Page:Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies, from the papers of Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1.djvu/267

251 bark with him for Philadelphia. I am in hopes he need not stay in America more than a month.

I have the honor to be, with due respect, your Excellency’s most obedient

and most humble servant,

TH: JEFFERSON.

LETTER LXXIII.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

(Private.)Paris, July 12, 1785.

I was honored, two days ago, with yours of May the 16th, and thank you for the intelligence it contained, much of which was new to me. It was the only letter I received by this packet, except one from Mr. Hopkinson, on philosophical subjects. I generally write about a dozen by every packet, and receive sometimes one, sometimes two, and sometimes ne’er a one. You are right in supposing all letters opened which come either through the French or English channel, unless trusted to a passenger. Your s had evidently been opened, and I think I never received one through the post office which had not been. It is generally discoverable by the smoakiness of the wax, and faintness of the re-impression. Once they sent me a letter open, having forgotten to re-seal it. I should be happy to hear that Congress thought of establishing packets of their own between New York and Havre ; to send a packet from each port once in two months. The business might possibly be done by two packets, as will be seen by the following scheme, wherein we will call the two packets A and B.

January, A sails from New York, B from Havre, February, March, B April, May, A &quot; June, July, B &quot; August, September, A&quot; October, November, B &quot; December, New York, B New York, A Havre, Havre, Havre, New York, B &quot; Havre, New York, A Havre,
 * &quot; New York, A