{London,] 4 August* 1869 

Dear Fred, 

£100 received with best thanks. I SHALL NOW WATCH THE PROCEEDINGS SO 
CLOSELY THAT SIMILAR MISTAKES, @€tc. 

I am by no means in top form. The arm business is in the last 
stage of healing. I attribute my further indisposition to the 
weather, and I gulp Gumpert’s liver medicine against it. 

Yesterday there was a tragicomical meeting of the General 
Council. Dunning letters for cards, rent, arrears of secretary’s 
salary, etc. In short, international BANKRUPTCY, SO We can’t yet see 
how we can send a delegate.” On the other hand, a letter from 
Geneva, Frencu sipz, in which the General Council was _ politely 
requested to issue a circular in the 3 languages advising all the 
members to collect money (and this immediately) for the purchase 
of a building in Geneva (for Mertincs), which would cost only 
£5,000 and should become the property of the ‘International’. Is 
this not a modest presumption on the part of these fellows, who 
have not yet paid their 1d. per man! 

Becker, the chief of the German tongue,° sends 280d for his 
‘myriads’. 

The gist of the story is this: the local committees (including 
central committees) spend too much money and tax their people 
too highly for their national or local needs, and leave nothing over 
for the General Council. Money is always there to print idiotic 
addresses to the Spaniards‘! etc., and for other Fotis. We shall 
be forced to declare to the next congress, either in written or 

a 3 August in the original - > to the Basle Congress - © See this volume, p. 335. 

spoken form, that we cannot continue to run the General Council 
in this way; but that they should be so kind, before they give us 
successors, to pay our debts, which would reach a much higher 
figure if most of our secretaries did not personally cover 
correspondence costs. 

If only I could somewhere see people who would not involve us 
in stupidities, I would greet with the greatest pleasure the exit of 
the Central Council” from here. The business is becoming 

ennuyant.* 
Salut. 
5 El 
Moro 
Beesly married on 24 July.