How Kossuth Notes were Made in England.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 143, 16 June 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

How Kossuth Notes were Made in England.

An Interesting Story.

In a letter to the ' Times,' Mr William Day of the Berners-sbreeb lithographing firm of Day and Son, says i—'The «onbracb for the production of twenty million of Kossuth notes was taken by my firm, of which I was the acting head, The conbracb was nob direcb with Kossnbb, bub with merchants in the city and a firm at Southampton, and I know our large premises were ablaze night and day for a considerable time while 100 band lithographic presses were manufacbing the notes. A Summons to Scotland Yard. 'One day when aboub midway through the order Sir Richard Mayne sent me a polibo invitation to call upon him in Scotland yard, and on my going there he told me that the Austrian Ambassador had complained to bhe EnglUh Government that I was assisting Koasuth by manufacturing the notes to raise an insurrection against the Austrian Government—in facb, charged myself and Kosauth with levying war against a country with which England was at peace. Sir Riohard Mayne then told me thab the Ministers of the day desired to know all about the order and who were my customers, etc. In the result I refused to give any information, and told him tbab I was executing a perfectly legitimate matter of business and could nob consent to be interfered with even by the Government. The Notes Burut and Paid foe by the Ita&un Government. • I proceeded with the completion of the order, during which operation the Emperor of Austria commenced a suit in Chancery, " The Emperor of Austria v. Kossuth and Day," Hugh Cairns appearing for the Emperor. This sujb lasted some considerable time, reeultine in a decision in the Emperor's favour, and I was ordered to deliver up the immense mass of notes to the Bank of England-to be there burnt up; and on on one Good Friday waggon-load after waggon-load conveyed the stock to bhe Bank. From the time our own Government interfered in the matter' the Liberal leaders in the House of Commons frequently protested against the inberference of the Government with private business such as 1 was executing, There were throe varieties of these notes, which I shall be happy bo show to anyone curious in such matters. I was no loser by the termination of the order, and I understood thab the Italian Government was in reality my paymaster.'