275.: ricardo to mill2[Answered by 278] - David Ricardo, The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818 [1816]
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The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, ed. Piero Sraffa with the Collaboration of M.H. Dobb (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2005). Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818.
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First published by Cambridge University Press in 1951. Copyright 1951, 1952, 1955, 1973 by the Royal Economic Society. This edition of The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo is published by Liberty Fund, Inc., under license from the Royal Economic Society.
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275.
ricardo to mill
[Answered by 278]
Gatcomb Park 15 Octr. 1818
My dear Sir
Since receiving your letter I have been at Bath with Mrs. Ricardo to see Mrs. Clutterbuck who was very unexpectedly delivered, long before the completion of her time, of a dead child. We found her pretty well—she had a good night while we stayed with her, and we left her with every prospect of being soon reinstated in health and strength.
You tell me that in sending me Mr. Place’s application on behalf of Mr. Evans you send me no advice—that you do not know the young man, and that I must judge for myself. I must deal with it then as wholly Mr. Place’s application, in which you are quite neuter, doing only as you are asked to do. So regarding it, I must frankly confess that I am not disposed to give even the lowest sum of £5– to the case in question. Mr. Evans’ name is connected with political transactions, of his merits in which I am wholly ignorant. I wish to avoid connecting myself with any party, or to be mentioned as the supporter of any man whose political conduct may have been violent and intemperate. I do not say that Evans’ has been such, and I have no particular inducement to examine into it. Had you felt any particular interest for the young man I should at any rate have given the money, although I might have asked you not to let my name appear, but as it is I have no particular motive to prefer this application to others. You will be kind enough to make my refusal appear as little ungracious to Mr. Place as possible, as I entertain great respect for him.
The additional postage which a note will occasion if inclosed in this letter will not compensate you for the loss of interest on £2, and therefore I request you to pay that sum for me, in discharge of my engagement. I will repay you the first time we meet.—
I wish you a pleasant journey to Worthing.
Truly Yrs.
David Ricardo
Mr. Basevi is still here—his presence, and many domestic concerns, which have particularly engaged my attention, have hitherto prevented me from making much progress in my writing. Next week I hope to be more diligent.
My solicitors have not yet received the abstract of the title of Lord P.’s estate, but they have heard from his solicitor, who has promised very soon to send it to them.—