30 SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 



upon rnc, though as yet I have not seen him. I deem it 

 unnecessary to transmit to you his representations, as I do 

 not act upon them in any way, abstaining as well through 

 rny own judgment as that of our professional advisers. To 

 the latter I say, if Monsieur la Batut has a just claim on 

 the part of his wife, it ought to be allowed ; if not, no 

 authority but that of Congress could award him anything 

 out of the Smithsonian bequest, should it be finally -ad- 

 judged to the United States. To this they assent, with the 

 further concurrence between us, that the court must decide 

 upon the claim; for establishing which, if it can be estab- 

 lished, he will now have every opportunity before a master 

 in chancery, the officer regularly appointed by the court for 

 that purpose. The solicitors advise me that he is a trouble- 

 some person, and seems to have unreasonable expectations ; 

 which, however, will be carefully scrutinized and properly 

 trolled. 



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

 obedient servant, 



KICIIARD HUSH. 



The Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, Secretary of State. 



Clarke, Fynmore $ Fladgate to Richard JRush. 



No. 43 CRAVEN STREET, June 9, 1837. 

 SIR : We think it right to inform you that we have lately 

 had several interviews with M. de la Batut, who married 

 the mother of the deceased Henry James Ilungerford, and 

 who we thought might be induced to furnish us with every 

 proof we wanted touching the deceased. His object was to 

 press upon our consideration the moral claims which he 

 supposes his wife and her and his children have upon the 

 United States, in consequence of their succeeding to the 

 fortune, to the income of which Ilungerford was entitled 

 for his life. We allude to these moral claims, to distinguish 

 them from the rights which Madame de la Batut may have 

 under the will of Colonel Dickinson, Ilungerford's father, 

 which ^are the subject of inquiry before the master. To 

 show, in part, the nature of these MORAL claims, we may 

 mention, that as the fund is left to the United States, to 

 found an institution for promoting knowledge, he considers, 

 notwithstanding that the institution is to be founded in 



