JB/541/590/001

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94 - 9 - 25

Hendon 25 Sept. 1794 Not sent

Sir
J. B. to Rt Hon. H. Dundas
Whatever may have been the motives for
the delay that has intervened in the Penitentiary
business, I know of who but one that there is one that has been
expressly avowed to me: viz: the apprehended expence of the
purchase money for the ground at Battersea, say
3 or 4 times as much according to Mr Long as the originally assessed price
of 6600: say for arguments sake £20,000, of
rather which the extra-price which is the ground of the delay
is £ 13, 4500.

Two thousand and upwards used to be the average
number of Convicts kept on board the Hulks,
say for argument's sake 2,000. If there be an error in this,
it is no wilful one on my part, and lies in your power to correct it.

These under Mr Campbel was cost per annum	24 42 ,000
These under me would cost - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	17 24 ,000
Difference - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	18 ,000

£18, 000 a year is then what you have been paying
for deliberating about £13,500. Your deliberation
has already lasted in effect 2 years: for two seasons have been lost to
me. £36,000 then of the public money is what you has
have been paying been paid already for the satisfaction of deliberating
whether engagements shall be fulfilled. On whose
account ? With regard to £ the first £18,000 The is
out of dispute answer is a clear one - on Lord Spencer's. His My
Lordship it: my avows it: mycorrespondence with hism Lordship shews it. With regard
to the second £18,000, the answer is not equally clear:
I can not pretend take upon me to give it. I can not speak thus volunteer such
lightly a charge. It might be unfounded: it might be unsafe: for
indeed to my partial eyes it would be scandalous if untrue.
But I</p>
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Identifier: | JB/541/590/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 541.
Date_1	1794-09-25	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	541	Main Headings
Folio number	590	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	Correspondence	Number of Pages
Recto/Verso		Page Numbering
Penner	Jeremy Bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number
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