Monsieur Lambert's continuance in office for some months has enabled us,
at length, to get through the business; and I have just received from
him a letter, and the _Arret_ duly authenticated; of which I have the
honor to send you a number of printed copies. You will find, that the
several alterations and additions are made, which, on my visit, to the
seaports, I had found to be necessary, and which my letters of June the
21st and August the 6th particularly mentioned to you. Besides these,
we have obtained some new articles of value, for which openings arose
in the course of the negotiation. I say we have done it, because
the Marquis de la Fayette has gone hand in hand with me through this
business, and has been a most invaluable aid. I take the liberty of
making some observations on the articles of the _Arret_, severally, for
their explanation, as well as for the information of Congress.
Article 1. In the course of our conferences with the Comptroller
General, we had prevailed on him to pass this article with a suppression
of all duty. When he reported the _Arret_, however, to the Council, this
suppression was objected to, and it was insisted to re-establish the
duties of seven livres and ten sous, and of ten sous the livre, reserved
in the letter of M.
Pages:
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617