(a) A declaration of trust by William A. Richardson, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, dated at London, December 28, 1871.
(b) Letter of William A. Richardson, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, to John P. Bigelow, Chief of the Loan Division of the Treasury, dated also at London, December 28, 1871.
(c) Letter of George Forbes, Chief Cashier of the Bank of England, to Judge Richardson, dated January 4, 1872.
(d) Letter of Judge Richardson to George Lyall, Governor of the Bank of England, dated January 15, 1872.
(e) Reply to the same by George Forbes, Chief Cashier, dated January 17, 1872.
(f) William A. Richardson's report of January 25, 1872.
(a) DECLARATION BY WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON
Whereas, I have this day deposited in my name, as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, U. S. A., in the Bank of England, two million five hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling, and shall probably hereafter make further deposits on the same account:
Now I hereby declare that said amount and deposits, present and future, are official and belong to the Government of the United States, and not to me personally that the moneys so deposited are the proceeds of the sale of five per cent bonds of the "Funded Loan"; that whatever money I may at any time have in said Bank under said account, will be the property of the United States Government, held by me officially as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, acting under orders from the Secretary; that the same is, and will continue to be subject to the draft, order, and control of the Secretary of the Treasury, independently of, and superior to my authority, whenever he so elects, and that upon his assuming control thereof, my power over the same will wholly cease. In case of my decease before said account is closed, the money on deposit will not belong to my estate, but to the Government of the United States.
Witness my hand and seal,
(Signed) WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, U. S. A.
LONDON, ENGLAND, December 28, 1871.