committee for adjournment, declared it necessary for Congress to stay together to keep up the inflammation of the public mind; and Otis has expressed a similar sentiment since.  However, they will adjourn.  The opposers of an adjournment in Senate, yesterday agreed to adjourn on the 10th of July.  But I think the 1st of July will be carried.  That is one of the objects which detain myself, as well as one or two more of the Senate, who had got leave of absence.  I imagine it will be decided tomorrow or next day.  To separate Congress now, will be withdrawing the fire from under a boiling pot.

My respectful salutations to Mrs. Madison, and cordial friendship to yourself.

Th:  Jefferson.

P.M.  A message to both Houses this day from the President, with the following communications.

March 23.  Pickering’s letter to the Envoys, directing them, if they are not actually engaged in negotiation with authorized persons, or if it is not conducted bona fide, and not merely for procrastination, to break up and come home, and at any rate to consent to no loan.

April 3.  Talleyrand to Gerry.  He supposes the other two gentlemen, perceiving that their known principles are an obstacle to negotiation, will leave the republic, and proposes to renew the negotiations with Gerry immediately.

April 4.  Gerry to Talleyrand.  Disclaims a power to conclude any thing separately, can only confer informally and as an unaccredited person or individual, reserving to lay every thing before the government of the United States for approbation.

April 14.  Gerry to the President.  He communicates the preceding, and hopes the President will send other persons instead of his colleagues and himself, if it shall appear that any thing can be done.

The President’s message says, that as the instructions were not to consent to any loan, he considers the negotiation as at an end, and that he will never send another minister to France, until he shall be assured that he will be received and treated with the respect due to a great, powerful, free, and independent nation.

A bill was brought into the Senate this day, to declare the treaties with France void, prefaced by a list of grievances in the style of a manifesto.  It passed to the second reading by fourteen to five.

A bill for punishing forgeries of bank-paper passed to the third reading by fourteen to six.  Three of the fourteen (Laurence, Bingham, and Read) bank directors.

LETTER CCXXXIX.—­TO SAMUEL SMITH, August 22, 1798

TO SAMUEL SMITH.

Monticello, August 22, 1798.

Dear Sir,