Jefferson, Thomas, as Secretary of State

Autograph letter signed ("Th: Jefferson"), 1 1/2 pages (9 7/8 x 7 1/2 in.; 252 x 191 mm) on a single leaf, Philadelphia, 29 March 1791, to Thomas Nelson Jr. (at Richmond, Virginia); lightly browned, a bit worn at fore-edge, some neat repairs to fold separations. Half blue morocco folding-case, red morocco spine labels.

New Jersey Historical Society (Sotheby's, 26 October 1983, lot 63)

The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Boyd, 19: 631–32

Jefferson investigates possible infractions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris—and stocks the State Department's library. In August 1790, Jefferson requested that all federal district attorneys furnish reports of proceedings in their states that the British could consider infractions of the Treaty of Paris and also to provide the Department of State with copies of printed collections of state laws. Jefferson here acknowledges the work of Nelson, U.S. Attorney for Virginia, in complying with that request, listing the volumes of Virginia laws that had been received at Philadelphia and sending a bank post note for $38.50 to reimburse the shipping costs.

As for matters affecting the Treaty—and particularly the question of the recovery of debts or other property from British subjects or American Loyalists—Jefferson tells Nelson, "I think it will be unnecessary to trouble you for the inquisitions, injunctions, judgments, decrees &c. or any thing else in manuscript. the observations you have been so good as to make on the whole will serve as a clue to us whenever the subject shall come on. there was more appearence of this some little time ago, than at present. however it must come on at some time, and the wish was not to be obliged to stop proceedings till the laws on the subject should be collected. there is moreover a constant occasion for turning to the laws of the several states, and the want of them hitherto has been very inconvenient."