The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-25

New YoRK, April IL, ls4a.
To THE EDITOR OF THE Nlw YoaK HsRALs:
SIR
AS your paper has become an important channel
for commercial information, perhaps a copy Of an
original letter Of instructions from the late Stephen
Girard to one of his supsrcarI oes, may prove inte-
resting TO many Of your readers.
This letter was written several years ago, in those
good old fashioned times, when the name OF an
American merchant was honorably accredited
throughout the Commercial world.
As a "reminiscences of that great banker and mer-
chant, it will be found worthy Of record, exemplify-
ing as it does, those peculiar traits of character, by
which he eventually accumulated a vast estate.
When we reflect upon the economy, prudence and
discretion, which guided his operations, (and which
are in fact, the basis of all successful enIerprise,) il
places in bold relief the ruthless waste and extrava-
gance of the age, through which, his prinsely be-
quest for the education of youth, in The city of Phi
l~adelphia, has been totally dissipated.
Yours, &c. HENRY JeHN SHARPE.
Copy of the late STEPHEN Grard's Letter to Mr.
Commander and Superca'so Of the ship -, bound
to BdtGvia.
- inst. Having recently heard Of the decease of
Mr.. - Merchant, at Batavia, also, ofthe probable
dissolution oil his mouse, under the nrm oil MeGsrs. -.
haye judged it prudent to request NY Livsrpoolcsrre-
s%pOndeI p 10 eoA'isn the ms ship .. cargo e and specie on On
10 make,s separate invoice and bill of lading for the spe.
Gle, which they will ship on my account, on board ofthe
ship -, and similar documents for the merchandise,
which theyi will ship in the same manner; therefore |
request that you will sign in CONFORMITY.
with Mi. -, but lam on very friendly terms with
some particular friends ofths latter gentleman, and con.
serve, however, that he isialone in a county, where a
| partner appears to me indispensable to a commercial
House, a. well fG ,sa safety 81 , AS own capital Is for
to them property, and reside in distant parts Of the
globe.
Of my ship " at Batavia, from June last, epoch Of
her arrival at that that port, until the 18th September,
| culs Of coffee, are the motives which have compelled me
to request Of my Liverpool friends, to consign the specie
and goods, which they will ship ON ny account, on
board CT the ship ~ under your command, to said
| MI. --,su subject to your control.
Therefore, relying upon your activity, perseverance,
correctness, zeal and attention for my interest, proceed
in pointing out to you, the plan of conduct which l wish
| you to pursue, on yeur arrival at Batavia, and during
your stay at that or any port of that Island, until your
departure for Cowes, on the Isle of White, to await my
First~On your arrival at Batavia, you are to 20 on
| shore and ascertain Mr.. IS residence, and if you have
| reason to believe that he IL still considered at that place,
as a man Of good credit, and merits full! confidence, you
are to deliver 10 him my Liverpool consignees' letterst to
| his address and also the goods which you have ON board,
in such proportion as he may request, except the specie,
which, is to continue on board, as mentioned in the next
article.
second-The specie funds of the ship -, which
will consist Of old Carolus dollars, you are to retain on
board untouched, and in the said boxes or packages, as
they were in, when shipped from Liverpool, we'll secured
and locked up in your powder magazine, in the after run
Of the said ship, under the cabin floor.
The bulkhead and floor of said nsgazine, scuttle, iren
bar, staples, sc. must be made sufficiently strong, if not
already so, while you are at Liverpool, ,where you are
to procure o strong paddock and key, for the purpose of
securing said specie in the most csmple and safest man.
ner-and when you have the certainty that il is wanted
IN for the Coffee DurCh0ged on account of the shin
-, then you are to receive the said coffee, and ray
or deliver to your oons, I &c spanish dollars a. to the
to the premium or advance allowed at Batavia on cid
Spanish dollars ; and In that way you are to continue
which is not to exceed the quantity which can be conve.
niently slowed on board said ship -, observing to
proceeds Of the goods, which will have been shipped at |
Liverpool, must be invested in coffee, a. far as the sales
will sses sIni i s saSp ,a.P lEss ON ON y SSars ar ri ,.id !. :al Batavia, you
should nnd that death, absence, &c, should deprive you
81 Ssi sns ; %snsisne % Mr;@diS Be E 1 prudent SHls sS c % sS%' 1 ss0i in.
terests elsewhere, in either case, you are to apply to
your instructions relative to the disposal Of the Liver:
pool cargo, on board Of the ship - the loading Of
ference to the irss quality, whenever it can be purchased
on reasonable terms for cash or received in payment for
the sales ofthe said Liverpool cargo, or for a part thereof,
observing that I wished said coffee to be purchased at
Samarang, or aly other out port, if practic able,- and in
all cases, Il must be attentively exaained when deliver.
ed, and put up in double gunny bags.
If theipurchase ofsaid cargois made at an out port, the
ship must proceed there to take it in.
On the subject of purchaslng coffee at Government
sales. i have no doubt that tits an easy way to obtain a
cargo, but am Of opinion, that it is a very dear one, par.
ticulsrly as the fair purchaser who has no other object
in view but to invest his money, does not stay on the
footing of competitors, who make their payments with
Netherland Bills of Exchange, or wish to raise the prices
Under these impressions, desire that all the purcha.
ses of coffee on my account, be made from individuals a.
far as practicable-an1 il the whole quantity necessary
to load the ship, cannot be obtained at private sale, re-
course must then be had to Government sales.
In many instances ! have experienced, shss wnensver
Government sales, have risen from s to 10 per cent, and
sometimes higher.
On the subject of coffee, I would remark, that owing
to the increase ofthe culture Of that bean, together with
| the immense imports oftea into the several ports OF Eu-
rope, which has lowered the price Of that leaft to such q
degree, az to induce the people Of those countries, prin.
cipally Of the north, to use the latter article in prefer
That circumstance has, for these past three years,
created q gradual deduction from the consumption Of
coffee, which has augmented the stock on hand through
ont eyery commercial city Of the northern part Of the
| GLOBE, 90 o. to present a future unfavorable prospect to
the importers Of that article. Indeed, | am convinced
| that within q few months from this date, coffee will be
10 DER cent cheaper in the United states than what it
has been at Batavia for these two years past-neverthe
" as circumstances will permit, and calculating also
that the price at Java and other places Of its growth, will
fall considerably, l have no objection to adventure.
Therefore you must use every means in your power
to facilitate the success of the voyage.
should the invoice cost of the entire cargo of coffee
shipped at Java, on board Of the ship together with
the disbursements Of that ship (Which must be conduct
ed with the greatest economy not amount to the specie
funds and nett proceeds Of her Liverpool. cargo, in that
event YOU are to deliver the surplus to ysur c~onsignee,
who will give you a receipt for the same, with a dupli-
cate, expressing that it is on my account, for the purpose
of being invested on the most advantageous terms, in
good dry coffee, to be kept at my order and disposal.
Then you will retain the original in your possession,
the United states, or via Europe, to care of my CORES.
pondents at Liverpool, London, Antwerp. or Amsterdam
the names of whom you are familiar with.
If you should judge it imprudent, however, to leave
that money at Batavia, you are to bring 1t back in
Spanish dollars, which you will retain on board for that
purpose.
Although I wish you to make a short voyage, end
with as quick dispatch at Java as practicable, yet de-
sire you not to leave that Island, unless your consigRee
that you may be the bearer of all the documents and
accoant current, relative to the FINAL transactions OF the
triplicate Of said documents to be forwarded to me by
your consignees, by the two first safe convey ances for