[Lord Bute, builder of Cardiff Docks: John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute.] Autograph Letter Signed to A[lexander]. Milne, regarding legal opinions he has received, and a ‘complete abstract of the title to all the family estates’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight damage to the blank reverse of the second leaf from mount. Folded three times, with a short closed tear at the edge of one crease. The recipient is named by Bute as ‘A. Milne Esq’ (the Aberdeen merchant Alexander Milne of Crimonmogate?). The letter is signed ‘Bute’. He writes that he had ‘two objects in calling upon you yesterday: one to shew you the actual opinions which Mr Richards had sent me from Mr Knight & Mr Campbell, & to mention what had passed between Mr Roy & me on the subject that morning’, with the last advising Bute to ‘send them in an authentic shape, instead of embodying them in a letter’. He is sending Milne ‘an official letter, with copies of the opinions subjoined’, asking him to return it at once, ‘if upon reading the opinions you think Mr Roy was wrong in his advice’. He also wishes to give Milne the ‘satisfactory intelligence’ that he has got possession of ‘an original case, with the opinion of Mr Cruse upon it, which was laid before him by desire of Lord Guilford in May 1816; this case contains a complete abstract of the title to all the family estates from the occasion of Lord North’s marriage to the date of the case’. He now hopes to be able ‘to put a stop to Mr Walford’s no less tedious than expensive labours; the case was prepared by Sir James Graham’s house; I have directed Mr Roy to come to you, after seeing Mr Christie’.