DOCUMENTS BEARING ON TREATY OF 1783. 109 



commission is adopted, I beg leave to say that no time ought to be lost 

 in dispatching it. 



There being now four couriers here, and as they may be wanted at 

 home, it is thought proper that one of them, as extra, may go along 

 with the Courier Lawsun, who goes from Mr. Herbert's office. 



I have the honour to be Sir your most obedient and most humble 

 Servant 



KICHARD OSWALD. 



Mr. Jay's proposal for the new Commission to Mr. Oswald, enclosed 



in the foregoing. 



A commission (in the usual form) to Richard Oswald, Esq., to treat 

 of peace or truce with Commissioners or persons vested with equal 

 powers by and on the part of the thirteen United States of America, 

 would remove the objections to which his present commission is 

 liable, and thereby render it proper for the American Commissioners 

 to proceed to treat with him on the subject of preliminaries. 



66 No. 64. 1788, September 11 : Letter, Mr. Oswald to Lord Shel- 



burne. 



PARIS, llth Sept. 1782 



MY LORD: I had the honour of your Lordship's two letters of the 

 3rd instant, in consequence of which I took an opportunity of talking 

 to Dr. Franklin on the subject of one of them in a general way, and 

 by what he said I believe he is very much attached to his old friends, 

 and wishes it may be thought so; and does not encourage misrepre- 

 sentations to their prejudice. He put into my hands a letter from 

 one of his correspondents, which it would appear he don't like, other- 

 wise he would not have given it to me. There is a copy of it enclosed. 

 I have written to Mr. Townshend by this courier, that I have now 

 settled with the American commissioners, that they will not insist on 

 a previous and absolute acknowledgment of their independence, pro- 

 vided the commission for treating with them shall give them the de- 

 nomination of the thirteen United States of America ; and then they 

 will be contented with their independence standing only as an article 

 of treaty. With great difficulty they have yielded to this mode of 

 compromise. I hope His Majesty will grant it. If it is refused, Mr. 

 Fitzherbert, as well as me, may go home; and, in my opinion, it will 

 not be an easy matter for any others to take up the same clue for ex- 

 tricating the nation out of its difficulties which I think is within our 

 reach. Both the commissioners I really think are well disposed- 

 much better than I expected some time ago. Mr. Jay seems to be 

 particularly anxious that, as they have agreed to go even beyond the 

 limits of their instructions, His Majesty's Ministers may not baulk 

 their good intentions either fey refusal or delay. To prevent this he 

 scrolled out a letter to be directed to me, showing the necessity of our 

 attention and compliance, with a view to my sending it home; but 

 upon consulting further about it, he was advised by his friend to 

 drop it, and would not give me the letter. I have mentioned this in 

 my letter to-day to Mr. Townsend. However, I afterwards with 



