84 APPENDIX TO BRITISH COUNTER CASE. 



No. 50. 1782, July 84: Letter, Dr. Franklin to the Gomte de 



Vergennes. 



PASSY, July 24, 1782. 



Sis ^Enclosed I have the honor of sending to your excellency ex- 

 tracts from two despatches of the British ministry (one of them to 

 the commissioners for restoring peace in America) which are com- 

 municated to me by order of Lord Shelburne, expressly for the pur- 

 pose of restoring confidence between him and me. Your excellency 

 will judge how proper they are for such a purpose, when the first 

 is evidently calculated to create division, not only between France 

 and us, but among ourselves; and the second is contradictory respect- 

 ing a principal point in the independence. 



I am, &c. B. FRANKLIN. 



No. 5L1782, July 25: George I IPs Warrant for Mr. Oswalds First 

 Commission for negociating Peace. 



George R : Our will and pleasure is, and we hereby authorize and 

 command you forthwith to prepare a bill for our signature, to pass 

 our great seal of Great Britain, in the words or to the effect fol- 

 lowing, viz. : 



George the Third, by the grace of God king of Great Britain, 

 France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and so forth. To our 

 trusty and well-beloved Richard Oswald, of our city of Lon- 

 52 don, esquire, greeting. Whereas, by virtue of an act passed 

 in the last session of parliament, entitled, "An act to enable his 

 majesty to conclude a peace or truce with certain colonies in North 

 America therein mentioned," it is recited " that it is essential to the 

 interest, welfare and prosperity of Great Britain and the colonies or 

 plantations of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, 

 Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the lower coun- 

 ties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro- 

 lina, and Georgia, in North America, that peace, intercourse, trade, 

 and commerce should be restored between them." Therefore, and for 

 a full manifestation of our most earnest wish and desire, and that of 

 our Parliament, to put an end to the calamities of war, it is enacted 

 that it should and might be lawful for us to treat, consult of, agree, 

 and conclude, with any commissioner or commissioners named or to be 

 named by the said colonies or plantations, or with any body or bodies, 

 corporate or politic, or any assembly, or assemblies, or description 

 of men, or any person or persons whatsoever, a peace or truce with the 

 said colonies or plantations, or any of them, or any part or parts 

 thereof, any law, act or acts of Parliament, matter or thing, to the 

 contrary in any wise notwithstanding. 



Now know ye that we, reposing special trust in your wisdom, 

 loyalty, diligence, and circumspection in the management of the 

 affairs to be hereby committed to your charge, have nominated and 

 appointed, constituted and assigned, and by these presents do nomi- 

 nate and appoint, constitute and assign, you, the said Richard 

 Oswald, to be our commissioner in that behalf, to use and exercise 



