You will see, Gentlemen, by the statement I have the honor to enclose for your consideration, that the sums I am to pay, exceed by one million those that are to be paid me. And making even abstraction of all that is not Mr Morris' bill, there still remains a defect of 500,000 livres, independent of the allowance to be made for his usual wants, from January 24th (date of his last bills) up to the 12th of March.
I am happy to have it in my power to say, that I have exerted to this instant, all that my zeal and my faculties could suggest to me. Did the last keep pace with the former, I should never have applied but to them. However, the state of affairs is such now, that a resolution must be taken relative thereto; and, even, without delay; the bearers of Mr Morris's bills growing so urgent upon me, that rather than to have occasioned any difficulty before I could be informed of your resolution, I preferred accepting a further sum of 54,000 livres this day.
I crave your Excellencies will honor me with a quick answer; meantime, I remain &c.
GRAND.
State of the Finances of Congress at Paris, on the 10th of May, 1783.
| Balance due to me on the last account, | Livres | 413,892 | 13 | 9 |
| Sums paid by his Excellency Benjamin Franklin's orders, | 172,001 | 5 | 1 | |
| The honorable Robert Morris's drafts to be paid, | 1,872,871 | 1 | 10 | |
| His fresh drafts from January 24th, at60 days sight, of which I have alreadyaccepted 54,000 livres, | 804,371 | 8 | ||
| _______________ | ||||
| 3,263,136 | 8 | 8 | ||
| Interest on the Dutch Loan, | 400,000 | |||
| Sabatier & Desprez' claim for articles to the Marquis de Lafayette, | 134,000 | |||
| ______ | 534,000 | |||
| _______________ | ||||
| Livres | 3,797,136 | 8 | 8 | |
M. DE LAFAYETTE TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
Paris, May 12th, 1783.
Gentlemen,