Office of Foreign Affairs, September 12th, 1782.
Having carefully examined Mr Laurens's letter,[25] I believe Congress will think with me, that the subjects of it are such as I can in no other way report on, than by recommending it to be submitted to a special committee.
The two great points are his resignation and exchange. The first of these Congress only are competent to decide upon; and the last, not relating in any way to my Department, is intimately connected with a subject already under the consideration of a committee. With respect to his support, I believe that there can be no doubt that Mr Laurens's salary is to be paid, till Congress determine to accept his resignation. I have considered it as a part of the expenses of this Department, and accordingly remitted the amount of two quarters' salary to Dr Franklin, commencing in January last, previous to which, that business was under the direction of Dr Franklin. I shall continue to include his salary in my drafts on Mr Morris, till I receive directions from Congress to discontinue it. Congress having empowered Mr Laurens to appoint a secretary, there can be no doubt about the propriety of discharging his salary.
The enemy having published an account of Mr Laurens's petition for relief, &c. which appears by his letter to have been without foundation, I beg leave to submit to Congress the propriety of printing his own account of this transaction, since it evidences in contradiction to their reports, that he always acted with the dignity and firmness, which became his station and character.
[25] See this letter in _Henry Lauren's Correspondence_, Vol. II. p. 463.
Office of Foreign Affairs, September 12th, 1782.
Agreeably to the direction of Congress, contained in the enclosed resolution, I am to solicit your Excellency's attention to the object of it, and to pray that means may be used by the State over which you preside, to furnish the returns they require, sending quadruplicate copies of them, under the seal of the State, to this office. I am sorry to have reason to complain of the little attention that the recommendations of Congress, and my letter of the 12th day of November, 1781, relative to a similar object, has met with from your State, since the want of those returns will, without doubt, be severely felt by our Ministers, whenever they shall commence the negotiations for a general peace.