Your very valuable Son came to this Town lately with the full Intention of taking his Passage for France, in Obedience to the Commands of his much respected Father and Mother, and supposing that his Presence there would be useful to the Affairs of the Family. But on his communicating his Purpose to me, and acquainting me at the same Time with the present Situation of his Demand upon Congress, where your Accounts against them have been examined and approved, and the Payment only delayed, ’till by the Operation of our New Constitution the Congress shall be furnished with Money to discharge them, I could not help thinking it would be more adviseable for him to postpone his Voyage two or three Months, when he might hope to see his Business here completed to his and your Satisfaction, than to leave it in its present State, which might occasion a much longer Delay; for the Import Law, past at the last Session of Congress, being now in full Force thro’ all the States of the Union         Importation of Goods on        Duties are paid having lately been immensely great, the Flow of Money into the Treasury must be proportionable, so that when they meet again, which will be early in January next, they will find themselves in Possession of a very considerable Sum; and as their Debt to you was one of the earliest they contracted, I suppose it will of Course be one of the first they will think of discharging; and I have promised him to use my best Interest and Endeavours with them for that Purpose. He has accordingly thought fit to take my Advice, and I hope it will be approved by you and his good Mother, and that this short Delay will not occasion any great Inconvenience, whereas if he should be absent when the first Payments are made, his Affairs might be postponed for another Year. We hope indeed that when he does visit you you will not think of detaining and fixing him in France; for we are not willing to part with him; his Behaviour having been such, during his Residence among us, as to obtain for him the Good Will, Respect and Esteem of all who have had the Pleasure of knowing him.

Pray make my Respects acceptable to good Madame