To Brother Giuseppe Rossi, in charge of supplies

E VII, 3813

Suggestions regarding the suspension of a noble title of the Order of Saint Maurice requested by Don Bosco on behalf of the benefactor who had forgiven his debt.

Nice, 17 February 1883

My dear Rossi Giuseppe,

So that our business does not fall into the hands of others, I write myself, and thus our confidences remain secret.

Tell Mr Manati that I have completed the paperwork, everything has been settled. He had issued a receipt stating that the money had been definitively forgiven. The Ministry, or rather the Council of the Mauritian Order, wanted information about the past, and despite the assurances of Commendatore Eccellenza Correnti, the response was not negative, but that for now it would be best to suspend or postpone the paperwork so as not to touch on inappropriate matters.

At present, if Mr Manati were to demand payment for forgiven bills, for which receipts exist in the aforementioned office, he would not look good, and I would have to tell it like it is.

Moreover, when I am in Turin, I will speak with this gentleman myself, and I am convinced that he will not want all the steps taken, words spoken and paper used on his behalf in Rome and Turin to have been in vain.

However, if he were to demand repayment of the forgiven debt, rather than get into issues of this kind, I am prepared to give him every last penny; but I will do this as soon as I return, which cannot be too far off.

Take care of your health, and pray for me who am always in J.C.

Your most affectionate friend

Fr John Bosco