undertaking to bring, & 7000 with the partnership stock, appear to have calculated upon raising, the money amongst the Friends of their respective families, and apparently, Credible assertions are made by some of these relatives, that after having advanced money and taken Shares, upon expectation of getting large returns, the heavy extortions which they were told they would have to submit, induces them to sacrifice the monies so advanced, and speedily withdrawing altogether from the Concern. The heavy exaction of $1000 within the first Month after the Market's establishment, appears in fact to have completely paralysed the efforts of Share holders, who being obliged to get money at exorbitant interest, instead of getting it through the co-operation of friends, having sub-scribed Shares, consented (as is alleged by the effects of the Market) to break up this first partnership, on receiving back the monies which they had actually advanced, and being released from the liabilities which they had incurred in raising money on loan.
This Partnership it is believed has been broken up or set aside, principally at the instigations of the Chinese Firm which had entered into a Government Bond with the performance of the Covenants in his Lease. The Members of this Firm, namely Acke, alias Ittai; Chiang cumcheong and another, borrowed in the Autumn of 1845, the Sum of $5000 at the rate of 48% per annum, on mortgage of their own Property in this Colony. This money it appears was applied to pay Wei Ascon and Chun-tal, us of the Market; but as the Deed of Partnership was not cancelled, it is not clearly established that the partnership between them and Mr Aqui was ever actually broken up. On the 20th October 1845, however, upwards of four months after the first Charter Ship had been contracted and cleared, a brief Document was prepared and signed, whereby (without reference to any previous arrangement or existing partnership) Wei Aqui, Lo Keen Ken and the Major (Emprador) and others (before mentioned)
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