you please; and to decide whether it will not, on a fit occasion, be
proper for legislative attention. Affectionate salutations.

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LETTER XLVI.--TO GEORGE HAY, June 5, 1807


TO GEORGE HAY.

Washington, June 5, 1807.

Dear Sir,

Your favor of the 31st instant has been received, and I think it will be
fortunate if any circumstance should produce a discharge of the present
scanty grand jury, and a future summons of a fuller: though the same
views of protecting the offender may again reduce the number to sixteen,
in order to lessen the chance of getting twelve to concur. It is
understood, that wherever Burr met with subjects who did not choose to
embark in his projects, unless approved by their government, he asserted
that he had that approbation. Most of them took his word for it, but
it is said that with those who would not, the following stratagem was
practised. A forged letter, purporting to be from General Dearborn,
was made to express his approbation, and to say that I was absent
at Monticello, but that there was no doubt that, on my return, my
approbation of his enterprises would be given. This letter was spread