LXV.--TO M. DE REYNEVAL, October 1, 1788

TO M. DE REYNEVAL.

Paris, October 1, 1788

Sir,

I have now the honor of enclosing to you a copy of the letter of
September the 16th, which I had that of writing to his Excellency
the Count de Montmorin, with the papers therein referred to, and of
soliciting the order I have asked for. The originals were sent at the
date before mentioned. Notwithstanding the refusal of the houses of
Schweighaeuser and Dobree, and of Puchilberg, to settle their claim
against the United States by arbitration, as I proposed to them, the
United States will still be ready to do them justice. But those houses
must first retire from the only two propositions they have ever made;
to wit, either a payment of their demand without discussion, or a
discussion before the tribunals of the country. In the mean time, I
shall hope an acknowledgment with respect to us, of the principle which
holds as to other nations; that our public property here cannot be
seized by the territorial judge. It is the more interesting to us, as
we shall be more and longer exposed than other nations, to draw arms
and military stores from Europe. Our preference of this country has
occasioned us to draw them from hence alone, since the peace: and the
friendship we have constantly experienced from the government, will, we
doubt not, on this and every other occasion, insure to us the protection
of what we purchase. I have the honor to be, Sir, your friend and
servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CLXVI.--TO MR. CUTTING, October 2, 1788

TO MR. CUTTING.

Paris, October 2, 1788.

Dear Sir,

I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of the 16th and
23rd ultimo and to thank you for the intelligence they conveyed. That
respecting the case of the interrogatories in Pennsylvania, ought
to make noise. So evident a heresy in the common law ought not to be
tolerated on the authority of two or three civilians, who happened,
unfortunately, to make authority in the courts of England. I hold it
essential, in America, to forbid that any English decision which has
happened since the accession of Lord Mansfield to the bench, should ever
be cited in a court: because, though there have come many good ones
from him, yet there is so much sly poison instilled into a great part of
them, that it is better to proscribe the whole. Can you inform me what
has been done by England on the subject of our wheat and flour?
The papers say it