continue longer than a year, if it should be necessary for
qualifying others to continue his operations. It is not important that
he be here till November or December, but extremely desirable then. He
may come as much sooner as he pleases.

We address to M. la Motte a small box for you, containing a complete set
of the journals of the ancient Congress, the acts of the last session of
the federal legislature, and a continuation of the newspapers.

I am, with great and sincere esteem, Dear Sir, your affectionate friend
and humble servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER LXI.--TO MR. OTTO, May 7, 1791

TO MR. OTTO.

Philadelphia, May 7, 1791.

Sir,

I have now the honor to return you the propositions of Messrs.
Schweizer, Jeanneret, and Company, which have been submitted to the
Secretary of the Treasury. He does not think they can be acceded to on
the part of the United States. The greater premium demanded than what we
now pay, the change of the place of payment, the change of the bankers
whom we have always employed, for others unknow