Mr. Jobn Q. What was the reason that the order of Mr. Merry was countermanded? A. I don't know. Q. Who told you it was countermanded? Withdrew. Mr. John Withers, in the linen trade. He knows Mr. Merry, but has not known him many months. He was firft acquainted with him about fix weeks ago. Q. Has Mr. Merry applied to you for linen goods? A. Yes. Q. Did he fhew you any letters to induce you to give him credit? A. He said he had an order from Bofton for linen goods, and that he was recommended to me by a friend; and that if I chose to undertake it, I might have the order. I defired to have time to confider of it, as the goods were for Boston. He called on me several times, and I asked him how I was to be paid for the goods? He faid I fhould be paid to my fatisfaction; the order was for a confiderable fum, upwards of £3000. I did not choose to proceed without further enquiry. In the courfe of my enquiry, at feveral different times, he told me it was an order to him for the troops at Bofton, that the goods were to be paid for by the treasury, and that for himself he should charge only a commiffion on them. This information was full fatisfaction for me to truft Mr. Merry with the goods to the extent of the order; for I had no doubt but that Mr. Merry would pay me, and others, when he received the money from the treasury. Q. Who gave you to understand he was employed by the treasury? A. Mr. Merry told me fo? Q. Was there no paper fhewn to you? A. He fhewed ne a letter of Sir Grey Cooper's, which was an additional proof of what he had faid. From thence, and from what I faid before, I believe he really had the order. Some of the goods were shipped, and then the order was countermanded, and thofe goods that were fhipped relanded, and fent back; but that was after I had refufed to let the goods go (understanding the adventure was on Mr. Merry's own account). Q. Did you receive any compensation for the trouble, &c. of fhipping and refhipping the goods? A. No; that question I asked Mr. Merry, for they were put up in parcels fit for the American trade, and for no other. He said he would make all reasonable satisfaction, and I took the goods back on that affurance. Q. Did the letter, produced by Mr. Merry, contain any thing to induce you to give him credit? A. Yes; it ftrengthened the affurance given, that the treafury were to pay for the goods: I understood it in that light. Q. Do you recollect the words of the letter? A. I do not. I read the letter curforily, but understood from it that thofe goods were to be paid for in the fame manner as the live cattle and the provifions. Q. Who informed you that they were an adventure of Mr. Merry's own? A. He himself; and then he gave me a day or two to confider whether I would let them go on this account. Q. When was that? A. A day or two after part of the goods were shipped. Mr. Sampfon Bowes, haberdasher. Mr.Sampfor He knows Mr. Merry; has known him fome years, but Bowes. not intimately till lately. Q. Did he apply to you for goods for North America? Q. To what amount ? A. I believe, if the order had been executed, it would have amounted to four or five thousand pounds: it confifted of fundry articles of haberdashery goods, filk, threads, tapes, buckram, fewing-filk, caps, and cardinals. I can hardly enumerate the articles; in general goods for women's wear and ornament, and alfo for men. Q. Did he fhew you a letter to induce you to give him credit? A. Yes. Q. Was it on account of this letter that you gave him credit? A. Yes; it was figned by Sir Grey Cooper. There were no goods shipped; they were ready packed. The order was countermanded the day before they were to be shipped. They were entered. I received an order not to go on till further orders, and they were then countermanded: Mr. Merry countermanded them. VOL. IV. I Q. On Mr. Giles Q. On whose account did Mr. Merry say he bought these goods? A. He faid on his own account; the invoice would have been made out in the name of Anthony Merry. Q. Did he tell you he bought them on commiffion? A. I understood he was to derive a commiffion in the goods from the perfons for whom he shipped them, but what I could not tell; and that he had a proper authority for fo doing. I thought I fhould receive my money as foon as he received it from Sir Grey Cooper. Q. Did he fay he had licences from the admiralty? A. He faid he had licences, but from whence I can't say; Q. Was it the ufual affortment for the American market? Q. Would you have given credit to Mr. Merry to that amount, if you had not understood it would have been paid for by the treafury? A. Certainly not. Withdrew. Mr. Giles Hudfon, warehouseman. Deals in woollen cloths; he knows Mr. Merry; has known him about ten or fifteen years. Q. What bufinefs was he of? A. A wine-merchant. Q. Was he an American merchant ? A. Not that I know of. Q. Did Mr. Merry apply to you for woollen drapery goods? A. Yes, to the amount of £2000, or nearly. Q. Did you believe he could pay you for thofe goods on his own account? A. I have let him have goods to the amount of two or three hundred pounds, and he always paid me very honeftly. Q. Would you have given credit to Mr. Merry for this order on his own account? A. No. Q. What inducement had you to give him credit for this order? A. The strength of his affurance, that the treasury was to pay for them. Q. Did you fee a letter from the treafury to Mr. Merry? 3 and and I read it; what the purport of it was I don't remember. I relied on it for the fafety of the money. Withdrew. Mr. Ingraham Fofter, ironmonger. He knows Mr. Merry. Q. What business is he? A. A wine-merchant, and a foreign merchant. Q. Do you know him to be an American merchant? A. No. I know he has traded to Newfoundland. Q. Has he applied to you for goods? A. Yes. Q. For what forts? A. The affortment was left to me, but he said they were intended for America. Q. It was then for a general affortment of goods, as ufual, for America? A. Yes. Q. To what amount was it? A. It was unlimited. Q. Did you understand it was for Mr. Merry's own account, or that he was employed by others? A. I understood it was not on his own account. Q. Who did you understand was to pay for the goods? Q. Did you fee any letter to induce you to think fo? Q. Did it purport that the goods were to be paid for by the treasury? A. Yes, Q. Did you read the letter? A. Yes, and understood fo from the letter. Mr. Thomas Wooldridge, a merchant in London. Mr. Ingrabam Fofter. Mr. Thomas Q. Has he feen any copy of an entry at the custom-house Wooldridge. of goods in the name of J. Chriftie, jun. Withdrew. Called in again. Q. Have you seen an entry, or authentic copies of an entry, at the custom-houfe, of goods entered outwards to America, in the name of J. Chriftie, jun. A. I faw the original papers left at the cuftom-house by perfons who made the entry, and I have an exact copy of thefe papers. Q. Pleafe to deliver in the copy? I 2 A. I March 15. A. I have only one of Mr. Chriftie's. Chriftie, jun. 10 cwt. haberdashery 1500 fhoes, and wrought lea ther James 20 pieces, quantity 500 yards, linen, value 6d. and not exceeding 18d. made of hemp or flax in Great Britain 90 pieces, quantity 2630 yards, check'd or ftript linen, of the breadth of 25 inches, or more, made of hemp or flax in Great-Britain 120 dozen felt hats 82 dozen men's worsted hofe and caps 1237 lbs. British made ftarch 200 fmall grofs of tobacco pipes, being 11c. 5lb. 3 hogfheads vinegar 150 pieces British linen 158 doz. and 7lb. tallow candles, quantity 1903lb. Certain apparel, Irish linen, worsted caps, thread, hose, stationary, turnery, tin-ware, British fnuff, tobacco, muftard, vinegar, pickles, ftarch, fig-blue, candles, tongues, corks, barley, and oatmeal, value £3000. By licence from the lords commiffioners of the ad- 43 miralty, dated 6th March, 1776. Sutton. It is a general affortment of goods for the American market, and fuch as the house which I am concerned in have often shipped, before the trade was ftopt. It is as complete an affortment as ever we fhipped. I have books to prove this a compleat affortment for the American market, and the value is about £15,000. Q. Do you know James Chriftie, jun? A. Yes. Q. Is he a merchant of long ftanding? A. He is lately returned from Maryland: his property there was confifcated the laft fummer, and he never was a merchant, or made an entry here, before. Q. Was his credit confiderable in London? |