Minute book: May 1695, 16-31 | British History Online

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 10, 1693-1696. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1935.

'Minute book: May 1695, 16-31', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 10, 1693-1696, (London, 1935) pp. 1377-1382. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol10/pp1377-1382 [accessed 19 April 2024]

May 1695, 16–31



May 18. Forenoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stephen Fox, Mr. Smith.
	[Write] the Navy Commissioners to be here on Monday afternoon, and Mr. Dorrington at the same time.
	Sir Joseph Herne and Sir Stephen Evance [are called in] upon their proposal for the licence of exporting the 700,000 ounces [of silver] for foreign parts [and for engaging the exchange remittances to Flanders] at 10 guilders 18 stivers. They are asked whether, if their offer for the 700,000 ounces be admitted they will agree for the remittances for any certain time to come. They answer they cannot do that because the Bank being a corporation may (after such an agreement) lower the exchange as they please. My Lords cannot agree with their proposal because if they permit to them the exportation of the silver without their undertaking the remittances to the end of December next nobody else can perform the latter without much greater disadvantage than the profit of the exportation of 700,000 ounces will amount to. Sir Joseph Herne told my Lords that they had spoke with 40 merchants and they had all agreed nobody could undertake the remittances for any [fixed certain] time for the cause before mentioned.
	The [Principal] Commissioners of Prizes and the Commissioners of Sick and Wounded are called in upon the demand of the latter for money arisen by prizes in Jersey and Guernsey for the maintenance of the prisoners of war there. The Prizes Commissioners say that all the money arising by prizes is liable to pay the gunnage, and the money already charged [on the prizes for allowances] for gunnage is more than all the prizes will answer. My Lords direct them to give a state[ment] of their Office, what is owing and what in cash.
	[Treasury Minute Book VIII. p. 29.]
May 20. Forenoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Smith.
	[My Lords direct] the Queen Dowager's quarter out of the Excise to be paid.
	The Navy Commissioners come in and my Lords order that Mr. Lowndes do write to Mrs. Stephens to proceed in the application of the money and tallies in her hands to such uses of the Navy and Victualling as the same were directed and ought to have been paid by her husband if he had lived and that in the doing thereof she take the assistance of Mr. Dorington and the advice and direction of the Navy Commissioners.
	[Write] to Mr. Madox that my Lords being informed that the Navy Board has adjusted with him the charge relating to Sir Edward Seymour's account when Treasurer of the Navy they desire him to attend the Navy Commissioners with the vouchers for the discharge and to prosecute the finishing of that account.
	Mr. Ryly to be here to-morrow evening.
	[Order for the following issues as royal] bounty, viz. 100l. to Lady Anglesey; 100l. to Ms. Coningham; 50l. to William Fanshaw; 50l. to Henry Killegrew; 50l. to Edwd. Howard.
	[Ibid. p. 30.]
May 21. Afternoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, Sir William Trumbull, Mr. Smith.
	My Lords will speak with the Attorney General about the rent of Mote Park claimed by the Earl of Montagu and Mr. Granville.
	[Write] to Mr. Thomas Browne to be here at my Lords' next sitting.
	[Ibid. p. 31.]
May 22. Forenoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stephen Fox, Mr. Smith.
	Mr. Tailor [attends] about procuring the advance of money on the Post Office for the Works. He will advance 6,000l. to carry on the Works at Kensington and Richmond on the tallies of 23,000l. levied on the Post Office and take his repayment upon such of the said tallies as shall be last payable in course; for which he is to have 2 per cent. gratuity and interest at 6 per cent. per annum. The interest will be computed from the respective days of advancing the 6,000l. to the Works and to continue to the respective days of repayment on the tallies.
	Mr. Gregory, at the instance of Sir John Banks, is to be remembered for the place of a Commissioner for Glass Works. Mr. Edwards, at the instance of the Earl of Ranelagh, is to be remembered for the like.
	[My Lords order] 200l. to be advanced to Col. Mathews to be deducted out of the first pay which shall become due to him as a Brigadier or upon account of his clearings.
	My Lord Ranelagh says the common reckoning of the difference of the exchange between Amsterdam and Antwerp is four stivers, which is about 2 per cent.
	The Auditors of Imprests and Mr. Hall are to be here on Monday morning.
	[Order for] 5,000l. to the Victuallers for bills and 5,000l. for the general victualling: to be advanced out of loans on Marriages etc. as last week.
	My Lords have commanded the underwritten memorial [of Sir Christopher Wren's] which was presented by Thomas Tailor, Deputy Paymaster of the Works, to be entered [so] that the unreasonableness thereof may in time be considered:
	Memorial for the Works, 20 May, 1695. Your Lordships are humbly prayed to let the Paymaster of the Works have a minute entered in your books and a copy thereof [to be given out to him] to give allowance of 6 per cent. interest and 3 per cent. discompt without which there cannot be any money obtained upon the tallies struck and to be struck upon the Post Office for 23,000l. I pray your Lordships to determine this affair speedily or else I shall not be able to answer his Majesty's commands in performing the works nor keep to the contracts made with the [contractors and work]people.
	Sir Christopher Wren. [Treasury Minute Book VIII. p. 32.]
May 27. Forenoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stephen Fox, Sir William Trumbull.
	Sir Leonard Robinson will advance 8,000l. for the Works, viz. 2,000l. this week and 500l. a week for 12 weeks ensuing on the tallies for 23,000l. on the Post Office, to wit, such of them as shall be first payable in course by 500l. a week, for which he is to have 1 per cent. gratuity down and 6 per cent. per an. from the respective days of actually advancing the money till repayment of the principal.
	The Excise Commissioners to be here at six this afternoon.
	A Commission of Enquiry to be issued under the Great [Seal] for encroachments at Greenwich, especially with relation to the waters, springs and conduits.
	My Lords resolve it is the duty of the Auditors of Imprests to attend the Chancellor of the Exchequer with the vouchers belonging to the accounts he declares whensoever he [the Chancellor] appoints.
	The Wine Licence Accounts are to be considered next Friday afternoon.
	[Send] a letter to the Victuallers not to pay Mr. Fielding's salary during the suspension, until his account be cleared.
	[Order for] 2,000l. out of the Excise for the incidents of the Commissioners of Accounts: [to be paid] by 100l. a week for 10 weeks and 50l. for 20 weeks.
	My Lords will consider that part of the Act concerning the exportation of bullion which relates to the oath to be taken before the Wardens of the Goldsmiths' Company.
	Mr. Ashurst desires he may be dismissed from the employment of a Commissioner of Hackney Coaches.
	[Treasury Minute Book VIII. p. 33.]
May 27. Afternoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stephen Fox.
	Mr. Overbury to be here. He comes and declines (lays down) the employment of a Commissioner for Hackney Coaches. Mr. Isham, per Mr. Montagu, does the like.
	[My Lords order] 3,332l. 2s. 0d. to be paid to Monsieur Schulenberg by tallies on the Customs; whereof 1,641l. 8s. 6d. (with 82,892l. 4s. 6d. already paid him) is to complete the 84,533l. 13s. 0d. in full of his bill of 853,978 guilders 18 stivers at 10 guilders 2 stivers per £ sterling; and the remaining 1,690l. 13s. 6d. for an allowance of 2 per cent. for having paid the money in Holland (instead of Flanders), pursuant to the King's pleasure signified by Mr. Blathwaite in a letter from Loo dated 1695, Jan. 2, new style.
	The money in the Exchequer, on the one third of the Excise, for the 27 ships [is ordered] to be advanced to Mr. Dorington as Cashier to the Navy Treasurer, for that service. (In the margin: Respited.)
	[My Lords order] 164,958l. 17s. 6d. (to complete the proportion of 190,958l. 17s. 6d. for wear and tear) to be advanced to Mr. George Dodington as Agent to the Navy Treasurer for that use; out of loans to be made in the name of the said Dorington [Dodington] on the 300,000l. per an. of the Customs.
	Mr. Robert Finch offers a proposal for advancing the Excise in London. He is asked what it made last year and answers that he cannot tell. Mr. Andrews, his partner, is called in and makes the same answer. But they both say thay can improve the 10 Districts at least 2,000l. a year [each] one with another and that they know the frauds of the brewers so well that they are sure they amount to above 20,000l. a year. My Lords ask them if they should have power to dismiss officers and alter the management and thereby make a confusion in the revenue how should the King be secured of having the damage repaired. They answer that the improvement which they can make will appear in a fortnight. They say they cannot make any experiment, so much as in one Division unless they have the power given them over those officers. They say they cannot propose any security. Then they offered to go hand in hand with the Commissioners of Excise, who may use the methods these men will dictate to them. My Lords will speak with the Excise Commissioners about this.
	The Excise Commissioners are called in. Mr. Duncomb to be here to-morrow morning about the 6,020l. received by his bill man, Mr. Reynoldson.
	A letter [to be written to the said Commissioners] for the [Excise Office] Yardkeeper to be paid 20l. a year and the porter 40l. in the [Excise Office] salary [list] without abating the 200l. a year salary to the housekeeper [of the said Office].
	Mr. Finch and Mr. Andrews are called in again and [are] desired to go to the Excise Commissioners and impart [proofs of] their skill to them and if the revenue in London do thereby improve 20,000l. within the year more than it made in the year ending at 1694, Midsummer, they are to have a reward of 2,000l.
	A letter to be written to the said Commissioners by Mr. Lowndes.
	[Treasury Minute Book VIII. pp. 34–5.]
May 28. Forenoon.	Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stephen Fox, Mr. Smith.
	[Order for] 10l. to be paid to Mr. Midleton for preventing frauds about corn exported.
	Mr. Duncomb owns himself answerable for the 6,000l. or thereabouts received by his bill man, Mr. Reynoldson, and not answered [into the Excise Cashier's Office]. He is to have a copy of the [Excise] Commissioners' report.
	A letter [to be sent] to Mr. Hutchenson to direct him to be expeditious in taking out the commission for measuring the keels at Newcastle and Sunderland according to the Act newly passed.
	[Ibid. p. 36.]
May 29. Forenoon.	Present: Lord Godolphin, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stephen Fox, Mr. Smith.
	Tallies [are ordered] to be levied on the Act for the Duties on Marriages etc.
	[Order] for the complement of the proportion for the Victuallers.
	[Order] for the complement of the proportion for land [Forces] service to be issued to the Earl of Ranelagh: and out of the sum last mentioned (to wit that part which will come last in course) the [Army] clothiers are to be paid 103,903l. 10s. 1½d. to complete the offreckonings to 1694–5, Jan. 1.
	[Write] to Sir Leonard Robinson to come to Mr. Lowndes to-morrow morning.
	Mr. Griffin and Mr. Hall to be here on Tuesday afternoon. The Attorney General, Mr. Overton and Mr. Smith to be here then.
	Mr. Fanshaw with his counsel to be here the second Tuesday after this term.
	Mr. London to be here on Friday morning next.
	[Treasury Minute Book VIII. p. 37.]
May 31. Forenoon.	Present: ut supra.
	A letter to be writ [to the Customs] for Admiral Russell's goods to be carried to his own house by an officer and to be opened there and to be delivered [on his] paying such duties as by law ought to be paid: which [matter] Mr. Dodington will take care of.
	Sir Joseph Herne and Mr. Hornby (for the Society of the Orphans' Bank) will advance 15,000l. on the tallies in the hands of Mr. Burton on the Excise [viz.] for the Civil List, at 6 per cent. per annum and 2 per cent. gratuity, the latter to be paid down. Their title is the Trustees for the Orphans' Fund.
	Mr. Row [to attend] on Tuesday afternoon.
	Out of money in the Navy Treasurer's hands for wages 500l. is to be applied for maintenance of prisoners [of war].
	Mr. London to be here on Tuesday afternoon.
	My Lords will consider Mr. Aldworth for the office of John Phillips, esq., Auditor of the Revenue, when the same becomes vacant; but they do not intend that the salary from the King be inserted in that or any other grants of the offices of the seven Auditors [of the Exchequer Court] for the future.
	[Ibid. p. 38.]