SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 43 



remitted to Mr. Brent the above sum, to be debited, as your letter 

 indicates, to the Smithsonian legacy, if recovered, * * * and if 

 not, to the appropriation for prosecuting the claim of the United 

 States to the said legacy. 



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

 servant, 



Richard Rush. 



Hon. John Forsyth, 



Secretary of State. 



John Forsyth to Richard Rush. 



Department of State, December ^7, 1837. 

 Sir: Your dispatches to No. 17, inclusive, have been received. In 

 compliance with the request contained in your letter of the 27th of 

 October last, and subsequently urged in your private letter of the 31st 

 of the same month, I transmit to you, inclosed, a new power from the 

 President to provide for the contingency, which yon think probable, 

 of such instrument being demanded either by the court, the attorney- 

 general, or the defendant's counsel. 



I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



John Forsyth. 

 Richard Rush, Esq., etc. 



Richard RnsJi, to John Forsyth. 



London, January 30., 1838. 



Sir: I had yesterday the honor to receive your letter of the 27th 

 December, inclosing the President's renewal of my power to prosecute 

 the Smithsonian claim, and receive the money for the United States 

 whenever the same may be adjudged. It remains uncertain, as inti- 

 mated in my communication of the 27th of October, whether the exhi- 

 bition of the new power will be eventuall}'^ demanded; but even if not, 

 I trust the President will think it has been erring- on the safe side, 

 after what passed, to have it in my possession. 



After my letter of the 16th of December, I had fully hoped that the 

 evidence of which it makes mention would have been obtained from 

 France before this time; but it seems that the French attorne3^s, who 

 were written to upon the subject by our solicitors, mistook some of 

 their instructions at first, which led to delay. They are now in expec- 

 tation of receiving it daily. 



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



Richard Rush. 



Hon. John Forsyth, 



Secretary of State. 



