_Washington, June 28, 1835_.
THOMAS P. BARTON, Esq., etc.
SIR: Mr. Livingston arrived here the day before yesterday. By the
mail of yesterday your letter of the 7th of May, with a copy of
Mr. Livingston's last note to the Duke de Broglie, was received.
After an attentive examination of Mr. Livingston's correspondence with
this Department and the Government of France, elucidated by his verbal
explanations, the President has directed me to say to you that the
Messrs. de Rothschild have been authorized by the Treasury Department to
receive the money due under the treaty with France. Of this authority
they will be directed to give notice to the French Government without
demanding payment. For yourself, you will, if the bill of indemnity is
rejected, follow Mr. Livingston to the United States. If the money is
placed at the disposal of the King, conditionally, by the legislature
of France, you will await further orders from the United States,
but maintain a guarded silence on the subject of the indemnity. If
approached by the Government of France, directly or indirectly, you
will hear what is said without reply, state what has occurred in full
to the Department, and await its instructions. It is the desire of the
President that you will make not even a reference to the subject of the
treaty in your intercourse with the French Government until the course
intended to be pursued is definitely explained to the United States.
Whatever may be said to the Messrs. de Rothschild it will be their duty
to report to you as well as to the Treasury Department, and whenever
they converse with you they must be reminded that it is expected that
they will wait for express notice from the Government of France that
it is ready to pay before an application for payment is made.
The course adopted by Mr. Livingston has been fully approved, and
the hope is indulged that his representations have had their just
influence on the counsels of the King of France. However that may be,
the President's determination is that the terms upon which the two
Governments are to stand toward each other shall be regulated so far
as his constitutional power extends by France.
A packet from the Treasury, addressed to the Messrs. de Rothschild, and
containing the instructions of the Secretary, accompanied by a special
power appointing them the agents of the United States to receive the
payments due under the treaty of 1831, is forwarded herewith. The copy
of a letter from this Department to M. Pageot is also inclosed for your
perusal.