n, and offer them
to the British minister. I desired him to leave them with me four and
twenty hours, that I might judge whether they were worth our notice. He
did so. They were two volumes. One contained all his accounts with the
United States, from his first coming to Europe to January the 10th,
1781. Presuming that the treasury board was in possession of this
account till his arrival in Philadelphia, August, 1778, and that he had
never given in the subsequent part, I had that subsequent part copied
from the book, and now enclose it, as it may on some occasion or other,
perhaps, be useful in the treasury office. The other volume contained
all his correspondences from March the 30th to August the 23d, 1777. I
had a list of the letters taken by their dates and addresses, which will
enable you to form a general idea of the collection. On perusal of many
of them, I thought it desirable that they should not come to the hands
of the British minister, and from an expression dropped by the possessor
of them, I believe he would have fallen to fifty or sixty guineas. I did
not think them important enough, however, to justify my purchasing
them without authority; though, with authority, I should have done it.
Indeed, I would have given that sum to cut out a single sentence, which
contained evidence of a fact, not proper to be committed to the hands
of enemies. I told him I would state his proposition to you, and await
orders. I gave him back the books, and he returned to London without
making any promise, that he would await the event of the orders you
might think proper to give.

News of the accession of nine States to the new form of federal
government has been received here about a week. I have the honor to
congratulate you sincerely on this event. Of its effect at home, you
are in the best situation to judge. On this side the Atlantic, it
is considered as a very wise reformation. In consequence of this,
speculations are already begun here, to purchase up our domestic
liquidated debt. Indeed, I suspect that orders may have been previously
lodged in America to do this, as soon as the new constitution was
accepted effectually. If it is thought that this debt should be retained
at home, there is not a moment to lose; and I know of no means of
retaining it, but those I suggested to the treasury board, in my letter
to them of March the 29th. The transfer of these debts to Europe will
excessively embarrass, and perhaps totally prev