JB/121/066/001

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F.5. Mr Bentham to Mr Nepean: 26 Septr 1799.

Proposes Form for reference from Treasury to Secretary of State – Longs pretended pretended reference
proved to be no more than loose talk – Difficulty of getting any thing done – Nepean
to give the form as his own – In J.B.'s hands the expedient succeeded once – failed a second
time.

{The business of the Contract, relative
to the intended Penitentiary House, being now in hand; and
it being necessary, before the terms thereof can be compleatly
adjusted, that the number of Prisoners, to the reception of which,
the building is to be adapted in point of magnitude, be ascertained,
I write this [by the direction of the Lords Commissioners
of his Majesty's Treasury] for the purpose of begging to know of
your Grace his Grace what appears to be the number, for the reception of
which it may be proper to make provision, in manner above
mentioned: – regard being had to the probable difference between
War and Peace.}

If something to the above effect, should ever go in
writing from the Treasury to the Secretary of States Office, it
seems possible that, one day or other, an answer may be returned,(a)
and the business done.(b) If the application from the Treasury
of the Office be simply to know what the number of Convicts
is at present, in the first place, the data thus obtained will not
be sufficient, in the next place, be they ever so sufficient, no
conclusion will be drawn; and there the matter will rest.

If my letter, of which you have a copy(c) (except of a few
superfluous lines at the close) accompanied the application, so
much the better: or, if that were not approved, and a hint were
given me, I could write another in the same view.

Not long ago, finding some very trifling business, that
had been agreed on vivâ voce, remaining undone (as usual), for
want of a few lines, I sent the lines in terminis to be signed –
and signed they were: but, the like expedient being tried a second
time

Identifier: | JB/121/066/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 121.
Date_1	1799-09-26	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	121	Main Headings	Panopticon
Folio number	066	Info in main headings field	Establishment encreased
Image	001	Titles	MR Bentham to Mr Nepean
Category	Correspondence	Number of Pages	2
Recto/Verso	"Recto" is not in the list (recto, verso) of allowed values for the "Rectoverso" property.	Page Numbering	F38 / F39
Penner		Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections	Jeremy Bentham	Paper Produced in Year
Notes public	Copy of letter 1469, vol. 6	ID Number	001
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