4 Doc. No. 10. 



fund, leaving such fractional portion of it sub ju dice as would have been 

 sufficient to satisfy the claim if established ; thus cutting short delay from 

 this source, by which this agency might have had the chance to be closed 

 the sooner, and the bulk of the fund secured to the T'nited States at the 

 earliest possible day. The last I hold an object of pressing importance, 

 encompassed, as all law-suits more or less are, (to say nothing of the pe- 

 culiar nature of this,) by hidden risks. But it was part of the vexation of 

 the claim that our legal advisers found the course I desired to pursue im- 

 practicable, for the reason mentioned in the letter of the solicitors of the 

 22d of July, a copy of which was forwarded with my No. 15 on the 19th 

 of August. 



Now that this obstruction is removed from my path by the determina- 

 tion I have taken in regard to it, I indulge the hope that no new one will 

 be thrown across it; and can only repeat the assurance, that nothing 

 within my power shall be left undone towards accelerating the suit, anx- 

 iously desiring, on all public and personal accounts, (if I may speak in the 

 latter sense,) to see it terminated. 



In the continued hope that the decision, when it comes, may be favor- 

 able, I have the honor to remain, with great respect, your obedient servant, 



RICHARD RUSH. 



The Hon. Johx Forsyth, 



Secretary of State. 



[With Mr. Ru.sh\s No. 21. ] 



Febuuarv 3, 1S3S. 



Gentle3ien : I understood, when with you on Wednesday, that the 

 evidence obtained from France would not, in your opinion, be found suffi- 

 cient to prevent the master's report embracing an allowance in Madame 

 de la Batiit's favor of about one hundred and fifty pounds a year during her 

 life, with some arrearages calculated on that basis : and the evidence, as 

 you exhibited and otherwise made it known to me, certainly led my mind 

 to the same conchision. 



You added that, by sending out a commission from the court of chan- 

 cery to Paris, (a process not yet resorted to,) you thought that evidence 

 might still be obtained to defeat her claim ; on which subject I should be 

 glad to receive Answers to the following inquiries, as far as in your power 

 to give them to me : 



1st. What would be the probable expense of that process.' 



2d. How long before its full execution and return might be expected? 



3d. Assuming that the evidence, when so obtained, struck your minds, 

 our counsel's, and my own, as sufficient to defeat the claim; yet as it might 

 not happen that the legal advisers of Madame de la Batut would take the 

 same view of it, and thence contest its validity before the court, what fur- 

 ther delays might such a turn in the case be likely, under all the circum- 

 stances, to lead to ? 



As I have so repeatedly made known to you my desire for the speediest 

 decision of the case that may be practicable consistently with justice to the 

 United States, I make no apology for asking a reply to these mc|uiries at 

 as early a day as may be convenient. 



1 remain your obedient servant, 



RICHARD RUSH. 



To Messrs. Clarke, Fvnmore, & Fladoate. 



