TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Madrid, November 6th, 1780.
Sir,
The last particular letter I had the honor of writing to your Excellency was dated the 26th of May, and, with a duplicate, was carried to Cadiz by Mr Harrison, who sent one by the Peacock, Captain Davis, to Boston, and the other by the General Arnold, Captain Jenkins, to Alexandria in Virginia. They both sailed in June last, and the former, I hear, arrived safe after a short passage.
I have since written several letters to your Excellency, but as they went to the seaports by the post, none of them contained anything material, except one from St Ildefonso of the 16th of September, advising Congress of the necessity of suspending further drafts on me for the present.
Congress will recollect, that my letter of the 26th of May contained notes of a conference I had with the Minister on the 11th of that month, on the subjects of my two former letters to him, the first in answer to his questions, and the latter relative to the resolution for drawing bills upon me. It may be remembered also, that, in this conference, the Minister promised me his sentiments in writing in a few days, as well on the subject of the proposed treaty, as on the bills which were daily expected. The first I have not yet received, and it was not before the 7th of June that I was favored with the latter.
In this interval there arrived here from England, by the way of Lisbon, an Abbé Hussey. He came to Lisbon in company with Mr Cumberland, one of Lord George Germain's secretaries, who, with his family, purposed, on obtaining permission, to come to Madrid. This priest was known to many, being a pensioner of the Spanish Court, and formerly in the late Prince Massarano's family. Indeed he took no pains to conceal himself, or his business, which was to obtain permission for his friend to proceed, on account of the bad health of a daughter. Mr Carmichael watched his motions with success and industry, and was the first who mentioned his arrival to me. He hired lodgings and a coach for Mr Cumberland, and visited several persons about the Court, particularly M. del Campo, First Secretary of the Minister.
On the first of June I received a card from the Minister, desiring to see me at nine o'clock the next evening. I waited upon him accordingly. The following are notes of what passed upon that occasion.
[Notes of a Conference between his Excellency the Count de Florida Blanca and Mr Jay, in the office of the former at Aranjues, 2d of June, 1780, reduced to writing, immediately after the conference ended, by Mr Carmichael, who was present at it.]
In consequence of a card received by Mr Jay yesterday, from his Excellency the Count de Florida Blanca, appointing him a meeting at nine o'clock this evening, Mr Jay waited on him at that hour. The conversation commenced on the part of the Minister, with polite inquiries for the state of Mr Jay's health, which, he said, had induced him not to send the notes promised on the former meeting, at the time when appointed, as he had been informed that he was indisposed. He attributed to his own frequent ill state of health (a disorder of the nerves, occasioned by his necessary application to business) the disappointment and delay to which, without intending it, the business that passed through his hands was sometimes subjected. He then said, that on Sunday following, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, if Mr Carmichael would wait on him, he would send Mr Jay the notes formerly promised him.