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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
No. 663
1838 Jc.,n. 21, H. C. PHELPS TO M. B. LAMAR
Columbus Georgia Jany 21st 1838.
Genl 1\1 B Lamar Dear Sir
My brother's wife Mrs Sarah V Phelps has requested me, to write· to you relative to a ho'llse & lot which you left in her care. Accord- ing to your written instructions she has contracted a sale of the prop- erty to ·wmiam I Yonge for $350. but Yonge will not pay the money till he gets titles; which A B Davis will not make unless the money is. paid into his hands. There seems to be some little clashing in the· different clauses of your instruction-1\Ir Davis taking ground for the course he has pursued in the fore part or body of those instruc- tions, while there is a clause added at the bottom a'llthorizing Mrs Phelps to receive the mone,y arising from the sale of the property. That amt will not be sufficient to purchase another place, and she is. not willing to add any money of her own, or which her friends might give her, to enable her to purchase a suitable home, without the titles can be made and secured to her children, which Davis will not permit as the matter now stands; though he and all seem to think that you intended the property as a donation for the benefit of Mrs. Phelps and the children. The prejudice and c-0ld indifference existing always be- tween the poor and the the rich will prevent any thing further being done till more explicit instructions from you. I am told by an At- torney that you cannot hold property in this c-0untry in your own right as an alien-·would it not be as well then to instruct Davis to- make the necessary titles to Mr Yonge, and allow Mrs Phelps to re- ceive the money, that she may purchase a home immediately and have it secured to her children. Davis might be instructed to take- titles in his name in trust for the children or what would suit Mrs P better, the titles could be taken in mine or in the name of her brother John · R l\fahone. Jr. in trust. I would not presume to dictate any course for you to pursue, nor would I or Mrs Phelps wish you to do any thing contrary to your ·wishes, but believing that you intended to make a gift of the property, have thought it not presumptious to make the· above suggestions. Yonge has given bond with security for the pay- ment of the money when he gets the necessary titles. Thus you see the necessity of immediately instructing Davis explicitly what to do, and your early attention will very much relieve Mrs P. My brother· and his wife are now separated (parted) and I trust that it will turn to the good of all. He is living with mei since the separation, abO'ut a mile and a half out of town, where I have a few acres-he has not touched spirits since, works regularly, is much recruited and I sin- cerely believe he is a r,eformed man. I do what I can to make him comfortable and encourage him, also his family. I still continhe Mer- chandizing in Columbus but not with that success which I anticipated. Business has been overdone here, and the great crisis has brought a host of troubles upon the Commerce of the Country~disastrous in the extreme. I am almost disposed to expatriate myself and join you~
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