Benjamin Franklin Papers

To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Jr., 23 February 1779

From Jonathan Williams, Jr.

ALS: American Philosophical Society; copy: Yale University Library

Nantes Feb. 23. 1779.

Dear & hond Sir

I have recved your Favour of the 10th Inst.1 & set down to answer your Questions about M Mercier in the order you have written them.—

No. 1. There is realy a Bala due to him on the accot he gave in to me which I should have paid him if he had returned to his Duty. The Law may perhaps intitle him to it now but I don’t think he deserves it— £316.2
No. 2 } All these Expences that ought to have been paid have been long since settled. If M Mercier has paid them again it is own Fault.—
3
4
5
6
7 I don’t understand this, having had nothing to [do?] in sending one of these men to Boston as I can remember.—3

As to my Letters of 5 Feb & Augt 27.4 I don’t think them any honorable Testimonies for Mercier & wonder he should produce them— I am in haste most respectfully Hond Sir Your dutifull & affec Kinsman

Jona Williams J

The Hon. Dr. Franklin.

Notation: Jona Williams Nantes 23 fr. 1779.

1Missing; see Mercier’s letter, published above, before Feb. 10.

2The seven points JW answers here correspond to the seven items listed in Mercier’s account through August 10, 1778: see the annotation of Mercier’s letter.

3Mercier claimed to have paid 18 l.t. to a certain “Pinçon” for travel to Boston.

4An extract of the Feb. 5 letter was enclosed with Mercier’s letter, before Feb. 10. The Aug. 27 letter may have been a revised form of JW’s early August draft of an answer to Mercier, discussed in our headnote to Mercier’s letter.

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