‘BANK NOTES MUST BE MADE A LEGAL TENDER’

Autograph letter signed (‘W Huskisson’) to an unnamed ‘Dear Sir’.

18 Hertford Street [London], 21 December, 1810.

8vo bifolium, pp. 3 + 1 blank; creases where folded, remains of black seal to last page, good.

£150

Approximately:
US $184€172

Make an enquiry

Added to your basket:
Autograph letter signed (‘W Huskisson’) to an unnamed ‘Dear Sir’.

Checkout now

Huskisson was a leading exponent of strict adherence to the Gold standard and an opponent of the perceived over-issue of bank notes in the early nineteenth century. This letter was written only a few months after Huskisson had published his important pamphlet, The question concerning the depreciation of our currency stated and examined, which appeared in October 1810 and soon went through seven editions.

The present letter is a reply to a correspondent holding ‘ingenious arguments in favor of our present currency’. Huskisson states that ‘whilst I am unable to concur in them, I could wish that all who write on the same side of the question would discuss it with the same temper and fairness as yourself. By so doing, they would, I think best promote the purposes of fair discussion and … the interests of the cause which they undertake to defend’. One point on which he does agree with his correspondent, however, is ‘that Bank notes must be made a legal tender, if our currency is to remain what it now is’.

You may also be interested in...

KEYNES, John Maynard.

A treatise on probability.

First edition, an early issue without the errata slip at p. 423, of this mathematical-philosophical work, in which Keynes sought to establish a mathematical basis for probability theory as Russell and Whitehead had done for symbolic logic. Russell wrote of this work “the mathematical calculus is astonishingly powerful, considering the very restricted premises which form its foundation... the book as a whole is one which it is impossible to praise too highly” (quoted in DSB). The Treatise grew out of Keynes’ fellowship dissertation and represents a contribution of the first importance in its field, tackling the problems of induction and the analysis of statistical inference. A further admirable feature of the work is the wealth of historical information supplied; the bibliography listing 600 works updates the earlier treatments of Todhunter and Laurent.

Read more

[LONDON ASSURANCE CORPORATION.]

By-laws, orders, and rules, for the good government of the corporation of the London assurance. And, for the better carrying on their business of assurances of ships and merchandizes at sea, and going to sea, and lending money upon bottomree. And also, for assurance of houses and goods from casualties by fire; and assuring lives.

First edition of the by-laws of the London Assurance Corporation, which, along with The Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation, was constituted and granted sole rights, excepting private individuals, to the granting of assurance and bottomry by ‘The Bubble Act’ of 1720. The right to self-govern, reflected in the pamphlet offered here, was also granted in ‘The Bubble Act’ of 1720 which specified that after three years of control by Crown-appointed governors and directors, the members of the corporation would be free to set their own by-laws and elect their own leadership. The by-laws cover use of the company seals, company cash, the price of share transfers, registering probates of wills, making receipts and payments, company elections, absentee directors, directors taking ‘presents, fees, or rewards’, officers or servants taking ‘unwarrantable fees’, procedure for questions asked in general courts, procedure for addressing questions, the penalty for breaking the by-laws, and the yearly salary of governors and directors.

Read more