Certain Paragraphs having lately appeared in the English News Papers importing that Silas Deane Esqr. formerly Agent and Commissioner Plenipotentiary of the United States of America had “some time after his first arival in France purchased in that Kingdom for the use of his Countrymen 30000 Muskets that he gave three Livres for each of them being old Condemned Arms; that he had them Cleaned and vamped up, which cost near three Livres more, and that for each of these he Charged and received a Louis D’or,“and that he also committed similar frauds in the Purchase of other Articles for the use of his Country, and Mr. Deane having represented that the said Paragraphs are likely to injure him in the opinions of many persons unacquainted with his Conduct whilst in the Public Service I think it my Duty in Compliance with his request to Certify and Declare that the Paragraphs in question according to my best Knowledge and beleif are intirely false and that I have never Known or Suspected any cause to charge the said Silas Deane with any want of Probity in a purchase of Bargain whatever made by him for the use or account of the United States.