The Silesian Loan and Frederick the Great (Classic Reprint)

DURING the war of the Polish Succession waged by France against Austria, October I733 to October 1735, the Emperor Charles VI, finding himself short of money for the payment of his troops, applied to George II for pennission to borrow £300,000 from British subjects. Licence to that effect was accordingly granted, August 6, Licence to borrow 1734, to Count Kinsky,l the Emperor's Ambassador to np to Great Britain. The sum eventually borrowed was £300,000. £250,000, at seven per cent interest, upon a mortgage of Condi· the Emperor's revenues in the Duchy of Silesia,2 secured ~:~o~!. further by the Emperor's bond together with the security of the Estates of Silesia for the repayment of the principal sum. A contract 3 was signed on January 7/18, 1734/5, between Count Kinsky on the one side, and Horatio Townsend, Sir Theodore Janssen, Sir John Heathcote, Samuel Holden, and Thomas Gibson on the other, for the loan of £250,000, interest at the rate of seven per cent, payabl

Table of Contents

CHAP; 1 ORIGIN OF THE SILESIAN DEBT •; II THE SILESIAN DEBT TAKEN OVER BY FREDERICK; THE GREAT; III PRUSS IAN COMPLAINTS OF DEPREDATIONS COMMITTED; PAGE; I; 4; BY ENGLISH PRIVATEERS 12; IV LEGGE'S MISSION TO BERLIN IN 1748, AND HIS UNFAVOURABLE; OPINION OF THE ENGLISH PRIVATEERS; SIR CHARLES HANBURY WILLIAMS'S; MISSION IN 1750 ~4; V KLINGGRAFF'S MISSION TO LONDON SUBSEQUENT; REPRESENT A TIONS MADE THROUGH MICHELL 34; VI THE PRUSS IAN SECRETARY PRESENTS A PROMEMO/; UA; VII EXPOSITION DES MOTIFS FONDES SUR LE DROIT DES; GENS UN IVERS ELLEMENT REyU, QUI ONT DETERMINE; LE ROI DE FRUSSE, SUR LES INSTANCES; 43; REITEREES DE SES SUJETS COMMER~ANTS, ETC 47; VIII NEWCASTLE'S REPLY TO MICHELL 73; IX REPORT OF THE LAW OFFICERS OF THE CROWN 77; X SOME COMMENTS 107; XI PRIZE LAW IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE EIGHTEENTH; CENTURY I I2; XII CAUSES OF ILL-FEELING BETWEEN GEORGE II AND; FREDERICK THE GREAT RESULT OF NEGOTIATIONS; WITH SPAIN, AUSTRIA, A