\ 
142 
and were directed to give farther 
orders to Hamburgh for the pur- 
chafe of gold; and were told that 
an application would immediately 
be made to the minifter to order a 
frigate or armed floop to go to Ham- 
burgh to take in fuch gold as might 
be bought, and alfo to defire that 
the reftriftion on the captains of 
the packets, not to take any gold 
en board at Hamburgh for this 
country, might be taken off. The 
Governor and Deputy Governor 
waited on Mr. Pitt on this fubject; 
who promifed to apply to the Ad- 
miralty for directions about fending 
out a frigate or armed floop; and 
that he would apply to the Poft- 
mafter General to give the orders 
to the captains of the packets. 
The Governor preffed Mr. Pitt 
again on the fubjeéct of the Treafu- 
ry bills, and told him that he feared 
the court would not agree te pay 
the Treafury bills which fall due 
next week. 
Mr. Pitt faid he would fend 
50,0001. to the Bank in part pro- 
vifion thereof, but that he did not 
think he could raife the money to 
the full amount of the bills due. 
(No. 36.) 
Interview with the Chancellor of the Ex- 
chequer, 24th of February, 1797. 
AT a Committee of the whole 
court held this day, it appeared that 
the lofs of cafh yefterday was above 
}, and that . about 
1. were already drawn 
out this day, which gave fuch an 
alarm for the fafety of the houfe, 
that the Deputy Governor and Mr, 
Bofanquet were defired to wait on 
Mr. Pitt to mention to him thefe 
circumftances, and to afk him how 
APPENDIX” FO 
far he thought the Bank might ven 
ture to goon paying cafh; and when 
he would think it neceflary to in- 
terfere before our cafh was fo re- 
duced as might be detrimental to 
the immediate fervice of the ftate. 
Mr. Pitt faid, this was a matter of 
great importance, and that he muft: 
be prepared with fome refolution 
to bring forward in the council 
for a proclamation to ftop the iffue 
of cafh from the Bank, and to give 
the fecurity of parliament to the. 
notes of the Bank. Inconfequence 
of which he fhould think it might 
be proper to appoint a Secret Com- 
mittee of the Houfe of Commons 
to look into the ftate of the Bank 
affairs ; which they affured him the 
Bank were well prepared for, and 
would produce to fuch a commit- 
tee. Mr. Pitt alfo obferved that 
he fhould have no objeétion to pro- 
pofe to parliament, in cafe of a 
proclamation, to. give parliament- 
ary fecurity for Bank notes. The 
Governor and Deputy Governor 
this day waited on Mr. Pitt, to men- 
tion to him, that it would in the 
prefent circumftances be highly re- 
quifite that fome general meeting 
of the bankers and chief merchants 
of London fhould be held, in order 
to bring on fome refolution for the 
fupport of the public credit in this 
alarming crifis: and they took the 
liberty to recommend to Mr. Pitt 
to have a private meeting of fome 
of the chief bankers at his houfe 
to-morrow, at three o’clock,” in 
which the plan for a more general 
meeting on Tuefday or Wednefday 
next might be laid; in the propri- 
ety of which Mr. Pitt agreed, and 
faid he would fummon a previous 
meeting for to-morrow according- 
ly. This was communicated by 
the Governor to the Committee. 
Anfuw 
