was
pleased to honor me with a communication, by a letter of the 30th of
May, 1786, desiring that I would publish it as well in America, as to
the American merchants in France. I did so; communicating it to
Congress at the same time. This order, thus viewed with the
transactions which produced it, will be seen to have been necessary;
and its punctual and candid execution has been rendered still more so,
by the speculations of the merchants, entered into on the faith of it.
Otherwise, it would become the instrument of their ruin instead of
their relief. A twelve month has elapsed some time since; and it is
questioned whether the Farmers General have purchased, within that
time, the quantity prescribed, and on the conditions prescribed. It
would be impossible for the merchants to prove the negative; it will be
easy for the Farmers General to show the affirmative, if it exists. I
hope that a branch of commerce of this extent will be thought
interesting enough to both nations, to render it the desire of your
Excellency to require, as I deem it my duty to ask, a report of the
purchases they have made, according to the conditions of the order of
Bernis, specifying, in that report, 1, the quantities purchased; 2, the
prices paid; 3, the dates of the purchase and payment; 4, the flag of
the vessel in which imported; 5, her name; 6, her port of delivery; and
7, the name of the seller. The four first articles make part of the
conditions required by the order of Bernis; the three last may be
necessary for the correction of any errors which should happen to arise
in the report.

But the order of Bernis was never considered but as a temporary relief.
The radical evil will still remain. There will be but one purchaser in
the kingdom, and the hazard of his refusal will damp every mercantile
speculation. It is very much to be desired, that before the expiration
of this order, some measure may be devised, which may bring this great
article into free commerce between the two nations. Had this been
practicable at the time it was put into Farm, that mode of collecting
the revenue would probably never have been adopted; now that it has
become practicable, it seems reasonable to discontinue this mode, and
to substitute some of those practised on other imported articles, on
which a revenue is levied, without absolutely suppressing them in
commerce. If the revenue can be secured, the interests of a few
individuals will hardly be permitted to