Treasury Books and Papers: March 1739

Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers, Volume 4, 1739-1741. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1901.

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'Treasury Books and Papers: March 1739', in Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers, Volume 4, 1739-1741, (London, 1901) pp. 12-17. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books-papers/vol4/pp12-17 [accessed 24 April 2024]

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March 1739

March 1.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers.
33. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Sundon, Mr. Earle.
Mr. Whatley is to have 50l. as his Majesty's bounty by the hands of Mr. Lowther.
Order for the issue to the Treasurer of the Navy out of funds anno 1738, of 63,035l. 10s. 10d. for the whole quota to the Navy due out of said funds. Out of said sum said Treasurer is to apply 62,683l. 1s. 0d. for a month's course to the Navy and Victualling due Sept. 30 last, and for other services as in his memorial.
Order for the following issues out of the Civil List Funds:—
£ s. d.
To the Cofferer of the Household in full of 1738, Michaelmas quarter 9,905 0 0
To James Serces for Foreign Protestants 1,000 0 0
To Lord William Manners 408 18 0
Their Lordships approve the memorial of the Board of Works of Feb. 27 last, for enlarging the Chancery and King's Bench Courts in Westminster Hall at an estimate of 1,050l. The usual warrant for same to be prepared.
Order for a warrant for letters patent to appoint William Middleton Receiver of the revenues of the Crown in North Wales and the County Palatine of Chester.
The Duke of Gordon's petition to be discharged of 477l. 10s. 10d. due on certain of his estates in Scotland read. “My Lords say they bear the Duke of Gordon very great respect but apprehend that the obtaining the discharge desired (besides its being a precedent) will be attended with very prejudicial consequences to the King's revenues there.”
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 117.]
March 9. 34. Report to the Treasury from the Customs Commissioners London, dated Custom House, London, on the petition of Godhard Hagen and Abraham Boutefeur of London, merchants, to be repaid duty on currants destroyed by the fire on 25th Oct. last at Galley Quay, near the Custom House. Petitioners have delivered in a copy of the Act of 1 Geo. I. by which several persons who suffered by a fire in Thames Street in 1714 were relieved as to duties. Do not find that the said case of 1714 was ever referred to the Customs Commissioners for report. Several merchants have at other times sustained great losses of this nature without obtaining relief, particularly by the fire in Billiter Lane in 1723. Enclose copies of a report and papers referring to said case in 1723, in which the Customs Commissioners of that date state their opinion that they could not countenance payment of duties to merchants for goods after they had been in their own custody and whereon the officers had no check. Adhere to the same opinion in the present case. 3 pages.
Appending:
—(a) Said petition of said Hagen and Boutefeur with Treasury order of reference of date 1738–9 January 29. 1 page.
(b–e) Four affidavits on the case, made respectively by Richard Cooke, Anthony Lambert and Isaac Pocock, Jacob Hackinson, and said Hagen and Boutefeur. 5 pages.
(f) A printed copy of the said Act of 1 Geo. I. for the relief of Anne Milner et al. as to customs of goods destroyed by fire in Thames Street. 3 printed pages.
(g–i) Three papers relating to the said case of 1723.
Viz.: (g) copy of the report to the Treasury from the Customs Commissioners of date 1723–4 Feb. 29 on (h) infra. 2pages.
(h) Copy of the petition of several merchants, detailed, sufferers by the fire in Billiter Lane, 1723, June 17. 2 pages.
(i) A letter to Charles Carkesse from James Lock, one of the said petitioners mentioned in (h) supra, dated 1723–4, Feb. 11, and referring to the affair. 1 page.
[Treasury Board Papers CCC. No. 18.]
March 13. 35. Warrant under the royal sign manual, countersigned by the Lords of the Treasury, to William Benson and William Aislaby, Auditors of Imprests, to pass Brigadier General Jasper Clayton's account of contingencies for Gibraltar garrison 1726, Dec. 25, to 1730, June 24.
Appending:—Statement of said account as certified by said Auditors, said account containing various items relating to the siege, &c. [King's Warrant Book XXXIII. pp. 228–30.]
March 13. 36. Same to same to pass the similar account of the Rt. Hon. George, late Lord Carpenter, late Governor of the Island of Minorca, of contingencies for the garrison of Minorca, 1726, April 25, to 1727, June 24.
Appending:—Statement of said account as above.
[Ibid. 224–7.]
March 14.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers.
37. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington.
Order for the following issues out of the Civil List funds:—
£ s. d.
To the Board of Works to clear the debt on that office to 1738, Michaelmas 7,040 5 6
To the Privy Purse 3,000 0 0
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 118.]
March 16. 38. Petition to the Treasury from Bartholomy Gubian. Sets forth that being a foreigner and unacquainted with the laws, petitioner brought over with him a gun and 2 pairs of pistols, which upon offering for sale were seized and condemned by the Master of the Gunsmiths' Company, who is willing to return same on having the Treasury directions to that effect.
“16 March, 1738. Their Lordships' desire that the arms may be delivered to the petitioner and the seizure discharged is signified to the Master of the Gunsmiths' Company.”
[Reference Book X. p. 122.]
March 20.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers.
39. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
Order for the issue out of Civil List Revenues of 3,000l. to the Master of the Horse on account of extraordinaries of the Stables.
The letter from the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland, dated the 26th ult. read, apprising the Treasury of an appeal to the House of Lords, England, from a judgment in the Exchequer Court, Ireland, on a case concerning the King's right of gauging casks in which merchants import wines and obliging them to pay duties at the rate of 252 gallons to the tun, the said merchants having enlarged the size of their casks sometimes by a third or a half and endeavouring to pass them for tuns and pay duty accordingly. “My Lords say Mr. Manning, the solicitor here for the affairs of Ireland, must take care that this cause before the House of Lords be well attended and that Mr. Attorney and Mr. Solicitor General be retained therein.”
The Duke of Marlborough to have [i. e. to make] a loan of 100,000l. on the duties on malt, 1739, to be registered next after the 300,000l. in Exchequer hills [thereon].
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 119.]
March 20. 40. (a–i) Weekly cash papers, or statements of disposeable money in the Exchequer, so disposeable under the respective heads: (1) for His Majesty's Civil Government; (2) for the late King's debts; (3) for uses to be appointed; (4) for public supplies of years where the service of those years have been satisfied; (5) for the service of the year 1738; all for the weeks ending on the following dates respectively:—1738, January 16 (enclosing (a) (1) a paper of unsatisfied warrants for which letters [of direction] are written, and of warrants for which said letters are wanting); Jan. 23 (enclosing (b) (1) ut supra); Jan. 30; Feb. 6 (enclosing (d) (1) ut supra); Feb. 13; Feb. 20 (enclosing (f) (1) ut supra); Feb. 27; March 6; March 20 (enclosing (i) (1) ut supra). 16 pages.
[Treasury Board Papers CCC. No. 19.]
March 20. 41. Treasury warrant to the Auditor of the Receipt, the Clerk of the Pells, and all other the officers and ministers of said Receipt to set apart out of the Sinking Fund 3,993l. 18s. 9d. and to issue the same upon the unsatisfied order in the name of the Bank of England, to make good the deficiency of the additional Stamp duties to 1738, Xmas, pursuant to the Act 4 Geo. II.
Appending:—Certificate by the Auditor of the Receipt of said deficiency of said duties towards answering the 14,000l. at 3½ per cent. on 400,000l. and 24,000l. at 3 per cent. on 800,000l. charged thereupon, being in all 1,200,000l. contributed on the Act of 4 Geo. II. in part of supply anno 1731.
[Money Book XXXIX. pp. 384–6.]
March 21. 42. Same to the Auditor of the Receipt to make forth, and to place as so much cash in the office of the Tellers at the Receipt, 300,000l. in Exchequer bills on malt 1739, to be dated according to notifications for the issue of same for the public service and to be payable first in course.
[Ibid. p. 380.]
43. Same to the Auditor of the Receipt, the Clerk of the Pells and all other the officers and ministers concerned to take in at the Receipt of the Exchequer 100,000l. in loans on malt 1739, to be registered after 300,000l. in Exchequer bills thereupon, and to bear interest at 3 per cent. payable quarterly from the dates of levying the tallies of said loan or loans.
[Ibid. p. 384.]
March 21. 44. Treasury warrant to the Board of Works to renew and enlarge the Courts of Chancery and King's Bench in Westminster Hall at an estimate of 1,050l.
Prefixing
:—Report to the Treasury from said Board of Works of date 1738–9, Feb. 27. Find said Courts in so decayed a condition that they cannot be repaired to be made commodious and convenient as required. Have therefore prepared plans and elevations of a design for making new and enlarging said courts as much as the place will admit of. The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice have approved thereof and desire speedy execution that they may have the use of them next term.
[Lord Chamberlain's Warrant Book II. pp. 118–9.]
March 23. 45. Report to the Treasury from the Customs Commissioners dated Custom House, London, on the petition of James Brown, late of Galway, Ireland, merchant, now a prisoner in the Fleet for being concerned with one Martin Blake in 1735 in exporting wool from Ireland to France. Find that on the trial of the case in Michaelmas term, 1737, one of the evidences for the King was employed in Nov., 1735, by petitioner to hire him several boats in order to bring wool from Tirawley and other places about Galway to be transported to Nantes in France. There were about 20 boats employed, and by the beginning of Dec. about 20 tons of wool had been brought and laid on an island in Roundstone Bay. For giving this evidence the King's witness on his return to Ireland was kidnapped and put in irons. Advise that petitioner should pay his fine or be transported. 4 pages.
Appending
:—(a) Said petition of said James Brown with Treasury order of reference of date 1738, Aug. 24. 2½ pages.
[Treasury Board Papers CCC. No. 20.]
1739
March 26.
46. Treasury warrant to the Auditor of the Receipt for the issue of 105l. to John Lawton, for Lady Day quarter, for himself and clerks for sorting, digesting, and methodising records in the Exchequer Court.
Appending:—Lawton's certificate of work done in the quarter. “Mr. Stewart has been sorting records of divers reigns, Mr. Smart and Mr. Strachey have been sorting Star Chamber records, and Mr. Whiston and Mr. Farley have been methodising the books of the Courts of Wards and Liveries. [Money Book XXXIX. p. 129.]
March 27. 47. Warrant under the royal sign manual, countersigned by the Lords of the Treasury, to William Benson and William Aislabie, Auditors of Imprests, to pass the account of Col. William Hargrave, Lieutenant Governor of Gibraltar, for contingencies for the garrison there, 1720 June 11 to 1725 Dec. 24.
Appending:—Statement of said account as certified by said Auditors, including among other items: “To the Spanish General commanding the Camp, being presents to him at different times for the more easy obtaining fresh provisions for the garrison, 108l., and to the Bashaw of Tetuan for supplying the garrison with fresh provisions and firing when the communication with Spain was prohibited, 98l. 3s. 0d.
[King's Warrant Book XXXIII. pp. 289–242.]
March 27.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers.
48. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Sundon, Mr. Earle.
Order for the issue out of Civil List Funds as follow:—
£ s. d.
To the Lords of the Treasury et al. on their salaries for 1739, Lady Day quarter 4,557 11 0
Mr. Horace Walpole, ordinary and extraordinary. 1,700 0 0
To clear the debt of the Civil List to 1788, Michaelmas 36,279 9 4
Mr. Scrope, for secret service, sign manual to be prepared 8,159 16 0
Earl of Crawford on his pension of 500l. per annum to 1739, Lady day 500 0 0
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 120.]
March 27. 49. Warrant under the royal sign manual, countersigned by the Lords of the Treasury to Sir Charles Wager, First Commissioner of the Admiralty and Admiral of the White Squadron, to pay to Edward Holden, Consul at Algiers, 700l. for the purpose of redeeming captives there, the same being intended to be laid out and disposed in providing a present for the Dey of Algiers.
Appending:—Particulars of the said present proposed, including inter al. “6 fine gun barrels such as Mr. Marsh had made by a sample of wood but more gaudy and better work.”
[King's Warrant Book XXXIII. p. 233.]
March 27. 50. Royal warrant to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, authorising his warrant to the Receiver General and Paymaster of the Revenues Ireland for the issue of 1,000l. as royal bounty, and 1,000l. per annum as an established annuity to the Incorporated Society in Dublin for Promoting English Protestant Schools in Ireland.
[Irish Book IX. p. 148.]
March 29. 51. Petition to the Treasury from Jones Irwin. Sets forth that in 1734 he was appointed Surveyor and Searcher of the district of Rappahannock River, in Virginia, by Mr. Phenney, Surveyor of the Northern district of America, who promised to obtain for him a salary of 65l. sterling; that he continued in the said office only one year, but in hopes of longer enjoyment of it had provided himself with a boat with sails for the better service of the Government. The Surveyor General acquainting him that he could expect no salary but out of the duties of foreign sugars and other commodities or such seizures as could be made thereof, he quitted the employment finding he could get no fund for a salary. Prays relief.
[Reference Book X. p. 123.]
March 30. 52. J. Scrope to the Board of Works. The House of Commons having been acquainted in answer to their address to the King that his Majesty would give directions for building a more spacious and convenient edifice for the reception of Parliament, the Treasury desires the ground to be viewed and a plan made to include the house and buildings near which will require to be taken down together with an estimate of the cost.
[Letter Book XIX. p. 498.]