Hemp or Flax Question. (Williams’s Replies to Mr. Birnie’s Proposals.)

Sir,—Having received a writing reply from my proposials to you of the 24th I find they have no correspondence with the principal heads of mine on which my interest depends at a future period and having well considered their principals I cannot without injury to my present circumstances retract from them page 470 or otherwise give up what I am in possession of without any certain profits.

However it is my determination to enter into no agreement unless for a certain time (or otherwise) a certain principal of money applyed to that purpose, for this particular reason, in your proposials you have it at discretion on the return of the first vessel to decline the undertaking then others have the opportunity to corry on the concern on whom I have no claim on and with respect to receiving hemp for my use it must be at prime cost or others will have it in their power to manufactor cordage at a much cheaper rate than I shall unless a pattern or some priviledge be granted by Government or otherwise and if that is not given other speculative merchants have it in their power to surplant my manufactory by sending vessels to New Zealand to procure large supplys of hemp and work it up to a greater advantage and much cheaper than I can by receiving it at such price has shall be affixed by two indifferent merchants which brings it to very little short of market price and instead of receiving emoluments for discovering the important concern, I reduce myself from a comfortable business to seek an employ as a journey man.