You may remember that from the very beginning of Our Negotiation for settling a Peace between Great Britain and America I insisted that you should possitively stipulate for a Restoration of the Property of all those Persons under the denomination of Loyalists or Refugees who have taken part with Great Britain in the present War. Or, if the said Property had been resold, and passed into such variety of hands as to render the Restoration impracticable (which you assented to be the case in many instances) you should stipulate for a compensation or Indemnification to those Persons adequate to their Losses.

To these Propositions you said you could not accede. Mr. Strachey, since his arrival at Paris, has most strenuously joined me in insisting upon the said Restitution Compensation, or Indemnification and in laying before you every argument in favour of those Demands, founded upon national honor and upon the true principles of Justice.

These Demands you must have understood to extend not only to all Persons of the abovementioned Description, who have fled to Europe, but likeways to all those who may be now in any Parts of North America, dwelling under the protection of His Majesty’s Arms or otherwise. We have also insisted upon a mutual Stipulation for a General Amnesty on both sides comprehending thereby an Enlargement of all Persons, who on account of offences committed, or supposed to be committed since the Commencement of Hostilities, may be now in Confinement, and for an immediate Repossession of their Properties, and peaceable enjoyment thereof, under the Govermment of the United States. To this you have not hither to given a particular or direct answer.

It is however incumbent upon me, as Commissioner of the King of Great Britain, to repeat those several Demands; and without going over those Arguments upon Paper (Which we have so often urged in Conversation) to press your immediate attention to these Subjects; and to urge you to enter into proper stipulations for the Restitution, Compensation, and Amnesty beforementioned, before we proceed further in this Negotiation. I have the honor to be Gentlemen etc.