* * * * *
Minor Notes.
_His Excellency David Hartley._--In the _Gentleman's Magazine_ of January
last (which I have only lately seen), there is inserted at page 8. a letter
signed by "Benjamin Franklin and John Jay," and addressed to His Excellency
David Hartley, announcing the arrival in Europe of the ratification, by the
Congress of the United States, of the definitive treaty of peace between
Great Britain and the United States, and stating that they were ready to
exchange the ratification with Mr. Hartley.
In a note prefixed to this letter, the editor of the review states that Mr.
Hartley "then held some other diplomatic appointment from the United
States."
Now this is a mistake. Mr. Hartley was the British plenipotentiary who
signed that treaty at Paris in September, 1783, with the American
plenipotentiaries, and held no diplomatic appointment from the United
States. He was therefore the proper person to exchange the ratifications
with the American plenipotentiaries.
The treaty is printed at full length in Chalmers' _Collection of Treaties_,
together with Mr. Hartley's _full power_ as the British plenipotentiary.