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To Sir Walter Blackett Bart. M.P. Newcastle 9 Decr 1763 in Half Moon Street Piccadilly London Hon[our]d Sir/ The present high price of coals in London is not owing to any continuance of the coal owners here. Their prices are the same now as in the summer; & the quantity wrought by them & imported into London this year has been as great as usual & wo[ul]d have been greater if the wet summer had not so often made the roads impassible & the flood in Octo[be]r last had not carried away Pontop bridge; by these accidents the leading from distant collieries has been prevented in a great measure & a very great quantity of coals are now at the ports. That coals now bear so great a price at London is owing partly to the great increase in the demand & partly to the practices of the coal Buyers in London. The former has made it impossible for ships to be dispatched as they arrive at Shields, but they have been obliged to wait 5 or 6 weeks, may even for 2 months, for a loading of the better sort of coals & this loss of time must in course inpinge the freight wch is now no less than 12s the London Chald[ro]n, tho[ugh] 6 or even 5s has done formerly in the summer season; between wch & the winter season there is usually a difference of 3s. p[er] Chald[ro]n in the freight & without that ship owners wo[ul]d lay up their ships in the winter months. The coal Buyers contribute to raise the price by enacting premiums, Gratuities, discounts etc: & as they act in concert they have it in their power to force the masters or Freighters to a compliance Inclos’d in an Acct of the charge of a Chald[ro]n of coals; in wch the charge at newc[astle] is distinguished fm the freight & river charge at London. I have spoke to my Brother about the Thousand pounds & he hopes to give me an ans[we]r soon. I hope you have got clear of your cold & am etc HR
