Inclos’d I send a Letter to the President of Congress for the time being, which, if you find nothing improper in it, or that in regard for me you would wish chang’d or amended, I would request you to present. I rely much on your friendly Counsel, as you must be better acquainted with Persons and Circumstances than I am; and I suppose there will be time enough before the new Congress is formed, to make any Alterations you may advise, tho’ if presented at all it should be to the old one.

In the Copy of my Letter to Mr. Barclay you may observe that Mention is made of “some considerable Articles which I have not charged in my Accounts with Congress, but on which I should expect from their Equity some Consideration.” That you may have some Information what those Articles are, I enclose a Sketch of my Services to the United States, wherein you will find Mention of the extra Services I perform’d that do not appertain to the Office of Plenipotentiary, viz. as Judge of Admiralty, as Consul before the Arrival of Mr. Barclay, as Banker in examining and accepting the Multitude of Bills of Exchange, and as Secretary for several Years, none being sent to me, tho’ other Ministers were allow’d such Assistance. I must own I did hope, that as it is customary in Europe to make some liberal Provision for Ministers when they return home from foreign Service, during which their Absence is necessarily injurious to their private Affairs, the Congress would at least have been kind enough to have shewn their Approbation of my Conduct by a Grant of some small Tract of Land in their Western Country, which might have been of Use and some Honour to my Posterity. And I cannot but still think they will do something of the kind for me, whenever they shall be pleased to take my Services into Consideration, as I see by their Munutes that they have allow’d Mr. Lee handsomely for his Service in England before his Appointment to France, in which Services I and Mr. Bollan co-operated with him and have had no such Allowance; and since his Return he has been very properly rewarded with a good Place, as well as my Friend Mr. Jay: Tho’ these are trifling Compensations in comparison with what was granted by the King to M. Gerard on his Return from America. But how different is what has happened to me! On my Return from England the Congress bestow’d on me the Office of Postmaster General, for which I was very thankful. It was indeed an Office I had some kind of Right to, as having previously greatly enlarg’d the Revenue of the Post by the Regulations I had contriv’d and establish’d, while I possess’d it under the Crown. When I was sent to France, I left it in the Hands of my Son-in-law, who was to act as my Deputy. But soon after my Departure it was taken from me and given to Mr. Hazard. When the English Ministry formerly thought fit to deprive me of the Office, they left me however the Privilege of receiving and sending my Letters free of Postage, which is the Custom when a Postmaster is not displac’d for malfeisance in the Office: But in America I have ever since had the Postage demanded of me, which since my Return from France has amounted to above £50 much of it occasion’d by my having acted as Minister there.

When I took my Grandson, W. T. Franklin with me to France, I purposed, after giving him the French Language to educate him in the Study and Practice of the Law. But by the repeated Expectations given me of a Secretary, and constant Disappointments, I was induced, and indeed obliged to retain him with me to assist in the Secretary’s Office; which Disappointments continued till my Return, by which time so many Years of the Opportunity of his Studying the Law were lost, and his Habits of Life become so different, that it appear’d no longer adviseable; and I then considering him as brought up in the Diplomatic Line, and well qualify’d by his Knowledge in that Branch, for the Employ of a Secretary at least (in which Opinion I was not alone, for three of my Colleagues, without the smallest Solicitation from me, chose him Secretary of the Commission for Treaties, which they had been empower’d to do) I took the Liberty of Recommending him to the Congress for their Protection. This was the only Favour I ever ask’d of them, and the only Answer I receiv’d was a Resolution superceding him, and appointing Col. Humphreys in his Place; a Gentleman, who tho’ he might have indeed a good deal of military Merit, certainly had none in the Diplomatic Line, and had neither the French Language, or the Experience, or the Address, proper to qualify him, in preference for such an Employment.

This is all to yourself only, as a private Friend; for I have not nor ever shall make any public Complaint; and even if I could have foreseen such unkind Treatment from Congress, as their refusing me their Thanks, would it in the least have abated my Zeal for the Cause and Ardour in Support of it! For I know something of the Nature of such changeable Assemblies, and how little Successors are inform’d of the Services that have been render’d to the Corps before their Admission, or feel themselves oblig’d by such Services; and what Effect in obliterating a Sense of them, during the Absence of the Servant in a distant Country, the artful and reiterated malevolent Insinuations of one or two envious and malicious Persons may have on the Minds of Members, even of the most equitable, candid and honourable Dispositions. And therefore I would pass these Reflections into Oblivion.

By the way, can you inform me what became of two Founts of Scripto Types, of mine, which were us’d in printing the Congress Paper Money. I do not find them here, and they cost me Forty Pounds Sterling. I lent too, to the Board of War, a Collection of Precedents used in the British Offices, which I have been told were lost in the Removal to Baltimore. Do you know whether they have ever been recover’d? They cost me 10 Guineas.

When I was sent to France, I put all the Cash I could raise into the Loan Office. The Paper was then of equal Value with Gold or Silver, and indeed Part of it had been receiv’d from Congress in Discharge of a Sum in Gold which I had advanc’d to the Army in Canada. I see by the Minutes of Nov. 18. 1782 that Mr. Lee’s Certificates were order’d to be paid in Sterling, at the Rate of 4/6 a Dollar. I suppose there must have been some Circumstances attending his Certificates which intitled them to such Favour, and I wish to know what they were. My Certificates, I am told, are now worth but about a Sixth Part of my original Loan.

My good Friend, excuse if you can, the Trouble of this Letter; and if the Reproach thrown of Republicks, that they are apt to be ungrateful, should ever unfortunately be verified with respect to your Services, remember that you have a Right to unbosom yourself in communicating your Griefs to Your affectionate ancient Friend and most obedient humble Servant