your contingent expenses,
nor can there be, till you send me an account of them.

I have the honor to be, Sir, &c.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

FOOTNOTES:

[25] "Resolved, That the Secretary of Foreign Affairs inform the
several Ministers of the United States in Europe, that it is the
desire and the express direction of Congress, that they transmit full
and frequent communications as well of the proceedings of the Courts
at which they respectively reside, as those which relate to the
negotiations for peace, and also of all such other transactions and
events as may in any manner concern the United States."

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

St Petersburg, November 18th, 1782.

Sir,

When I was informed by Mr Adams, that Mr Jay had written to him from
Paris, that "the British Commissioner there had received full powers
to treat of a peace with the Commissioners of the United States," I
waited upon the French Minister to consult him on this special
occasion upon the expediency of communicating my powers to this
Court. It would be imprudent, through this channel, to go into the
reasons he assigned against it. It may be sufficient to say, I found
him strong in the opinion, that all attempts made prior to a peace
would be fruitless.

As his opinion is the rule by which I am to be governed in this case,
nothing can be attempted till the period arrives when we shall not
feel ourselves under strong obligations to any Sovereign in the world,
who should even make advances to form political connexions with us, or
acquire much eclat from any such connexions. I thought the opportunity
favorable when the only power, which had any pretence of right, to
contest our independence, had consented by so formal an act, to treat
with us upon the footing of a sovereign and independent State. The
consideration we should acquire by a political connexion with the
illustrious Sovereign of this empire during the war, and the
advantages we might reasonably expect to derive from it in our
negotiation for a peace, (for I have never considered independence as
our only object) have ever made me desirous, if possible, to effect it
during the war. Scarce any political measure of great importance can
be undertaken with "an absolute certainty of success." If, therefore,
upon mature deliberation, the state of