| Description | Dear Friend,
I wrote three letters to you yesterday.
I am in hopes you have thought it best to decline writing to Mr. Williams, as I think it would be injudicious to allow him an opportunity of speaking to us seperately. I shall tell him the views of administration and my views are a reform of the establishment, and in points of greater importance than copper, tho' that will be the first; that I aim at excellent and faithfull coins and to reduce the expences into reasonable compass; that Lord Effingham will concur in those points; that the moneyers have a charter, therefore in what manner and to what extent they can be managed either to join in effecting the greater objects or acquiesce in not opposing them is far from certain; and that at present it is too critical to talk about; but as copper will be coined, I shall desire to understand his views distinctly, and will pledge myself not to mention them to anybody but Mr. Pitt and other Lords of Council. And here I will leave the subject, unless he urges me not to oppose his views, and which I shall then promise, with this proviso: that I must be at liberty to answer truly any question Mr. Pitt may ask me.
I have this morning a card from Mr. Browne that Mr. Pitt assures him he will see me before Sunday, if possible. He has mentioned that he waited for my coming to London.
God bless you. I am ever gratefully and affectionately yours,
S. Garbett
Lord Oxford and Mr. Harley promised to speak to Mr. Pitt on Tuesday, and Mr. Johnes spoke to Mr. Rose, but they are all hurry hurry hurry!
Notwithstanding what I have wrote, do what you think proper as to writing to Williams. You see my cue.
PS. I open this letter to say I have yours by the coach, enclosing your letter to Mr. Williams, which I will not deliver unless you desire it. If you think it expedient to write to him, I think it would be better merely to refer him to me, and say you are persuaded it will prove agreeable to both, as you know my object is a reform of the Mint in particulars of much more importance than copper, but as I had spoke to you in confidence you did not think yourself at liberty to introduce the subject to anybody in a manner that would indicate I was proceeding in the arrangement of that department, and especially as you have no doubt he wishes to settle his proportion of the copper agreeable to the spirit of the agreement with the Cornish Metal Company, to whom the rolling of the copper (you presume) is not an object.
However, upon the whole I think you had better not right, except upon the principle of ot bein in a quarrel with him, and which I think material.
[Edited transcript.] |