The honnour I have of being committed with the French Consulship in this City since the absence of my Uncle Emel. De Clamouse, who is Consul here by a Commission from His Most Christian Majesty, Emboldens me to take the liberty to direct this to your Excellency through the hands of his Excy. M. Dunn, the King’s Ambassador at the Court of Lisbon, who honoors me with his protection, therefore I flatter myself will meet your benevolent reception.

Being therefore committed with this Consulship, I received in due time a letter from his Excy. M. De Sartine (then Minister of State datted Versailles the 30th March 1778. by which he Enjoined all his Majesty’s Consuls, to assist and protect the Subjects of the United States of America in the same manner as those of His Majesty’s in which I presume none has been more active and zealous in complyance, both out of obedience to his Majesty’s commands, as allso thro’ my natural inclination to favour those brave Subjects that maintened the Ever Glorious Cause of America, under the severest hardships, of which I have been wittness by the great number that came through this City, whom I provided with Passports and cash to conduct them to Spain.

As The King of England in his Speech at the meeting of both houses of Parliament declared and acknowledged the Independence of the United States of America, which of course will be followed by all the Foreign Powers with this certainty I presume the Congress of the United States will appoint Consuls in the different Ports where theire subjects trade, and this being one where before the Revolution they had considerable transactions, by bringing Fish, Rice, Weat, Indian Corn, and Staves; Many more Articles woud answer, had not the exportation been forbid by the English Gouvernment, which allso forbid the inportation of our wines,    and other commoditys, all which are of sufficient consequence to encourage and maintain a mutual intercourse with both Nations.

Presuming therefore that the Congress of the United States will appoint a Consul here I make bold to request your Excys. gracious intercession with theire Lordships to grant me theire Commission to be Consul here in this City, in the same manner as my Uncle is honnoured by His M. C. M. which is to correspond with the Consul General for all the Transactions that may occure in this departement.

I flatter myself that theire Lordships being acquainted with the zeal I have manifested for the wellfair of theire Subjects, will find me deserving of the honnour of theire Commission.

Though I derive from Irish Parents I was born in this Kingdom, where I possess a handsome fortune to keep up my Rank with decency and reputation, such as very few or none in the commercial way can equal, having received a liberal education in England, knowing several foreign languages; all which circumstances I take the liberty to represent to Your Excy. and Implore your respectable protection with theire Lordships to admitt me to the honnour of being one of theire Servants. I have the honnour to be with the most proffound respect Sir Your Excellency’s Most obedient and most humbel Servant