18 SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 



according to the statement and explanations transmitted 

 with my No. 4 ; but it has not yet come to its first hearing 

 before the court of chancery. 



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

 obedient servant, 



RICHARD RUSH. 



The Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, Secretary of State. 



Richard Hush to John Forsyth. 



LONDON, January 9, 1837. 



I have already had the honor to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your letter of the 17th November, enclosing the account 

 of Mr. Castaignet, the French attorney, for certain services 

 in relation to the effects of Henry James Dickinson, de- 

 ceased, alias de la Batut, alias Hungerford. 



I have given to this subject the proper attention, and, for 

 the better understanding of it, now beg leave to state : 



That Henry James Hungerford was the natural son of 

 Henry Louis Dickinson, deceased, brother of Mr. Smithson, 

 by a Mrs. Coates. The latter is still living, and married to 

 a Frenchman named de la Batut. Hungerford lived with 

 her and took her name, whilst bearing which he died, hav- 

 ing also passed under that of Dickinson. It is understood 

 that, as long as he lived, he made her an ample allowance ; 

 but his death put an end to it, and, as far as the will of Mr. 

 Smithson is concerned, (the will which creates a right in 

 the United States,) she can claim nothing. This I under- 

 stand to be agreed by counsel on all hands here. 



Her claim, if she has any, is under the will of Henry 

 Louis Dickinson, made at Paris, July, 1819, by which he 

 left all his property to his brother, Smithson, in trust for 

 his (Dickinson's) son Hungerford, alias Dickinson, alias la 

 Batut. Half the income of it, however, was to go to this 

 Mrs. Coates, alias Madame la Batut, during her life. 



But whether the property which Dickinson thus left, and 

 which is supposed to be the fund which Mr. Brent natur- 

 ally desired, through the instrumentality of the French 

 attorneys, to secure for the United States in Paris, now 

 constitutes any part of the Smithsonian fund in the English 

 court of chancery, and awaiting its decision, or whether the 

 former fund has not all been dissipated, and if so, how 



