John Quincy Adams to Thomas Welsh, January 24, 1798

Berlin 24. January 1798.

My dear Sir.

I received some time ago, though not until after my arrival at this
place your favour of 15. July last enclosing a statement of my affairs with which you
have the goodness to charge yourself, and an account, coming down to the same month of
July.— 1 For all the trouble you have
taken relative to my little concerns, I feel much obligated to you.— I am happy that you
concluded to abandon for sale my share of the theatre; I shall be glad to get rid of it,
at as little loss as possible.— With respect to the canal shares, although the expences
and assessments become heavy, by continual disbursements with a distant prospect of any
returns, yet as I hope the undertaking will eventually succeed, and as it is meant to be
productive of public benefit, I do not regret the monies which are thus applied.— I hope
however that in future there will be less of that absorption which swallows up all the
produce of my little property in America, from year to year, and that upon my return I
shall find some sort of income that may contribute to provide me a subsistence; an
object infinitely more important since I have become a married man, than it ever was
before.

I am desirous of acquiring in the town of Boston, a real property,
which may render a profitable rent, and which also may serve me for an habitation when I
shall return home.— If therefore you can purchase me an house upon such terms that while
I remain absent I may depend upon its renting in such a manner as at least to give the
legal interest of the money, and that when I come home I may take it if I find it
expedient for my own use, I shall be obliged to you to purchase it for me.— To pay for
it, you can draw bills upon Mess rs: William & John Willink , merchants at Amsterdam, payable
on my account, at 30 or 60 days sight, to an amount not exceeding twelve thousand five
hundred current florins of Holland, which as you will be careful to take a favourable
moment for the course of exchange, I suppose will give you something more than five
thousand Dollars. As it is not equitable however that you should have this constant
trouble for me without compensation, I would propose to you to make a charge of two per
Cent for drawing the bills and transacting the business, and the same charge for the
receipt and payment of any other sums that may in future pass through your hands on my
account.— I need not recommend to you, if you should make the purchase
the most special caution with regard to the security of the title, as I well know your
accuracy in that particular; nor to avoid the purchase of a wooden building which would
be perpetually exposed to the dangers of fire.

My brother Charles has no doubt since the date of your letter made
another remittance to you on my account, and my mother will pay you also 25 Guineas for
me, according to a request in my last Letter to her.— If you should make for me the
purchase above indicated you will in future receive annually sums on my behalf to the
amount of from 800 to 1000 dollars, and I wish you in proportion as you receive them to
place whatever you may have no occasion for, to provide the necessary disbursements, in
the most advantageous public funds. 2

It is possible that an opportunity may occur to you of making a
beneficial purchase for me, but which would not answer as an house for my own residence.
In that case I wish you still to make it, as my principal object is to possess a
profitable and productive freehold within the town of Boston.— When you draw upon the
Mess rs: Willink, you will be so good as to give me
immediate notice of it, and it would be best to send it by duplicates.— Any letter
forwarded under cover to M r: King in England, or to Mess rs: Willink at Amsterdam, or to the American Consul at
Hamburg, will reach me in due time.

I will not give you any further trouble to forward Russell’s
Centinel, which in my present situation I could not easily receive even if it should
constantly and expeditiously arrive in Europe.— You will if you please drop my
subscription to that paper.

I say nothing of political affairs, and with my kindest regards to
M rs: Welsh, and your family, and also to that of M r: Smith, I remain, Dear Sir, your faithful & obed t: h ble: Serv t:

John Q. Adams.