The present will, I hope, find
you there. I now enclose you the correspondence between the Secretary
of the Treasury and Minister of France, on the subject of the monies
furnished to the distressed of their colonies. You will perceive that
the Minister chose to leave the adjustment of the terms to be settled
at Paris, between yourself and the King's ministers. This you will
therefore be pleased to do on this principle; that we wish to avoid any
loss by the mode of payment, but would not choose to make a gain which
should throw loss on them. But the letters of the Secretary of the
Treasury will sufficiently explain the desire of the government, and be
a sufficient guide to you.
I now enclose you the act passed by Congress for facilitating the
execution of the consular convention with France. In a bill which has
passed the House of Representatives for raising monies for the support
of the Indian war, while the duties on every other species of wine are
raised from one to three fourths more than they were, the best wines of
France will pay little more than the worst of any other country, to wit,
between six and seven cents a bottle; and where this exceeds forty per
cent, on their cost, they will pay but the forty per cent. I consider
this latter provision as likely to introduce in abundance the cheaper
wines of France, and the more so, as the tax on ardent spirits is
considerably raised.
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