41The American Commissioners and the Farmers General: Proposed Tobacco Contract, 15 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
D : American Philosophical Society MM. Les plenipotentiaires du Congrès ont propose de livrer aux fermiers généraux dans le courant de cette année 4000 B. de Tabacs rendus dans les ports de france au prix de 8 s. la livre de Tabac net poids de Marc. Ils ont demandé qu’il leur fut avancé par les fermiers generaux La Somme de Deux millions de Livres, dont moitié seroit remise dans trois mois et...
42The American Commissioners: Memorandum for the Farmers General, 17 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AD (draft): American Philosophical Society Messrs. Franklin and Deane, having considered the Proposition of the F G dated the 15th Inst. and willing to serve and oblige them, will agree to the Articles proposed with this Addition, viz. Article 7. If the Tobacco in America can be purchased at such a Rate, as that with the Addition of all Charges and Losses in purchasing and transporting it to...
43The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 18 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Archivo Historico Nacional On March 14 the commissioners received their first dispatches from America. Among them was the letter above of December 30 from the committee of secret correspondence, enclosing the Congressional authorization to offer Versailles territorial inducements to enter the war. Deane promptly informed Vergennes that...
44The American Commissioners and the Farmers General: Contract for Tobacco, [24 March 1777] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress; copy: National Archives In the light of the previous negotiations, this is a remarkable document for the commissioners to have signed. It passed over in silence two main points on which they had been seeking concessions: insurance and transportation; by agreeing to deliver the tobacco in France they tacitly assumed the risks of the sea and responsibility for shipment...
45[The American Commissioners]: Memorandum [for Vergennes], 28 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AD : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library On the 19th of November, the Congress resolved, That 100 brass Cannon 3 pounders 50 6 pounders 50 12 pounders 13 18 pounders 13 24 pounders
46To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 30 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Inclos’d is a Letter from Mr. Williams which Appears to have shared the Fate of my last To have been opened. I have wrote him a long Letter this Morning, on the Magazine. Rumsay sets out Tomorrow, and Hood, and others on Tuesday. The Letter and Dipositions for Lord Stormont, and the Memorial for the Portugal ambassador I take leave to remind you of. I sent...
47The American Commissioners and Chaumont: Draft of a Contract for Packets, [March 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society Les amis du Congrès proposent a ses deputés en france d’expedier touttes les semaines un paquebot de 60 tonneaux au moins pour Boston pour porter leurs depesches et la personne a qui ils les confieront. Les deputés seront libres de charger dans chasque Paquebot vingt tonneaux de Marchandises qui seront estimés 80000 l.t. et pour lesquels ils payront 10% de...
48Contract between Chaumont and the American Commissioners, 1 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : New York Public Library; DS and AD (draft): American Philosophical Society Conventions de Messieurs Frankelin et Dean et Lee deputés du Congrès des etats unis d’amerique avec le Sr. Leray de Chaumont. Le Dit Sieur de Chaumont equipera tous les mois a compter du mois de may prochain pendant un an, un pacquebot ou vaisseau propre a porter les Depesches des Dits Srs. Deputes de france en...
49The American Commissioners to Lord Stormont, 2 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : the Johns Hopkins University Library; AL (draft): Library of Congress; copy: Public Record Office. We did ourselves the Honour of writing some time since to your Lordship on the Subject of Exchanging Prisoners. You did not condescend to give us any Answer, and therefore we expect none to this. We however take the Liberty of sending you Copies of certain Depositions, which we shall...
50The American Commissioners to Lord Stormont, 3 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle , November 4–6, 1777. In answer to a letter which concerns some of the most material interests of humanity, and of the two nations, Great Britain, and the United States of America, now at war, we received the enclosed indecent paper, as coming from your Lordship, which we return, for your Lordship’s more mature consideration. The paper was the reply, written on...