205
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LA~rAR
No. 1582 1839 Dec. 22, R. G. DUNLAP, WASHINGTON, [D. C.J, TO M. B. . LAMAR, [AUSTIN, TEXASJ 35 Washington Deer-22nd 1839. l\Iy Dear Sir I have written 36 to the secretary of the Treay which will be submitted to you, relative to the conditions of the credit of the Republic and the state of the loan, &c-. The bill of our comrs on Genl Henderson for ninety thousand pounds was about to be protested in London which would have ruined the profits of the loan- This bill had been discounted by the U,sts, banks, and they expected the money in six months. They would have had the bill protested if I had not of thot the Genl would pay all the lia- bilities acruing upon the protest, so soon as the loan should be effected. This created no additional liability on the Govt and saved its credit in England. The Prest of the bank shewed me the contract with the comrs, that I might see, that the bank was not bound to protest this bill. The comrs give a lien upon the whole loan for the payment of this bill- As fhe Genl was unadvised of this and there was not time to consult, I felt it my duty to do as I did- Genl Henderson will give you the par- ticulars. This matter and Mr Dawson, interest being due and he being pressd for money would have put our credit down if they had not have been arranged- In Mr Dawson case there created no new liability but obtained sixty days from the 12th this month. I gave l\Ir Dawson a check on the Orleans bank waving protest & ac- ceptance for his interest & the sterling exchange to keep him from having these comrs protest in London Before I done this I obtained a promise from the Prest of the bank to give me the money on a bill on our comrs and for months [sic]- He would not pledge the bank but promised his influence- Since I've read your message 37 (which I like very much, but I am .afraid that your allusion to th~ mediation of the Govt, which is stated in the least offensive manner may be objected to) I discover that you have only recvd $200,000. I supposed you had recd the $400.000 or I woufd not have written as I did to the treasy dept. I do not wish to imbarrass things if I can not aid the Govt profitably- But what I have written to you, is due to you as the President of the Republic, and from me as the representative here- And this will explain why I thought it probable to lend to Mr Dawson, that the Govt had fri[e]nds in new orleans to pay his int[e]rest. But fearing that your expenditures amidst your continual indian difficulties may been [sic] greater- that one distant from the scene of operation would conjecture, I have tri[e]d to make arrangment with the bank- to pay a.,A. L. S. "This letter is in the Texas archives, "Comptroller'.s Letters," under date ,of Dec. 18, 1839. "Xo. 1529.
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