DOCUMENTS BEABING ON TEEATY OF 1183. 117 



No. 69. 178&, September 20: Letter, Mr. Townshend to Mr. Oswald. 



WHITEHALL, 20th September, 178%. 

 Mr. OSWALD 



SIR, I received on Saturday last your Packets of the 10th and llth 

 of this month. 



A meeting of the King's Confidential Servants was held as soon as 

 possible, to consider the contents of them, and it was at once agreed 

 to make the alteration in the Commission proposed to you by Mr. 

 Jay. I trust that the readiness, with which this proposal was ac- 

 cepted, will be considered as an ample Testimony of the openness 

 and sincerity with which the Government of this Country is dis- 

 posed to treat with the Americans. 



The Ccfrnmission is passing with as much dispatch as the forms of 

 office will allow; but -I thought it material that no delay should 

 happen in giving you notice of the determination of His Majesty's 

 Council upon this subject. 



I am &c. T. TOWNSHEND. 



No. 70. 1782, September 23: Extract from letter, Lord Shelburne to 



Mr. Oswald. 



Mr. OSWALD SHELBURNE HOUSE 23d Sept 1782 



DEAR SIR Having said and done every thing which has been de- 

 sired, there is nothing left for me to trouble you with except to add, 

 that we have put the greatest confidence, I believe, was ever placed, 

 in men, in the American commissioners. It is now to be seen, how 



far they or America are to be depended upon. 

 71 I will not detain you with enumerating the difficulties, 



which have occurred. There never was greater risk run. 

 I hope the public will be the gainer. Else our heads must answer 

 for it and deservedly. 



No. 71. 1782, September 24-' Extract from letter, Mr. Townsend to 



Mr. Oswald. 



RICHARD OSWALD Esqr WHITEHALL, 24th Sept 1 ' 1782 



SIR, I now send you the Commission, which has met with no delay 

 more than was absolutely necessary for the forms through which it 

 was to pass. 



I hope that the frankness with which we deal, will meet with a 

 suitable return. 



I have ordered the office to be searched for all Papers which can 

 give any information concerning the boundaries which you mention 

 in your letter of the llth of this month ; but it has not been in my 

 power to have so exact a state of that matter, made out, as may be 

 necessary for your direction in your Negotiation. 



I think it necessary to inform you that I received yesterday dis- 

 patches from Sir Guy Carleton, and I enclose to you a copy of his 

 letter to General Washington on the subject of Mr. Grenville's Pro- 

 posal of Independence in the first instance, and not as a conditional 



92909* S. Doe. 870, 61-8, vol 7 13 



