No. 6. I have heard from good authority, that the expenses of the marine in 1776 amounted to one hundred and twentyfour millions of reals, owing to the expedition against Portuguese America. In 1777 they amounted to eightyeight millions of reals, and in 1779 to near four hundred millions of reals; which information induces me to conclude, that there were great arrears of the expenses of 1778, or that the estimate for that year is not exact.
No. 7, 8. The expenses of these departments have greatly augmented.
FOOTNOTES:
[27] The American revenue is difficult to ascertain from this circumstance; that not arriving regularly and annually, it is necessary to have the receipts for several years to be able to form an exact calculation of the modium communibus annis.
[28] The birth of the Infant has increased the Court expenses.
TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
Madrid, November 30th, 1780.
Gentlemen,
I have had the honor of receiving from you a letter of the 16th of June, and another of the 12th of July, 1780, with the several papers mentioned in them. With respect to the subjects of the first, you will find them fully discussed in my letter to the President of Congress, which will accompany this. The description of the bills will, I hope, answer good purposes.
How far the resolution, which immediately follows the one respecting Mr Dohrman, can be fully executed, is hard to determine. Had I funds necessary for the purpose, I should meet with few difficulties. The measure is a wise one, and my attention to it shall be unremitted. In a future letter I shall say more on this subject; as yet nothing has had time to ripen.