[m'lachlan] FLEURY MESPLET, FIRST PRINTER AT MONTREAL 2 .S 



the principal merchants of Montreal and, on his advice, fixed the amount 

 due Berger at $4,800.^ This award shows that not a single cent, 

 principal or interest, of the debt, contracted away back in 1775 and 

 1776, had been paid. Berger accepted in settlement of this claim a 

 notarial bond for $1,200, payable in four equal annual instalments, and 

 & note signed jointly by ]\Iesplet and an individual named Marassé for 

 •$460. Berger, in the goodness of his heart and in consideration for 

 ]\Iesplet's misfortune, wiped out the ba,lance, $'3,140.- But from the 

 post-mortem inventory we learn that Berger never received any pay- 

 ment on the bond. The joint note with Marassé for $460, which 

 appears on the inventory as a debt due that person, was the only money 

 Berger had received on account of his advances to Mesplet. 



Berger made out a power of attorney ^ in favour of Louis Hardy and 

 J. C. Herse to collect this debt, and in February, 1785, left for France. 

 This was the only occasion on which he came to Canada, although he ia 

 represented on imprints jointly with Mesplet from June, 1775, to the 

 first of September, 1778. 



On the 26th of June, 1784, Mesplet again memorialized Congress 

 regarding his claim for compensation for losses,* but this petition, after 

 having been looked into was tabled. He was thereupon advised by 

 some friend in charge of his claim 'at Philadelphia that nothing more 

 could be accomplished without an appeal in person. This Mesplet 

 complained he could not do on account of lack of funds to pay 

 the expenses of a journey to and a sojourn at that place. But at 

 length, by the kindness of a friend who advanced the necessar}^ funds 

 i\[esplet appeared before Congress with another petition. This was in 

 ^March, 17'85. A committee was fappointed which, after asking for a 

 hill of grievances and a statement, took the matter up. The bill and 

 the statement ^ give us many details of Mesplet's journey from Philadel- 

 phia to Montreal, which are most interesting. According to the latter 

 tlie expenses of Mesplet's journey and his losses through imprisonment 

 totalled up to $9,450. This claim was biacked up with a number of 

 affidavits which* attested to his isnfferings and losses through devotion 

 to the cause of the United States. In April he went to New York 

 armed with a letter of introduction from Thomas Mefflin to the Hon. 

 Mr. Hardy, a representative from Virginia, asking his assistance in 

 pushing the claim.* After all this effort, the committee reported on 



^ See appendix F No. 53. 

 ^ See appendix F No. 54. 

 ' See appendix F No. 55. 

 * See appendix D No. 34. . 

 " See appendix D No. 42. 

 ' See appendix D No. 41. 



