50 SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 



nounced after this hearing on all the facts as settled l\y the master — 

 a favorable one, as I hope, for the United States. 



By the determination I took respecting the claim of Madame de la 

 Batut, as announced in my last, her professional advisers, knowing 

 that she can now get no more than the report allows her, are interested 

 in cooperating with me towards a prompt decision, instead of resort- 

 ing to adverse proceedings to prolong or thwart it — a course which 

 they have been more or less pursuing hitherto. 



On better grounds than ever 1 think I may, therefore, flatter myself 

 that the case approaches its conclusion; and I will only add that its 

 remaining stages shall be watched by me with a care proportioned to 

 the auspicious results that I believe to be near at hand. 



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



servant, 



Richard Rush. 

 Hon. John Forsyth, 



Secretary of State. 



Richard Rush to John Forsyth. 



London, April 2J^, 1838. 



Sir: The court reassembled last week, since which I have been 

 doing all that is practicable, by personal calls upon the solicitors and 

 otherwise, to urge on the case, and shall continue this course. 



Judging by all they say to me, and my own knowledge of the pres- 

 ent situation of the case, I have a confident and, I trust, well-founded 

 belief that May will not elapse without its being brought to a hearing. 



Referring to my No. 22, I now beg leave to state that the 22d of 

 September, 1834, is the date from which the annuity allowed by the 

 master's report to Madame de la Batut was to commence; and that the 

 arrears to be paid to her, in the event of a decision in favor of the 

 United States, were to be computed from that time to the 22d of 

 March last. This makes three years and six months, so that the sum 

 due on an annuity of £150 9s. would be £526 lis. 6d. 



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



Richard Rush. 



Hon. John Forsyth, 



Secretary of State. 



Richard Rush to John Forsyth. 



London, May 3, 1838. 



Sir: I am glad to say that the confidence expressed in my last that 



a hearing of the case was near at hand has been justified, even sooner 



than I expected, for it was heard on the 1st of this month, and 1 am 



now to have the honor of reporting to you the nature of the hearing. 



