I received the Letter you did me the Honour of writing to me the 30th past. The Major Judd you mention has not been here, unless a Person who   to me one Evening to enquire where Franklin & Jenkins lodged, was the Man. He appeared as a Traveller just alighted from his Horse, seemed in great Hurry and Trepidation, anxious to find them immediately, but told me nothing of his Business. I could not give him the Information he wanted, and he went from me to Mr. Pelatiah Webster, who acquainted him they were gone home, and he then enquired the Road to Wyoming that he might follow them. Mr. Webster came to me a Day or two after, and brought me the enclos’d Paper, a kind of Manifesto, of which he said that Person had a Number of Copies and had left this with him; but was not farther communicative. It is remarkable that it is signed by Franklin and Jenkins at Wyoming the 12th of September, when they were here attending the Assembly, had been here sometime before and contin’d here for some time after that Date. The Vice President to whom I communicated it, thinks it manufactur’d in this Town: I rather suspect it a Manoevre of Allen’s. Perhaps you may learn whether it was really printed by Hudson. I have heard there is one Hamilton there, who busy’s himself much in the Wyoming Affairs.

I read to the Council your Letter as far as it concern’d those Affairs and the Recommendation of Judd’s Son as Prothonatary for the new County. It appear’d to be the general Sentiment that too little was known of him and that he was probably too young. The Choice nearly unanimous fell upon Col Pickering, who it is hoped, as he is himself a Connecticut Man, may be a means of conciliating Matters in that hitherto unhappy Country.

With regard to the Spanish Treaty I am not sufficiently inform’d of the Particulars upon which Advice can be clearly founded. I do not know what Advantages Spain proposes as an Equivalent for our agreeing to the Restraint, which she does not already allow to all other Nations. I think indeed, that the Use of the River for ascending with Ships is worth very little, being naturally impracticable to any Advantage, from the Time it requires and the Labour; but for descending, it is of great Importance to all our Country beyond the Mountains; not indeed so much at present, till the Settlers have spare Produce for Exportation; but the Prospect, and that not very distant, of having that outlet free and open, encourages the Settlement, which a Restraint would discourage. I should therefore rather advise Procrastination, and drawing the Treaty out into length, by making new or varying old Propositions which would require sending to Spain for fresh Instruction, and which from the natural Slowness of that Court would be long before they came: for Time may produce a new King with new Ideas, or new Ministers with different Views, while we are daily growing stronger and more in a Condition of giving Weight to our Claims. And after all I should rather be for buying them out of the Country entirely by a fair Treaty of Purchase for some valuable Consideration, than to think of driving them out by Force, being almost sure it would be cheaper as well as honester. Perhaps it might not be amiss to set on foot such a Treaty immediately. A Guarantee of their other Possessions in America might have Weight in it. With great Esteem, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant