SD831. Edward Moulton-Barrett (father) to Samuel Moulton-Barrett (uncle)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 3, 334 (in part).
London
Octr 15. 1837.
My dear Sam
In reply to your Letter of the 22d August I shall now direct myself exclusively, having by the last Packet entered into more general topics & that at large. The Bill for £1590.11.10, of which you have given me notice, I have given instructions to my Broker, Anderson to accept when presented. You are mistaken in supposing that we admitted we were in possession of the Land in consideration of which E. Barrett released G. Barrett’s Lien from the debt due to him, the fact is that our Counsel, Knight, broadly stated the contrary, & the Judges had before them in the Pleadings the affadavit of Mrs Barrett that she was in possession of a part of the Land & which had been given her by G. Barrett, & therefore whatever weight there was in it, was before them to balance; but seeing with the exception of the portion alluded to, about 30 acres, that I have been in possession of the whole with rents & profits from the death of G. Barrett, & further that the 30 acres, G. Barrett himself had put it out of his own power to recover, & therefore his heir could do no more than he could have done, I do not attach much to it.
From what you said, I was as much astonished as you are at the appeals to the decision on McAnneffs’ report, but sometime ago, Mr Anderson wrote to me that upon his taking out an office Copy at my desire of that Report, our opponents began to bestir themselves, & the result was then to be expected. We mean to exert ourselves to bring the hearing before the P. C. to a speedy decision, in order to proceed with the taking of the Accounts, in spite of your fears, taking the £11,000 as the basis of the Account with the Interest from G.G.B.’s death to the closing of the Suit, will make a Sum, I anticipate, far exceeding the Rents & Profits of the Negroes with interest from G.G.B.’s death up to the time, when I began to pay hire for the Negroes, from which time of course nothing is due. To be sure Reynolds did great mischief in consenting to pay so large a sum for the Negroes, which I fear will be argued to be the value to be put on them, up to the time I was deprived of them, according to my own estimates– There is nothing in the opinion of this or that Judge being favorable, the fact is all appear anxious to rectify as far as they are able, the former iniquitous Judgement, the case is now well understood, & I believe justice will now be done– Witness their expected opinion, that but for the first decision they should have considered the original Suit to obtain the Negroes as a relinquishment on the part of our opponents of the condition whereby they were released from payment of the money advanced by E.B. for G.G.B.’s Estate– With respect to the compensation you claim for the 92 Negroes, you may perhaps recollect that in one of my letters I said that I would not enter upon the subject, as I concluded Forster would write to you the particulars, this I find he has not done, & therefore I will endeavor to make you understand why it is the money has not been paid. Your claim for Retreat Negroes came on first & being opposed on the ground they were in litigation, the Commissioners would not adjudicate, being doubtful whether the P.C. would hear an appeal, when no Judgement had been given, your Attornies availed themselves of the decision on the 92 Negroes, inserted on the same Paper as the other Cinnamon Negroes, for the purpose of raising the Qu[e]stion whether the Estates are at all in litigation, & if not the compensation money should be paid for the whole; and this is the sole reason why the Money for the 92 has not been paid– Upon the first Meeting of the P.C. I dare say it will come on, & then you will get your Money–
I have sent [illegible words] to you [illegible word]– I dont believe your bad power of digestion to come from the Lungs, for you suffered from it before your Lungs were fancied to be diseased, & this you should have been particular in informing your Doctor of. It is of more consequence that you should refrain from sweet things than animal food & the very circumstance of not taking some animal food will account for the prostration of strength you complain of. For nearly 1 1/2 yrs after my illness I suffered acutely from indigestion & went last Spring to |Mr| Vance who was Killed soon afterward by a [illegible word] for a [illegible word] The attacks I was laboring under arising I believe from the Stomach, he gave me a prescription, which thank God has removed my indigestion & renovated my system I send it on the other side [1] , but only take it under the advice of your Doctor– It requires great care in making it up [illegible word] which bring you a [illegible word] made of [illegible word] I have no doubt but they will do you good. I must postpone further communcation until next Packet |ever| my dearest love
most affecly
E M Barrett
Address, on integral page: S. M. Barrett Esqr / Cinnamon Hill / Little River / St James’s / Jamaica.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Prescription at top of first page.
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