But
of these things you will receive more particular and more certain
details from Mr. Dumas, to whom they belong.

Mr. Eden is appointed Ambassador from England to Madrid. To the hatred
borne us by his court and country, is added a recollection of the
circumstances of the unsuccessful embassy to America, of which he made
a part. So that I think he will carry to Madrid dispositions to do us
all the ill he can.

The late change in the ministry is very favorable to the prospects of
the Chevalier de La Luzerne. The Count de Montmorin, Monsieur de
Malesherbes, and Monsieur de Lamoignon, the Garde des Sceaux, are his
near relations. Probably something will be done for him, and without
delay. The promise of the former administration to the Count de
Moutier, to succeed to this vacancy, should it take place, will perhaps
be performed by the present one.

Mr. Barclay has probably informed you of his having been arrested in
Bordeaux, for a debt contracted in the way of his commerce. He
immediately applied to the parliament of that place, who ordered his
discharge. This took place after five days' actual imprisonment. I
arrived at Bordeaux a few days after his liberation. As the Procureur
General of the King had interested himself to obtain it, with uncommon
zeal, and that too on public principles, I thought it my duty to wait
on him and return him my thanks. I did the same to the president of the
parliament, for the body over which he presided; what would have been
an insult in America, being an indispensable duty here. You will see by
the enclosed printed paper, on what grounds the Procureur insisted on
Mr. Barclay's liberation. Those on which the parliament ordered it, are
not expressed. On my arrival here, I spoke with the minister on that
subject. He observed that the character of consul is no protection in
this country against process for debt; that as to the character with
which Mr. Barclay had been invested at the court of Morocco, it was
questionable whether it would be placed on the diplomatic line, as it
had not been derived immediately from Congress; that, if it were, it
would have covered him to Paris only, where he had received his
commission, had he proceeded directly thither, but that his long stay
at Bordeaux must be considered as terminating it there. I observed to
him, that Mr. Barclay had been arrested almost immediately on his
arrival at Bordeaux. But, says he, the arrest was made void by the
parliament,