To John Jay from Grenville, 19 November 1794
From Grenville
Downing Street Nov. 19th. 1794
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit to you the Papers which you have already seen relative to the Claims of certain Persons having Rights of Remainder, or other Interests in Estates confiscated in America during the late War, but whose Rights or Interests according to Justice and the established Laws under which those Estates were held, could not be affected by such Confiscation.
I have no doubt both from the Justice of the Case itself and from what has passed between us respecting it, that if on enquiry in America it should appear that any impediments to the prosecution of such claims in the ordinary Course of Justice have existed or still exist, these Cases will be considered as being completely within the principle of the Article in the Treaty signed between us this day, respecting the British Creditors.— But as you did not possess sufficient Information respecting the particulars of this business to be enabled to enter fully into it, I have transmitted to you the Papers relative to it, and I shall be obliged to you, if when you have received further Information upon it, you will acquaint me in what situation you conceive the Parties interested in it to stand with respect to the means of recovering their Rights in the ordinary Course of Justice. I also transmit to you for a similar purpose, an application which I have received from a particular Class of British Creditors whose Case is there Stated.1
I cannot conclude this Letter without repeating to you the very great satisfaction I have derived from the open and candid manner in which you have conducted on your part the whole of the difficult Negotiation which we have now brought to so successful an Issue, and from the disposition which you have uniformly manifested to promote the Objects of justice, conciliation and lasting Friendship between our two Countries.
These Dispositions are perfectly reciprocal on the part of this Government and I am happy in any Opportunity of expressing them to you and of renewing to you the sincere assurances of the very great personal esteem and regard with which I have the honour to be Sir Your most obedient humble Servant
Grenville
John Jay Esqr &ca &ca &ca
LS, UkWC-A (EJ: 00045). C, with enclosures, DNA: Jay Despatches, 1794–95 (EJ: 04340). Enclosures: D, John Wilmot, Office of American Claims, to George Rose, 13 Aug. 1790, covering documents: “I send you Extracts of some Papers and Reports relative to the Claim of Colonel Morris and his Children.— The other Cases of a similar Nature are those of Lord Fairfax and Mr. Martin, and you will see the Attorney General’s Opinion applies to all of them.”; Attorney General R. R. Arden’s Opinion in the case of Roger and Mary Morris, 31 Mar. 1787; Extracts from the Report of the Commissioners of American Claims, 7 Apr. 1786; 5 Apr. 1788; 15 May 1789; Extract from the Decision of the Commissioners of American Claims, on the Claim of Col. Roger Morris and Mary his Wife; Samuel and George Martin; Decision on the Claim of the Right Honorable Robert Lord Fairfax, on behalf of himself and of Frances Martin Widow his Sister, and of Denny Fairfax D.D. Philip Martin Esqr. and Thomas Martin Esqr., his Nephews, and their three Sisters his Nieces, Claim £98,000; Copy of a letter written by John Wilmot Esqr. & George Rose Esqr., 24 Jan. 1792; Memorial of 19 American Loyalists living in Great Britain and elsewhere to Grenville, 9 Oct. 1794. Endorsed: “No. 23 and 25. / Jay, J.—20 Nov. & 6 Decr. 94; recd. March 22. 95.”; [in clerk’s hand] “recorded page 173.”; E, ASP: FR, 1: 505–9. , 1: 334.