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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

THE TREASURY BOARD TO JOHN ADAMS. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 8 (Letters and State Papers 1782-1799) [1853]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 8.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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THE TREASURY BOARD TO JOHN ADAMS.

Board of Treasury, 31 October, 1786.

Sir,—

In your letter of the 19th May last you were pleased to inform us that you had already accepted bills which had been drawn on you to a considerable amount by Messrs. Barclay and Lamb, in consequence of the appropriation which had been made by congress for forming treaties with the Barbary powers; but, as we have no advice from you since that date, we are at a loss to know whether the whole, or what part, of the appropriation has been drawn for on the Dutch commissioners to the present day. The accounts transmitted by those gentlemen, to the first of June last, do not specify the particular disbursements for this object; but, as far as we are able to form an estimate from the accounts transmitted, we presume that, out of the various drafts you have made on them to the first of June last, 76,000 florins have been on account of the Barbary negotiations. If this is the case, 114,000 florins remained after that day, subject to the appropriation above mentioned.

The embarrassments of the government, for want of a steady and operative system of revenue, are daily growing more distressing; and such commotions have of late prevailed in the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, that we cannot promise ourselves that the complexion of our affairs will soon change for a better. Thus circumstanced, it has not been in our power, since the remittance of the last sum of 144,000 florins, through your hands to make any considerable remittance to the Dutch commissioners. We wish, therefore, most anxiously, that the whole of the moneys appropriated by congress may not have been exhausted by an unsuccessful attempt to form treaties; as we are extremely apprehensive that, in this case, there may not be sufficient funds, in the month of February next, in the hands of the Dutch commissioners, to enable them to discharge the interest which will then be due; and it is not in our power to remit, in season, any funds to make up a deficiency.

If, therefore, you can possibly avoid drawing out of the hands of Messrs. Willink the whole of the moneys which have been appropriated for the Barbary treaties till the February interest is discharged, we must request the favor of you to do it; and no time shall be lost on our part in making such further remittances as may complete any part of the sum of 200,000 florins which may have been applied towards the payment of interest.

We are, with great respect, &c.

Samuel Osgood,

Walter Livingston,

Arthur Lee.