I received your favor of the 2d per Major White and Credit your Account per Bill on Mr. Vaughan Two hundred and Sixty pounds, per Contra I debit you for Ten Guineas paid Mr. Hewson and £7 17s. 6d. for the Bills of 180 Livres Tournois. I have got a pass for my Ship the Mary but they made me pay £23 for it at our Secretary of State Office; a most shamefull Imposition in my Mind.

You express a doubt in your Letter, respecting its being adviseable to send a Vessell out untill some Treaty of Commerce shou’d be settled. It gives me much concern how to govern myself—for in point of Fact such arrangements had been made with respect to the purchase of goods, jointly betwixt Mr. S. Vaughan and myself that, if we do not send the Ship we shall be saddled with a large parcell of goods, with which we shall not know what to do and if we delay the sending then the first Blush of the Business, our whole plan will be frustrated; We flatterred ourselves we might under the Sanction of the Treaty at all Events be secure from any thing like Confiscation or Seizure, and we further had reason to hope if any Indulgencies were shewn we were as much entituled to them as any other persons, as our Cargo will go consigned to Mr. Vaughan’s Son either to Baltimore or Philadelphia as may be judged best, the Vessell calling for Instructions at Louis in the Delaware.

There is no doubt but our Parliament will do away every Hostile Act and permit American Vessells to come in (without any Treaty). They have allready admitted two Vessells to to an Entry from Nantucket; When particular Stipulations are settled by Treaty, they do away the general Rule, but it is by no Means necessary there shou’d be a Treaty for the Subjects of different States to Trade with each other. If I understand att all what is a first principle in the Law of Nations this is one. That the Subjects, of every State in Amity with any State may navigate to and from such State without hindrance or Molestation Conforming themselves to the general Laws of the State with which they intend to Trade. This is however only my Idea of things I may be wrong and shall be much obliged to you for your Advice and direction. We cannot undo what we have done but if you apprehend any Danger, we can send the Vessell to New York; Perhaps Sir you may without Impropriety write a Letter to some of the Leaders in Congress, Stating our Case and recommending us to their Friendship and Assistance. If you can do this Mr. Vaughan and myself will both esteem ourselves much obliged to you and pray be so Kind as favor me with an Answer the very first Opportunity after you receive this for we were in hopes our Ship would be ready to Sail in a fortnight. We have had a strange revolution in the political World within the last week, Mr. Fox and the Discontended part of the late LR’ms Friends having made a Coalition with L North, the combined Army has in two Engagements totally routed the Shelburnites, and this day I understand the New Arrangement in Administration is to be made. I do not, in my own Judgment think this will be the worse for America—the Inns are as much for Peace as the Outs, and perhaps it may, upon the whole, have a Tendency to make a more permanent Establishment. Lord S— had very few personal Friends, and his whole Manner was such, that every Man who had access to him, soon Saw, he had nothing like Friendship in his Composition. I am with the greatest respect Dear Sir your obliged Humble Servant