[Scottish; General Board of Directors of Prisons] Autograph Letter Signed [signature illegible - see Scan] to Fox Maule, M.P. Home Officeabout an advance payment of £10,000 for building local Prisons etc.

Two pages, folio, main text clear, poor condition, top edge and bottom corners fragile (requiring attention), closed tear at middle requires attention, minor loss of text. Text: I am directed by the General Board of Directors of Prisons to call your attention to the 53rd Section of the Scotch Prisons Act of 3 & 3 Vict. C42, and to request that you will have the goodness to ascertain and inform me, whether, and if so, on what terms, and in what mode, the Commissioners for the isseu of Exchequer Bills in aid of public works, will make an advance of £10,000 to the General Board for the purpose of building local Prisons, on security of the [assessment?] for the year 1840 imposed under Section 36 of the Act for that purpose, and of the like [sum?] of £10,000 to the Courts Boards, in such proportions as may [hereafter - word partly detached] determined, for the [p]urpose of defraying the current Expenses of local Prisons, on Security of the assessments to be imposed on the several Counties under Section 38 ? - | In case such Loans should be entered into it is probable that half the amount of each would be required in the middle of June next, and the other half towards the end of the year. | Your early attention to this matter will be very obliging, as the General Board desut=re to give information on the Subject to the County Boards in 10 or 12 days from this date [...] Scan on both pages (scanner loses an inch) with small currently detached scrap available.