N^o. 155

Separate

My Lord,

I shall not trouble Your Lordship with a Detail of my Conversation with M de Vergennes, which turned nearly upon the same Points as that with M. de Maurepas: I read him the same Papers, and made almost the same Observations upon them. His Remark upon the Paragraph of Franklin's, and Deane's Letter,¹ which he read again and again, with great Attention, was rather singular. “They may assert what they please said he; it is most certain that the Sequestre was ordered by the King as a Mark of great Displeasure; If they are not hurt with such Treatment, Ils sont de bons Chretiens qui savent pardonner.["] I am inclined to think My Lord that Nicholson's Letter² is not only very material, but comes in a very critical Moment. I easily saw by the Account M. de Vergennes gave me of a Raport he had had from M. de Sartines, that without this authentic Proof they would have continued to deny the Truth of my Intelligence: M. de Vergennes actually told me, that upon Inquiry such a Ship as I had described had been found at Nantes, but that it belonged to a French Merchant who had built it for his own Use: I answered that there might be such a Prête Nom, but that Nicholson's Letter afforded clear and irrefragable Proof, and amounted to Demonstration. I dwelt much upon this, and made no Scruple to add that now They had an absolute Certainty, that this Vessel, built, armed, and equipped, in one of their Ports, was for the use of the Rebels, it was impossible they should suffer her to go out of Port, if their pacific Professions were really Sincere, as it was manifest that the conniving at such Assistance, would be contrary to every Idea of Friendship. He answered that he understood the Frigate was a good one, and that the best way to end the whole Matter was to purchase her pour Le Service du Roi, he did not promise that this should be done, but spoke of it as a Thing he should advise. He desired an Extract of Nicholson's Letter, and of that of Mess^rs Berard.³ I saw no Objection to this, and sent him the Extracts as soon as I got home. Upon reading Mess^rs. Berard's Letter he said, he was glad it had fallen into our Hands, as it shewed us, what Fraud and Duplicity was used, to elude the Orders given by this Court, and to deceive the Officers that are charged with the Execution of them. I answered that I must always be of Opinion that the Orders given could not be so constantly eluded, if there was a real and earnest Endeavour to execute them, that it was but too manifest that little or no Advantage had accrued to us from the Orders sent to their Ports, as the American Privateers still found their way thither, and what was more conducted Prizes, which, if they were not sold in the Harbour were disposed of at some little Distance from it, and disposed of to the Subjects of France: This, Sir, happened very lately in the case of those two Ships which I mentioned to you last week.⁴ We now know, and indeed half Paris knows, that they have been sold, knows the Price given, and the Persons who bought them: They have been sold, Sir, to Mess^rs. Berard and Montplaisir at L'Orient, and that too for 9,700 £ Sterling, which is not half their Value. (I had this Intelligence, My Lord, five or six Days ago, but for the sake of my Informer purposely avoided mentioning it, 'till it came to me from several Quarters.) M. de Vergennes assured me that this was new to him (it is very extraordinary that it should be so): In my Answer, I'asserted the Truth of the Fact, and laid in a formal Claim for the Restitution of these Ships and Cargo's protesting against the Sale, and all the Consequences of it. I expressly told him, that these Ships and Cargoes could be considered in no other Light, than that of English Property forcibly detained by the Subjects of France; put him in mind of the Orders given by this Court, which not only prohibit the Sale of Prizes, but make the Purchasers criminal; observed to him, how clearly Messer^s. Berard and Montplaisir are within these Orders and, how much they deserve to be punished, and ended with saying that the most natural Punishment was to oblige them to make immediate Restitution. He did not contravert this, but said it would be indispensably necessary that the Sale should be proved, and the Ships and Cargoes found. I insisted that it would be sufficient to prove the Sale and the Purchasers, and that they ought to be forced to make immediate Restitution. Tho' I dwelt upon this, and inforced it by every Argument I could think of, yet I do not, My Lord, expect any real Benefit from these Applications, as it will be next to impossible to establish a Proof, that to such unfair, and partial Judges, shall appear sufficient. In the Course of my Conversation, I said a great deal to M. de Vergennes upon the Mischiefs that must result from their suffering their Orders to be eluded, and observed to him, how idle it would be to suppose a real Difference between the Sale of Prizes made in the Harbours of France, or at some little Distance from them, that such Evasions were unworthy of them, unworthy of us, that there was a Time when Things of this Nature might have been supposed to be unknown to both Nations, but now that Both had spoke out very explicitly, now that we had complained, and they had promised Redress, it was for their Honour, as well as ours, that the Evil should be effectually cured. He did not contravert this Principle, but made his usual Answer, that nothing can be more positive than the Orders France has given, nothing more sincere and friendly than her Intentions. I am [&c.]