4144. JONES (John Paul), St. Anne Decoration.—
In answer to your request to
obtain and transmit the proper authority of the
United States for your retaining the Order of
St. Anne, conferred on you by the Empress[of
Russia]. The Executive are not authorized
either to grant or refuse the permission you ask,
and consequently cannot take on themselves to
do it. Whether the Legislature would undertake
to do it or not, I cannot say. In general,
there is an aversion to meddle with anything of
that kind here. And the event would be so
doubtful that the Executive would not commit
themselves by making the proposition to the
Legislature.—
To Admiral Paul Jones. Washington ed. iii, 294.
(Pa.,
1791)
