132 Journal and Correspondence

September
26
Red Book
No. 28
Letter

No. 22

& self. Benj. Franklin Esq^r sent us the Act of Assembly of that
state empowering us to sell the Stock to pay the bills and apply the
money under his directions, however willing I might have been
transact the affair under their act my Partners thought it necessary
to consult the attorney and solicitor general who's opinions we sent
to Benj. Franklin Esq^r with our answer to his letter dated the 6 Curr^t
a copy of our letter I inclose you and begg leave to refer you to that
answer; shall be happy to see your partner here,
P. S. I am extremely sorry to find there has been no account of
the arrival of M^r J: Grahame, If you hear any thing of him, you
will oblige me very much by informing me of it.

September
26
Red Book
No. 28
Back of
Letter
No. 22

[O. Stansbury, S. Grove, and J. Russell London to
Benj. Franklin Esqr]

His Excellency The not having had it in our power to transmit
to you sooner a precise Answer to your several favors has given us
much concern, we trust you will not impute any intentional delay
to us when we assure you that for our Guidance in the business we
took the earliest opportunity of having a fair and impartial State of
our Case as Trustees prepared and laid before M^r Wallace his
Majesty's Attorney Gen^l and M^r Masfield who it is expected will be
solicitor Gen^l whose opinions we have the honor to Inclose you;
upon the perusal of which we persuade ourselves you will readily
agree that in the very particular situation in which we stand as trus-
tees under the several Acts of Assembly, we are compelled to the
disagreeable necessity to comply with the request made to us by
your favor of the 20 of May. We yet beg leave to observe that when
the favorable opportunity occurs that we can discharge our trust
with honor & fidelity we shall have the greatest satisfaction Imagi-
nable in so doing, in the Interim we hope that from your Candour
and that of your Gov' and State of Maryland our Conduct will re-
ceive the most friendlv interpretation.

September

25
Red Book
No. 28
Letter
No. 23

[Wm. Carmichael, St. Ildefonse, to J & P French & Nephew]

Gentlemen I had the pleasure to receive your favor of the 16^th
Ins^t with its inclosure on the 23^d and my Satisfaction would have
been heightened, had it been in my power to have given you any
agreable information touching the bill of Exchange I now return
you I received notice in the month of may last of the honor done me
by the state in naming me one of the Trustees for this business in
case Mess^rs Hanbury, Grove and Russell did not chuse to comply
with the Intentions of the act.
I immediately wrote to his Excellency B. Franklin as he was im-
powered to authorize any one of the five last named Persons & in-
treated him not to think of me as it was a trust incompatible with