Letters – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 5 Dec 1797

Mrs Beaumont                                                                        Newcastle    5th Decr 1797

Bretton    Wakefield  Yorkshire



Dear Madam	I had the honor of your Lre of the 26th Ulto which I should have sooner replied to, could I have brought Mr Newton to a point as to the mode of settling the business between you & himself, for untill that was done, it would be to little purpose having Mr Ebdon & Mr Stephenson to meet at the Abbey with different instructions.  on which account I had a meeting with Mr Stephenson, when I acquainted him that you & Coll Beaumont disapproved much of what had been done at the Abbey, & that you were determined on coming to a final settlement with Mr Newton, & have nothing more to do with him;  I told him the Mode in which it was proposed to settle this business, which I desired he would communicate to Mr Newton, or his family, & to acquaint me with their answer as soon as possible that I may be enabled to appoint a day with Mr Ebdon for the meeting;  I have not yet been able to procure an answer, & should I not get such a one that is satisfactory? I shall (with your approbation) on Monday next discharge Mr Newton, & likewise the Men employed by him at the Abbey; you will be pleased to favour me with your answer.  I shall go to Hexham on Monday morning to meet the Lead Stewards with Subsistance for the Workmen & to make some Wood payment for the Mines.  The business of Parliament has I imagine detained Col Beaumont longer in Town than he expected                 I am etc  J.E.B



The proposed Tax on Lead will I hope be abandoned.  I by no means agree with Lord Hawks that it is not the interest of the Lead Proprietors (for the reasons that he gave) that the price shou’d exceed £17 per For that price has been exceeded four & £5 per For.  We found no bad consequence arising from it, very much otherwise & I could wish to have another experiment of the kind.