Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 2

411
R. Wolters aan Willem Bentinck

[B.M., Eg. 1745]

Rotterdam, 21 augustus 1748

As I have been informed that one mister Feytema¹⁾, a lawyer from Amsterdam, has been with the Prince and with you and I

1) De advocaat-poëet mr. Johan Feitama, behorend tot de radicale groep van Van Gimnig.

[p. 136]

think myself obliged to acquaint you that I have not the best account of this gentleman's caracter, the person whom I had this information from even told me that Feytema was very well with some of the magistrates of Amsterdam. Be this true or not, having no reason to suspect the principles or views of the informer, I thought it my duty to communicate this to you from the motive of putting you upon your guard against the private machinations of the tyrants of Amsterdam²⁾. If I err, you will forgive me, as my views are honest.

Mister De Groot asked me and desired to ask you, whom he is to apply to for the payment of the money that he has given Van der Meer etc. by H.H. orders³⁾. Van der Meer has, I can assure you, done more good at Amsterdam than anybody that I know, and in my opinion c'est le meilleur outil que je connoisse.

If you do not go away soon or that you will appoint, where and when I might meet you upon the road, I should be glad to see you before you go to Aix and to take your advice upon some things that are going forward here. I see that some malicious people have a mind to disturbe the rest of this city. Twenty articles have been drawn up as having been proposed by the town krygsraad. Our friends⁴⁾ have a declaration of the whole krygsraad that they have no hand in it: but I find, that by a mistaken zeal some people are hard att work to start new proposals which will perpetuate the disturbances and in my humble opinion when once the affair of posts and places is fixed, it will be necessary not to countenance any further demands, which if encouraged will raise new ones and retard the inward rest of this country. I will, as much as I can, trace the twenty new articles⁵⁾ of this city, as I much suspect that

2) Dit was onjuist, want Feitama was gebeten op de Amsterdamse regenten. Weldra echter meende de Oranjepartij, dat hij slechts zijn eigen belang najoeg en pensionaris wilde worden. Bovendien was hij te radikaal; daarom was hij persona non grata en de Prins beduidde hem in september dat hij geen ambt zou krijgen. Zie Van Hardenbroek I, p. 14 en De Voogd, p. 144, 151, 186 vlg.

3) Bentinck II, nr. 366, 369.

4) De burgemeesters De Groot en Groeninx van Zoelen.

5) Deze twintig artikelen waren kort tevoren anoniem in druk verschenen: ‘Copia van artikelen ontworpen door borgeren der stad Rotterdam’. De ondertekening luidde: ‘Capiteynen en Luytenants en een groot aanzienlijk getal van burgeren’. De krijgsraad verklaarde nadrukkelijk dat geen enkele officier aan dit rekest had deelgenomen, Resolutie van de vroedschap, 20 augustus 1748, Gem. Archief, Rotterdam.

[p. 137]

they have been handed about by the old regents and if I can come att the truth I will immediately communicate it to you.

Have you been so good to mention my sollicitations to lord Sandwich and has his lordship expressed his thinking them reasonable⁶⁾.

6) Zie Bentinck II, nr. 386.