American diplomat during the American Revolutionary War (1740-1792) who helped negotiate the Treaty of Alliance with France in 1778. LS, one page both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, February 13, 1787. Letter to William Ellery, a signer of the Declaration of Independence then serving as commissioner of Rhode Island's Loan Office, signed at the conclusion by Samuel Osgood, Walter Livingston, and Arthur Lee. In part: "We are favor'd with your Letter of the 15h Ultimo, transmitting Copies of two Certificates given to you by Joseph Clarke Esq'r Treasurer of the State of Rhode Island, relative to the Quantity of Indents of Interest in his hands on the first day of January last. These Certificates are by no means as Explicit as we could wish; the first particularly because they do not Express whether the Indents in Possession of the Treasurer on the 1st of January last, were those which has been issued in Insurance of the Requisition of the 27th September 1785 (for such only can be received in Taxes on that Requisition); neither does the first certificate purport (as the second does) that the Indents therein specified were then in the Possession of the State Treasurer—If the Indents specified in the Certificate of the State Treasurer were issued in pursuance of the Requisition of the 27th and 28th April 1784, by the Commissioner of the Loan Office in the State of Rhode Island, they can only be received in Payment of the Requisition of the 10th September 1782, and the Balance of the Requisition of the 27th and 28th April 1784; not Excusing the Proportion specified in the said Requisition. Be pleas'd to Enquire into the Nature of these Indents: that we may direct you on what Requisition may be received." In fine condition, with a few trivial light stains.
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