SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 37 



"would be attended with more delay and expense than it is 

 likely there will be in the present proceedings in the 

 master's office, we are induced to afford every indulgence, 

 urging only all possible despatch, which, as, fortunately, 

 Madame de la Batut's solicitors are persons of the highest 

 .respectability, we are sure they will use. 



We are your very obedient servants, 



CLARKE, FYNMORE & FLADGATB. 

 To RICHARD RUSH, Esq. 



Richard Rush to John Forsyth. 



LONDON, July 28, 1837. 



SIR : I received on the 26th instant, from our minister, 

 Mr. Stevenson, a petition addressed to the President by M. 

 de la Batut, now it seems in France, on the subject of his 

 claims, which had been sent to Mr. S. by Mr. Anderson, 

 charge d'affaires of the United States at Paris. The nature 

 of these claims is sufficiently stated in my letter of the 24th 

 of last month, and I need not therefore repeat that, accord- 

 ing to the view I take of them, they are altogether unrea- 

 sonable. In writing to Mr. Anderson upon the subject, 

 which I did yesterday, I informed him that Monsieur de la 

 Batut had been in London, urging them upon those who 

 are 'charged with conducting and superintending the case 

 of the United States before the court of chancery in the 

 matter of the Smithsonian bequest, and that our Govern- 

 ment had been apprized of them through my communica- 

 tions to you ; that as they were adverse to the interests of 

 the United States, and had been pursued in an adverse man- 

 ner by M. de la Batut when here, it was not for me to aid 

 in transmitting his paper to the President; but that, as he 

 might wish to have it again, to make his own use of it, I 

 was at a loss how to dispose of it, otherwise than by return- 

 ing it to him, (Mr. Anderson,) which I therefore felt myself 

 obliged to do, with the explanation here given. Mr. Ander- 

 son was probably not before acquainted with any of the 

 circumstances I stated. 



I have deemed it right to inform you of the step thus 

 taken in regard to this petition, and hope it will appear to 

 .have been proper. I ought to mention, whilst on the sub- 



