N. 1

The triplicate of your favor of the 27th June came to hand but a few Days ago the two first I suppose have miscarried. The intelligence you so obligingly give me respecting Mr Penet our former agent is very interesting, what his powers were I neither know, nor can find out; all the papers of the Council’s board from the revolution to arnolds invasion fell into his hands and were either carried away or destroyed. I did not even know that he had any powers given him to borrow money on the credit of the State, till I received a Letter from him a few months ago complaining of Mr Franklins refusing to authenticate his Bonds: on the receipt of the Letter he was immediately wrote to to forbid his acting in any manner as agent, and desiring him to send over a Copy of his powers and instructions in order to a final settlement of his accounts: money to discharge the Debt due him will shortly be in hand, and will be paid to any person properly authorized to receive it, without the intervention of the ministry of France. You have my thanks for the Steps you have taken to secure the Ships and Cargoes that were going to France, tho’ the remittance to be made by them was intended for his use and would have fully discharged his just demands, the precaution, however, was unnecessary as the Ships were taken from the commercial agent by the last assembly when they were nearly ready and converted to another use.

The destructive measure of foreign Loans will I hope in future be altogether laid aside. Mr. Maz[zei’s] powers have been recalled many months and I hope he is by this time on his return, he should in justice at the time of his recall have been furnished with some money, but the State was in no condition to make remittance, the paper money being just then annihilated and the finances of the State in the greatest confusion.

The ministry of France about a year ago promised the State a Loan of a very considerable quantity of arms military stores and clothing which Mr. De la Luzerne informed me in May last were ready to be shipped when proper orders should arrive, and a person was appointed to receive them and liquidate the accounts. As we were unacquainted with the Merchants residing in that Country we fixed on Mr. Thomas Barclay the American Consul to do this business and have forwarded proper papers to him, with a request to ship them in stout Ships to come under convoy of some men of war that were expected in America, if he could not get the men of war to take them in what we had for some time reason to hope they would do, and which the assembly have directed us still to request. Will you be so obliging as to assist Mr. Barclay in his application for this favor, and if it can be obtained, to prevail on him to adopt the other method as speedily as possible, as we are really in great want of the Stores.

I have by this opportunity requested of Mr. Barclay to take the proper Methods if any such there are to make the recall of Mr. Penets powers public as well in France as Holland and I beg the favor of you to join him in this also.

I am informed by our State Agent that the Contract made by Mr Coulougnac with Penet was to be ratified by the State before it bound it to the performance of it and that a Mr. Mercier came here on behalf of Mr. Coulougnac to obtain the ratification that a quantity of Tobacco was offered him which he refused to take unless it was ensured to him in the warehouses till he should please to take it away, which being refused Mercier left the State without the agreements being confirmed and nothing more was ever done [   ] that his business was far from being confined to the Contract, that he travelled all over america on the business of Colougnac soliciting consignments etc.

I have now Sir to return you the thanks of the Executive (?) for your friendly communications and to assure you [that] I am Your most obedient and humble Servant

Nantz.