St Jamess 29th Septr 1775.
No 21/
Sir Your letter No 44 has been received and laid before the King.
We are very much disposed to give Credit to the repeated Declarations of the French Ministers that their Government does not give Sanction to the Proceedings of Individuals in the Trade they carry on with the Rebels in America, but notwithstanding the Language Monsr de Vergennes held to You in his Conversation on that Subject, it is not possible but he must know, if he ever makes the Inquiries he promises, that very considerable Quantities of Arms and Ammunition have been sent from France and the West India Islands to several of Our Colonies in America. These Practices will not be discontinued, unless the Intendants and other Officers in the French Ports and at their Islands, who have the Cognizance and Inspection of such Affairs, be not absolutely prohibited from conniving at those Embarkations, and do not receive Orders to prevent them. We know for certain the Particulars of several Cargoes loaded at Bayonne, St Malo, and particularly at Bordeaux, from whence a Ship was to sail about the beginning of this Month with 300 Casks of Gunpowder & 5000 Musquets with Bayonets compleat, for account of Americans, and there is now at Paris a Philadelphia Merchant furnished with Money for purchasing Warlike Stores. As I am now on this Subject I cannot avoid mentioning another particular, which is, the Encouragement given to carrying Tobacco & other American Products directly to France. Many Ships are arrived at Dunkirk, Bayonne, Bordeaux &c with those Commodities directly from America. This is publickly known to be an illicit Trade at all times, and at this Juncture in particular is of great Prejudice to Great Britain, by the Advantage deriving thereby to the rebellious Colonies, & by the facility it gives to their Ships of investing the Produce of their Cargoes in Arms & Ammunition, purchased in France, for their return Voyages to America.
These Circumstances are not only mentioned for Your own Information, but You are permitted to report them, as occasions offer, to Monsr de Vergennes, that he may at least know that we are apprized of what passes, and if their Declarations have any meaning, it belongs to Them to apply the Remedy, without our making any formal Complaint, which is not the Intention to do at present.
Count de Guines has not yet made any Application to me about the Conduct of any of Our Sea Officers, with Regard to French Ships. When he does, the most diligent Inquiry will be made thereupon, and I shall be enabled in due Time to give a proper Answer. I am &c