In the mean time, difficulties of another kind arose. The engineer, who had constructed the Engine under Mr. Babbage’s directions, had delivered his bills in such a state, that it was impossible to judge how far the charges were just and reasonable; and although Mr. Babbage had paid several thousand pounds, there yet remained a considerable balance, which could not be liquidated until the accounts had been examined, and the charges approved by professional engineers. With a view of drawing attention to these charges, Mr. Babbage addressed the following letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer:— “_Dorset Street, 21 December, 1830._ “MY LORD, “I beg to call your Lordship’s attention to the enclosed account[40] of the expenses of the Machine for calculating and printing mathematical tables, by which it appears that a sum of 592_l._ 4_s._ 8_d._ remained due to myself upon the last account, and that a further sum of nearly 600_l._ has since become due to Mr. Clement. “It is for the payment of this latter sum that I wish to call your Lordship’s attention. Mr. Maudslay, one of the engineers appointed by the Government to examine the bills of Mr. Clement, having been unable from illness to attend, his report has been delayed, and Mr. Clement informs me that should the money remain unpaid much longer, he shall be obliged, from want of funds, to discharge some of the workmen; an event which I need not inform your Lordship would be very prejudicial to the progress of the machine. “Another point which I wish to submit to your attention, when your Lordship shall have had leisure to examine personally the present state of the works, is, that since it is absolutely necessary to find additional room for the erection of the machine, it becomes a matter of serious consideration whether it would not contribute to the speedier completion of the machine, and also to economy in expenditure, to remove the works to the neighbourhood of my own residence. “I have, &c. “C. BABBAGE.” The receipt of this letter caused the Treasury to make the following communication to the Secretary of the Royal Society:—