The family of Burnett of Leys, with collateral - Electric Scotland

APPENDIX.
lanque to be opened in Breslau, and in Konigsberg in Prussia, that Castor is to
advance towards the fund Two and a half Millions of Rix dollars, and that he is
to be himself the principal Director. He said he heard him one Day at Table
make a long Desertation upon the Nature of a Bank, but that he had not the
least Conception or Idea of it, that he had read and retained a great deal upon
the Subject, and therefore he imagined he was entirely Master of it. He
concluded with saying that Castor had strongly sollicited him to take upon the
chief Direction of the Bank, but that he had always declined, and excused himself
from complying with this Desire by pleading his entire Ignorance in those matters.
I have already acquainted you that one Rubeau, a French Adventurer, had
proposed to Castor a Scheme for taking in Farm the Tobacco throughout the
Prussian Dominions, which had been approved of, notwithstanding of every
Thing which Knyphausen, who was appointed to examine it, could do or say to
oppose it. This Man agreed to give
Castor for the Farm eleven hundred
Thousand Rix dollars a year, the half of which sum he engaged always to pay six
months before the Term. This determined Castor in his Favour, and he gave
him a Grant of the Farm for a certain Number of years. This Affair alarmed all
the Dealers in Tobacco in the Prussian Dominions, and Men of the greatest
Weight and Consideration amongst them (among whom is the eldest Schwark of
Magdeburg) came here and made Representations against it, but at first to little
purpose. It was in vain they affirmed Rubeau was an Adventurer, and that he
could not give Security for his engagements, to this Castor replyed that it was his
Enemies who said so, and that as to Security he could have no greater than the
then discovered
Payment of half the sum six months before it fell due. They
that Rubeau was sent hither, and supported by the principal Farmers in France,
who were to furnish the Quantities of Tobacco wanted for the Consumption of
the Prussian subjects. They drew up a second Memorial informing Castor of
this, and setting forth in very strong and clear Terms, the Loss he and the
Subject would sustain by it, and the vast Sums of Money
the French Farmers
would yearly draw out of the Country without any Return, and they offered to
take the Farm on the same Conditions he had given it to Rubeau, without raising
the Price of Tobacco. These Reasons made Impression. He began to see that
he had acted too rashly and precipitately, and He sent for Knyphausen and
ordered him to tell them, that though it was natural for him to desire to have the
Tobacco farmed by his own Subjects in Preference to a Foreigner, yet he could
not retract his Word nor break off his Engagements with Rubeau without a
plausible Pretext, that the best way was for them to offer Rubeau a Sum which
might tempt him to give up his Right and Pretensions. They have accordingly
offered that Adventurer a Pension of Two Thousand Dollars a year for Life,