r 1790 and exhibited a balance
due to the Office up to that date of [L]1809.19.4 Sterling but the Account
was inadmissible in point of form for reasons hereafter mentioned.

We are satisfied Sir that you will form no Opinion without having read
the full state of the question on both sides and the proofs and
documents by which Our Conduct towards Mr. Finlay may be judged and that
you will form no hasty conclusion from his statement of his own case,
which you will find to be greatly misrepresented.

In support of this assertion We have ordered Copies of the letters that
We have lately written to Mr. Finlay upon the Subject of his Debt to be
laid before you, And We shall if you will permit us Order our Deputy
Accountant General and desire Mr. Callender to wait upon you and to
explain the particulars of all that have passed.

Mr. Callender is Mr. Finlay's Agent without whose knowledge and
concurrence, We have taken no one step of late in this business, nor
sent out any dispatch to Mr. Finlay that Mr. Callender has not
previously seen and approved.

He will be able to satisfy you Sir, whether our conduct towards Mr.
Finlay has been grounded upon severity or upon forbearance, more than
perhaps our duty strictly speaking, would justify.

In the mean time that we may do away any erroneous impression, which Mr.
Finlay's letters may have made upon your mind, as well as upon Gov^{r}:
Clarke's, We shall shortly put together the points which Our
correspondence will prove, and We shall rely upon your justice to
transmit copy of that correspondence to Gov^{r}: Clarke, that He may
have full and correct information upon the subject.

There is and has long been a considerable balance due from Mr. Finlay,
to this Revenue, for the payment of which he has given no security,
which balance We have repeatedly but in Vain called upon him to pay.

He is in possession from us not as He tells Governor Clarke, of a Salary
of [L]300 per Annum, but of a Pension of [L]150 p. Annum, a Salary of [L]150
more, and a Commission of [L]20 per Cent on the net produce of letters
within the province of Canada, which he assured us in May 1789 produced
to Him a nett receipt of [L]130 p. Annum, but previous to his receiving
any net produce, all charges, dead letters, under Deputies Salaries, and
other allowances are by the Words of his Commission, to be first
deducted.

Instead of this he has charged the Office [L]20 per Cent upon the Gross,
the dead lett