Thornhill, Christopher Camm

Cape Town 24 Feby 1824 /
At the request of your Excellency I beg /
leave to Submit my motives for wishing to open /
a Bank at Grahams Town. /
There has and still exists a great inconvenience /
to the Town at large and the Settlers in general. there /
being a great many bills at one and two months /
date Commis+sariat orders. Vendue Rolls, and a great /
quantity of Small bills of Exchange drawn by the /
Settlers on their friends in England which they /
cannot negociate or get discounted in Grahams /
Town, and are compelled to Send them to Cape /
Town, but having no Agent, their Bills are returned /
as not negociable, but should any get negociated /
through the hand of an Agent, it is always attended /
with a great expense &c los+s. viz+ double Postage to /
the Cape to enable the Bill, Agent Commis+sion * /
a Exchange, and double Postage back again to /
enclose the money. again when the Settler wants /
to purchase a Bill to remit to his friends in /
England, he has to forward his money to Some /
Agent at Cape Town for the purpose of procuring /
a bill on London, and very seldom indeed Small /
bills to the amount they want, can be procured /
These are inconveniences much felt by most /
of the inhabitants in and about Grahams Town /
and the whole of the Settlers. These inconveniences /
may be obviated by the establishment /
of a Bank, and much accomodation rendered /
to the inhabitants and the Settlers, by the Bank /
discounting their Paper _ /
I trust your will view /
the subject /
>
the subject in the light I have represented /
it, and be pleased to forward my views /
in granting my request /
I have the honor to remain /
with great respect /
Your Excellency’s most obed\t/ hum\ble/ Ser\t/ /
C. T. Thornhill /
To /
His Excellency /
Lord C. H. Somerset /
&c &c &c /