When I had the Honor of being the Minister of the United States at the Court of France, Mr. Barclay arriving there, brought me the following Resolution of Congress.

“Resolv’d, That a Commissioner be appointed by Congress, with full Power and Authority to liquidate and finally to settle the Accounts of all the Servants of the United States, who have been entrusted with the Expenditure of public Money in Europe, and to commence and prosecute such Suits, Causes and Actions, as may be necessary for that purpose, or for the Recovery of any Property of the said United States in the Hands of any Person or Persons whatsoever.

“That the said Commissioner be authoris’d to appoint one or more Clerks, with such Allowance as he may think reasonable.

“That the said Commisioner and Clerks respectively take an Oath before some Person, duly authoris’d to administer an Oath, faithfully to execute the Trust repos’d in them respectively.

“Congress proceeded to the Election of a Commissioner and Ballots being taken, Mr. T? Barclay was elected.”

In pursuance of this Resolution, and as soon as Mr. Barclay was at leisure from more pressing Business, I render’d to him all my Accounts, which he examined and stated methodically.

By his Statement he found a Ballance due to me on the 4th. of May 1785. of 7533. Livres 19. Sols 3. de which I accordingly received of the Congress Banker. The Difference between my Statement and his being only 7. Sols, which by mistake I had overcharg’d, about three pence halfpenny Sterling.

At my Request, however, the Accounts were left open for the Consideration of Congress, and not finally settled, there being some Articles on which I desir’d their Judgment, and having some equitable Demands, as I thought them, for extra Services, which he had not conceived himself impower’d to allow, and therefore I did not put them in my Account.

He transmitted the Accounts to Congress and had Advice of their being received.

On my Arrival at Philadelphia, one of the first things I did, was to dispatch my Grandson, Wm. T. Franklin to New York, to obtain a final Settlement of those Accounts; he having long acted as my Secretary, and being well acquainted with the Transactions, was able to give an explanation of the Articles, that might seem to require explaining, if any such there were.

He returned without effecting the Settlement being told that it could not be made till the Arrival of some Documents expected from France.

What those Documents were, I have not been informed, nor can I readily conceive, as all the Vouchers existing there had been examined by Mr. Barclay. And I having been immediately after my Arrival engaged in the Public Business of this State, I waited in expectation of hearing from Congress, in case any Part of my Accounts had been objected to. It is now more than three Years that those Accounts have been before that honorable Body, and to this Day no Notice of any such Objection has been communicated to me. But reports have for sometime past been circulated here, and propagated in the News-Papers that I am greatly indebted to the United States for large Sums that had been put into my Hands, and that I avoid a Settlement; This, together with the little time one of my Age may expect to live, makes it necessary for me to request earnestly, which I hereby do, that the Congress would be pleased without farther Delay, to examine those Accounts and if they find therein any Article or Articles, which they do not understand or approve; that they would cause me to be acquainted with the same, that I may have an opportunity of offering such Explanations or Reasons in support of them as may be in my Power; and then that the Accounts may be finally closed.

I hope the Congress will soon be able to attend to this Business, for the Satisfaction of the Public, as well as in Condescension to my Request. In the meantime if there be no Impropriety in it, I would desire, that this Letter, together with another relating to the same Subject, the Copy of which hereto annex’d, may be put upon their Minutes.

With every Sentiment of Respect and Duty to the Congress, I am, Sir, Your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble Servant