To John Jay from Diego de Gardoqui, 25 March 1781
From Diego de Gardoqui
[Madrid 25th March 1781]
Sir
In Consequence of the within letter which have just reced for your goodself, I beg leave to add that the Honourable Mr. de Campo desires me to inform you that the ballance of the cloathing account will be immediately order’d to be paid, but that with respect to the amount of the bills you mention, there is an absolute impossibility at present, so that you may arrange that matter by other ways,1 however the said honourable Gentleman assures that the promise made you of the three million will be complied with by paying the remaining ballance, after deducting the several sums already deliver’d you towards it, in six months hence.2 With regard to what you say about masts & timber nothing offers at present, but should it occur hereafter, you will hear it from his Excellency, the above honourable Gentleman, or thro’ me & you may perhaps by that time have further news from your Constituents. I have the honour to repeat myself with the utmost respect Sr. your most obdt. hble servt.
James Gardoqui
Honble John Jay3
C, in Gardoqui’s hand with Spanish docketing, SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 4, doc. 110 (EJ: 12176). Enclosed in Gardoqui to Campo, 25 Mar. 1781. C, in JJ’s hand, FrPMAE: CP-E, 603: 409 (EJ: 4013). Marked: “Copy of a Letter from Mr James Gardoqui to Mr Jay dated at Madrid the 25 March 1781 & recd. the same Day—”. Enclosure: Floridablanca to JJ, 24 Mar., above.
1. For JJ’s appeal to apply any funds Floridablanca could supply to cover the bills rather than the clothing, see the notes to Notes on John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca, 23 Sept. 1780, above. In a letter to Floridablanca of 15 Mar., SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 4, doc. 106 (EJ: 12091), JJ had enclosed a list of the bills due for April, amounting to $89,083, to be paid from the loan of $150,000 described in the editorial note “John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca” on p. 100.
2. See JJ to Floridablanca, 22 Mar., above.
3. JJ enclosed a copy of this letter in his letter to BF of 28 Mar. 1781, below.