Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, July 8, 1785

Passy July 8 th 1785

Sir

We duly received your letter of the 20 th of June, and now in consequence thereof send you a draught of a treaty which we should be willing to have proposed to the court of London. We have taken for our groundwork the original draught proposed to Denmark, making such alterations & additions only as had occurred in the course of our negociations with Prussia & Tûscany and which we thought were for the better. These you will find in the 4 th. 9 th. 13 th. and 25 th. articles, and are such as met your approbation when we were considering those treaties. 1 Nevertheless we shall be happy to concur with you in any thing better which you may wish to propose either in the original draught or the amendments. Particularly we wish it were possible to convince the British court that it might be for their interest to continue their former bounties on the productions of our country on account of their quality, and of the nature of the returns, which have always been in manufactures & not in money.

We have the honour to be with / sentiments of the highest respect / Your Most obedient & / Most humble Servants

B Franklin Th: Jefferson

N.B All the differences between the draughts of the Prussian & British are noted in the two columns hereunto annexed— 2