At present, Sir, I must choose between the office I have been honored with from Congress and an important State office. If I continue in the first, I must suppose it the business of years, and lose sight of all other objects in my own State, where I have something to hope from my connexions and the favor of my countrymen, and where I possess an estate, the value of which depends in a great measure upon my attention to it. Under these circumstances, I flatter myself that the committee will not think me blamable, when I assure them, that though I am willing to give my time and services to the public if they should be deemed necessary, yet I cannot in justice to myself or my family, add to this gift that of such a portion of my property as I find absolutely necessary to support the office I hold.
Permit me, Gentlemen, to add, that having no wishes upon this subject, I am sincerely desirous that personal considerations may not enter into the arrangements that Congress make thereon. I feel myself extremely honored by the attention they have shown me in directing you to confer with me on this subject; and I reflect with great pleasure on the reasons I have had to be satisfied with their conduct towards me since I have been honored with the office.
In compliance with your request, I have collected from the papers in my office the following account of the moneys received by loans, or otherwise, from Holland, France, and Spain.
The first loan that was opened in Holland on our account with success, was opened by His Most Christian Majesty, and under his special guarantee, for ten millions of livres. Since that, another loan was contracted by Mr Adams with private banking houses, to the amount of five millions of florins.
These houses, in a letter directed to me of the 16th of August last, write that they had at that time in cash by them, one million four hundred and eightyfour thousand florins, of which the interest ran as follows;
They add, that they had already paid to the order of Mr Adams, in favor of sundry individuals, the sum of two thousand nine hundred and two florins, and that that Minister had hinted to them, that it would be necessary to pay some drafts of Mr Laurens's when arrived, and a few other unavoidable expenses, which would amount to about two hundred thousand florins. By a letter of the 18th of November last, they have acknowledged the receipt of the contract duly ratified, so that the money they had on hand has been since that time at the disposal of Congress.