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certificates, to men who are unacquainted with them;
but here, we presume, Mr. Christie does not build much on their
effect. He dwells much upon the intoxication of Mr. Fraser being
only supposed by us for his having dared to bid against us for the
ship Trio; the disgraceful scene of inebriety which was acted at
the Neptune Inn on the third of December last, is too fresh in the
memories of a respectable body of the citizens of Quebec for Mr.
Christie to expect to be heard on this side of the Atlantic. He
makes light of our powers to act for the underwriters, and talks of
those from whom they are held as a few individuals who either may
or may not be underwriters; let him say, how many of the
respectable names appearing to these powers are amongst the few
from whom he holds his corresponding appointment; find one as
easily supported as the other. For furnishing inconsiderate and
capricious statements, he may, perhaps, have a salary; in this he
has the advantage: but, without a guarantee from the committee to
bear us harmless, supposing us to act wrong, (if wrong one could be
supposed to act,) following the advice of this second marshall, we
should prefer taking the advice of elder counsel, as to the
legality of the abandonment of the Trio, and not consulting a man
who was, and can be proven to have been in a state of intoxication
while on board. We are satisfied, and shall have no objection to
answer for our conduct when called upon. Mr. Christie, in talking
of the skeleton of £1400, as the offering made the underwriters for
the ship Trio and cargo, shows either wilful ignorance, or what is
worse, a desire to mislead. Speaking of it anatomically, the body
was £5766 12 5, and we did not suffer it to be made a skeleton of.
One question seems to be, was Peter Fraser's case for or against
the underwriters? The decision of the arbiters, though unhappily
for them it is disapproved of by Mr. Christie, says, it was against
them; and leaves him to reconcile his conduct to himself (which he
seems easily to do,) namely, that of taking a salary from the one
as agent, and a fee from the other as counsel. Void of fact, and
unsupported by documents, we leave Mr. Christie's discussion, and
withdraw from any further reply; convinced of the tyranny of a Nero
in compelling a Roman gentleman to combat a gladiator. |
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