John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

3. VI: George’s Rhumatism, increases in severity, and this day he could scarcely use his hands. His cough however is less troublesome, and his breast has been partially relieved— Dr Cook was sent for to him again, and prescribed Pill, Powders and Potion for him— By the morning Post, I received a Packet from Mr J. A. Smith, containing Letters— 1. from himself, dated 31. Decr. mentioning a number of respectable characters at New-York, who had written to Washington, recommending him for the appointment of Secretary to this Legation, before he received my Letter of 22. July, and whose recommendations had alone prevented him from withdrawing his pretensions after he had received it— 2. From Mr Anthony Morris at Madrid, dated 18. Decr: in answer 370to mine of 25. November last to him. It relates to the case of the William and Mary, upon which he says he made two applications in May last, to the Secretary of State Cevallos, from whom he received only a verbal, and very offensive reply in July that the case was under advisement. So that Mr Morris though his Letter is dated the same day that I received that from the Spanish Ambassador here, communicating the orders that he had received from his Court, to interpose for the restoration of the property, had not been informed that such orders had been given. 3. from Charles’s Cleland, in the New Prison—with thanks for the notice I had taken of his former Letter; and further solicitations, to obtain his release. 4. A Letter from Messrs: Ralph and Thomas Westropp of Limerick, to Coll: Aspinwall; soliciting the appointment of American Vice-Consuls at that Port— Mr Aspinwall had left the Letter at the Office to be forwarded to me— I was employed upon this Journal until breakfast—closed that last and began upon the present year; so nearly retrieving all arrears as to begin upon the narrative of yesterday, but not having time to finish it— Mr Huxley came and gave a lesson to John and Charles, but George’s hands are so stiffened that he could not take one— It was past twelve when I left home, and nearly two when I reached Mr Smith’s lodgings, Number 13. Craven-Street, where my Office is henceforth to be kept— Mr Grubb was there, with Mr Smith—And I found on the table Letters as follows. 1. From the Spanish Ambassador, Count Fernan-Nuñez, communicating a copy of Lord Castlereagh’s answer to his Note concerning the William and Mary, and informing me that he is ready to authorize Messrs: Dickason and Nevett to enter an appeal of Territory. 2. from Mr Jackson, our chargé d’affaires at Paris, with a bundle of Old Newspapers from the Department of State; brought to him by a Mr Sterry, appointed Consul at La Rochelle; and from Paris by Mr E. Morse. 3. From Mr Maury at Liverpool—Still concerning the Sailors and the want of money. 4. From Mr Bourne at Amsterdam, with complaints on the same Subject, and urging again compensation for Consuls. 5. From my Mother, with Letters from her to my three Sons, two other Letters for George, and a copy of my father’s Letter to Dr Price dated 19. April 1790 at New-York, a partial extract from which was published by Mr Morgan in his Memoirs of the Life of Dr Price— While I was at the Office, Mr John M. Aspinwall of New-York, brought me a Letter of introduction from his father Mr Gilbert Aspinwall one of the assignees of Robert Bird. He says in his Letter that he expects a dividend will soon be made— This young man is going immediately to Paris, and promised to take Letters for me, and the 200 franks which Lucy Hauel wishes to send for her father— He came for a Passport which was given him, and he asked, if he could not get Mr Grubb to obtain the endorsement of the French Ambassador, and the papers necessary from the Alien Office—and he added that Mr Grubb had done so for another American Gentleman, who had given him a fee for it; though Mr Grubb had told him there was nothing to pay for what was done at this Office— I told Mr Aspinwall, that Mr Grubb was no longer in this Office— That my strict injunction to him had been to take no fees whatever while in my Office; and that this was the first notice I had that he had ever taken any. He was indeed under no obligation to obtain for Americans the endorsement of the French Ambassador, or the papers at the alien-office, and he might have thought himself at Liberty to receive a fee for doing it— But had it been known to me I should strictly have forbidden it; and I could not permit that he should now receive a fee for doing any thing connected with the business of this office— Mr Aspinwall took therefore his Passport, to transact the business himself.— A Letter was likewise brought me from Mr Karthaus, in reply to mine of 23. December. Mr Bagot came about three—and informed me that the Frigate Niger was now ready, at Portsmouth and he expected to leave London next Saturday or Sunday to go and embark for Annapolis; though he should not move if the wind should be westerly. He offered again to take Letters, Despatches and any thing that I may wish to send— He said he was to have the same Captain, (Jackson) with whom he was to have gone out in the Lacedemonian— But that Frigate was a twin ship, with the Macedonian, they were both built for sailing, and so sharp, that there was not room for the stowage of his baggage. He had then taken a Transport to carry that— But the Niger was of a different Construction, and could take all his effects; so that he should take no Transport. As he said Lord Castlereagh, who is now at Norfolk, at Lord Suffield’s, the brother in Law of Lady Castlereagh, would be in town to attend next Monday at Brighton the celebration of the Princess Charlotte of Wales’s Birth-day, I asked him if there was any foundation for an insinuation lately twice repeated in the Morning Chronicle, that the Princess was to marry one of the Austrian Archdukes now here— He said none in the world— The Morning Chronicle had pretended that the late Council held at Brighton had been deeply engaged in that important affair. The truth was that the Council was held for the sole purpose of swearing in Lord Amherst—(The Ambassador going out to China) and there were so few members to attend it, that the Prince had been obliged to direct Mr Pole, to stay at Brighton a day longer than intended 371because there were not sufficient number of the members present, to form a Council without him.— We had some further conversation, upon the late accounts from France— The escape of La Valetta—the projects of Amnesty and Revenge, the Ministry and the Legislative Chambers. I told him I should bring him some Letters for the United States on Friday. Mr Grubb had several times proposed to me, to subscribe to the Westminster Library N. 44. Jermyn Street; and having renewed this day the proposal, I assented to it— He informed the Secretary of my wish, and brought me a Catalogue of the Books, and a copy of the printed Terms of Subscription— He was then going into the City, and offered to call upon Messrs: Dickason and Nevett, whom I was desirous of informing of the substance of the Letter this morning received from the Spanish Ambassador. But before he left the Office, Mr Nevett came in— I shewed him the papers, and told him that they had now only to apply to Count Fernan Nuñez, who would immediately give them the authority to enter the appeal of Territory— Mr Nevett promised to send me some American Newspapers, arrived by the Milo; the vessel that brought the Letters from my Mother. Mr Chitty called, with the Broad Cloth, which I had ordered— Just before I left the Office, Mr Dashwood, one of Mr J. A. Smith’s fellow-passengers from New-York, came in— I thought I had seen him before, without recollecting where; and after some time, he asked me how I had been, since we came from Sweden together— I then immediately remembered him as the Purser of the John Adams— He gave a very bad account of Mr Jesse Nicholls who was also one of our fellow passengers from Sweden to the Texel— Mr Dashwood told us that he intended to go next Saturday to Liverpool, to embark immediately upon his return to America— He offered to take Letters— Mr Bagot, and Mr Pursh are to go about the same time— My Carriage was ordered at four, and came soon after. Mr Smith gave me several late American Newspapers and other publications.— I got out of the Carriage at the third and walked nearly to the sixth Mile-Stone— It was about six, when I reached home— In the Evening my wife read a few chapters of Patronage.