Office for Foreign Affairs, 13th May, 1785. : the Secretary of the United States for the Department of Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred a letter of the 21st March last, from Richard Soderstrom, reports as his opinion, that no state is obliged by the laws of nations to receive or admit consuls from any foreign state ; and consequently every sovereign has a right to admit them on such terms and conditions only as he may think proper. ... All which is submitted to the wisdom of Congress. John Jay - Jay, John, 1745-1829; Soderstrom, Richard, 1742 or 1743-1815 ([Printed by John Dunlap], 1785)