ed at his disappointment, that he declared his resolution to take no farther concern in public affairs.

It is impossible to conceive, that any man could have been placed in so many critical dilemmas as Buonaparte has been, and to have got through them so successfully, without being possessed of the ability and decision which this anecdote evinces. It was communicated to me by a friend, who had it from one of the very actors in the scene, and its authenticity may be depended upon.

VOL. II.

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH MR PITT.

SINCE the first volume was printed, some additional communications from Mr Pitt have cast up, which I think it right to preserve, as a proof of the strong friendship which had, at one time, subsisted be

tween us.

In 1793, I had formed a plan for restoring the commercial credit of the country, which had fallen into a most deplorable state. The origin and progress of that great measure are explained in the History of the Revenue *.

I had first suggested to Mr Secretary Dundas, the idea of appointing a Committee of the House of Commons to take the subject into consideration, to whom I proposed communicating my plan; but that idea was given up, in consequence of the following communication :

DEAR SIR,

I received your letter, respecting the state of public credit in this country. Government has been paying great attention to the subject. I am very doubtful of the propriety of any measure being brought forward; but I am sure, unless something specific was previously arranged, the appointment of any Committee, to take up the subject. loosely, and without any plan before them, might produce mischief, with very little prospect of good. If you have any specific ideas to state, I shall be very glad to receive them. I remain faithfully yours,

HENRY DUNDAS.

In consequence of this letter, I sent a specific plan, recommending the issue of Exchequer bills, which, when afterwards adopted, was attended with such astonishing success.

The execution of the plan, however, was likely to be most inconveniently delayed from the forms of office, by which the Exchequer bills, on the credit of which the whole operation depended, could not be issued for several days. It occurred to me, however, that the certificate of the commissioners, authorising the bearer to receive Exchequer bills to a certain amount, was as good security as the bills themselves; and that money might be advanced on such certificates with equal safety. I had communicated by letter this idea to Mr Pitt, and requested both his opinion of it, and, if he approved of the plan, his assistance in carrying it into effect; but in consequence of his being out of town, I had received no answer to the communication. I therefore resolved to carry through the measure myself, and actually raised, on the credit. of those certificates, L.70,000 from several bankers in London, who had a respect for the person by whom the plan had been proposed, and were satisfied of its utility and importance. When Mr Pitt came to town, on the Monday morning following, he immediately sent to me the following note:

Mr Pitt presents his compliments to Sir John Sinclair. Having been out of town, it is only within this half hour that he has received his note of yesterday evening, or he would have returned an earlier answer. As Sir John Sinclair may probably be at the House, Mr Pitt will be glad of an opportunity of talking with him there on the subject.

Downing Street, Monday, half-past three.

We met in the House accordingly, when Mr Pitt took me behind the Speaker's chair, and said, "That the plan I had proposed was a very desirable one, but that, in the present state of the credit of the country, it did not seem to him practicable;" upon which I informed him, that so far from being impracticable, I had carried the plan into effect that very morning. He was quite astonished at my success, and he was thence induced to give his support to the establishment of "A Board of Agriculture," which I soon afterwards brought forward. Had he likewise adopted my plan, to compel bankers to give security for the notes they issued, what miseries would it not have prevented?

The issue of Exchequer bills, for supporting the commercial credit of the country, is certainly one of the greatest operations recorded in history. No instance, it was justly remarked, is to be met with, where such essential benefit has been rendered to the commerce and manufactures of a country, in a manner so sudden, so easy in execu