Minute Book: November 1709

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 23, 1709. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1949.

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'Minute Book: November 1709', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 23, 1709, (London, 1949) pp. 29-34. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol23/pp29-34 [accessed 25 April 2024]

November 1709

Nov. 1, forenoon. Present: ut supra.
The Attorney and Solicitor General come in. The clauses in the Act [7 Anne c. 30] relating to the Exchequer Bills to be exchanged are read. The Attorney General thinks the demand [of exchange] should be [made] in the proper place [in the county] where the Receiver [General of Taxes] is in execution of his office and not upon the road or in a coffee house or the like and that the penalty will not be incurred for a refusal or neglect in such a case. The demand must be in the certain place where the book is kept.
The Solicitor General says he is of opinion that no legal demand can be made but in the place of his [the Receiver General's] receipt or within his district and the proper place is where the book is kept [so] that he may see what is in his hands and avoid the penalty.
The Agents for Taxes are called in. They are [told] to write to the Receivers to inform them of the [above] opinions of the Queen's Counsel and where they act otherwise my Lord [Treasurer says he] will take it to be done collusively.
The Deputy Governor and Directors of the Bank are called in with Mr. Herne. My Lord directs the Agents for Taxes to write to the Receivers [General of Taxes in every county] to send up copies of their book for what [time] is past and every fortnight for the time to come, to be a check upon the Receivers: and to require them to return their moneys by [or through] the Bank of England, otherwise my Lord Treasurer will have reason to think there is a sinister advantage made [by the Receivers in remitting to the Exchequer as formerly by means of ordinary bills of exchange] and to take notice to the Receivers (as an evil) their returning money to persons who (for private lucre) make good their payments by bills into the Exchequer, which mischief will be obviated by sending their cash to the Bank.
Mr. Herne says Mr. Baily, Receiver of Staffordshire, [by] his agent brought bills for 5,000l. to the Exchequer which (he suspects) were not sent down from the country. The Agents [for Taxes are ordered by my Lord] to enquire of this.
The [Principal] Officers of the Ordnance are called in upon a complaint of the Bank that they refuse to take Exchequer Bills for tallies which they bring to them. My Lord Treasurer thinks it better to lose a small discount than to hurt the public credit by a public office refusing the Bills.
Sir Henry Furnese having produced bills for 48,000l. drawn by Mr. Sweet and Mr. Cartwright endorsed to him, Sir Henry, my Lord resolves that the bills shall be satisfied out of the first moneys in his power [of disposal] applicable thereto. Treasury Minute Book XVII, p. 58.
Nov. 7, forenoon. Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. Clayton [one of the Agents for Taxes] attends with the draft of a circular letter to [be sent to] the Receivers General [of Taxes in the respective counties] concerning Exchequer Bills. It is read and approved.
Send to the Gentlemen of the Bank to be here to-morrow morning at 10 or 11 o'clock.
[My Lord directs] 500l. a week to Mr. Compton for four net weeks towards subsisting the Poor Palatines. Ibid., p. 59.
Nov. 9. Present: ut supra.
[My Lord directs] 649l. 17s. 7¼d., for the Prince's funeral, to be paid to the Works.
[Likewise] 295l. 12s. 6d. more to the Paymaster of the Works for several particulars as in his memorial of this day's date. Ibid., p. 60.
Nov. 11, forenoon. Present: Lord Treasurer.
Send to the Gentlemen of the Bank to be here on Tuesday.
[My Lord gives order to] take off the stop on 240l. for the last quarter to the Marquess of Carmarthen for his flag pay. Issue money to pay it.
[My Lord directs] 6,000l. to the Navy on the head of Wear and Tear [and is to be] for bills of exchange.
Sir Henry Furnese having produced a bill for 20,000l. drawn by Mr. Sweet endorsed to him, Sir Henry, my Lord resolves this bill shall be satisfied with [out of] the 48,000l. mentioned in the minute of the 1st inst.
[My Lord directs the issue to William Lowndes of] 500l. for secret service.
[Send] to Mr. Walpool to be here on Monday with the estimates of the Forces for next year that can be got ready by that time.
Send to the Ordnance the same [notification]. Ibid., p. 61.
Nov. 14. Present: ut supra.
The Duke of Marlborough comes in.
Mr. Cardonel and Mr. Walpole are called in.
Estimates for the 40,000 men and [the additional] 10,000 men [for the Flanders campaign for the ensuing year] are considered. Ibid., p. 62.
Nov. 17. Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The [Principal] Officers of the Ordnance are called in. An estimate for the ensuing year [for the land and sea service of the Ordnance] and an account of their debts are considered. Ibid., p. 63.
Eodem die, afternoon. Present: Lord Treasurer.
Sir Christopher Wren is called in. [My Lord directs that] when any warrant for repairs or alterations come to him [Wren] from the Lord Chamberlain Sir Christopher is to make an estimate of the charge and present it to the Lord Treasurer before he engages in the expense.
The Customs Commissioners are called in.
[My Lord orders that] Dr. Robinson must pay Duty for his plate. But he may insert it in his bill of [ambassadorial] extraordinaries and my Lord Treasurer will speak to the Secretary of State to allow it. Ibid.
Nov. 18, forenoon. Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Earl of Wharton comes in.
[The Gentlemen of the] Bank are called in upon a complaint made by Sir G. Heathcote of mismanagement of the cash received for the Salt Duty. Ordered that Mr. Brydges, the Receiver General of that Duty, do attend next Monday morning. Ibid., p. 64.
Nov. 19, forenoon. Present: ut supra.
My Lord upon reading a memorial concerning the great arrear due to the course of the Navy is pleased to agree that if the Bank of England will advance to the Treasurer of the Navy for that use the sum of 40,000l. on a deposit of Land Tax tallies anno 1709 they shall be repaid out of the first loans that shall be made in Exchequer Bills on the Land Tax for next year with interest at 5 per cent. per an. from the time of advancing the same. Ibid., p. 65.
Nov. 23. Present: Lord Treasurer.
Sir Henry Furnese comes in and presents to my Lord a proposal dated the 21st inst. to give his orders on his correspondent at Lisbon for 60,000l. to be sent up to Catalonia by Sir John Norriss, at 55⅓ pence per Crown: the money to be re[paid] to said Furnese out of the next Land Tax.
My Lord Treasurer agrees to this proposal and directs Mr. Brydges to send a copy thereof to Mr. Stanhope so that he may expect his supply in the manner mentioned.
The Attorney General's report on the petition of Mr. Mendez relating to the ship K[ing] David is read. My Lord orders a copy of the report to be sent to Monsr. Vryberge.
[Send to the Gentlemen of] the Bank to be here to-morrow at 11 o'clock.
[Send to] Mr. Consul Baker to be here at that time.
[My Lord orders] Mr. How to borrow on the Land Tax tallies of this year in his hands 20,000l. and 31,704l. 6s. 0¼d. to carry on the subsistence and pay of the Guards and Garrisons to the end of the year: and my Lord Treasurer agrees that the interest upon the orders shall commence from 1 Sept. last.
[The Gentlemen of] the Bank are called in and present the following request: that the Agents for Taxes may give directions to the General Receivers of the Land Tax who remit any bills of exchange to the Bank that they take care to have it expressed in such bills that they should be paid in money.
My Lord Treasurer directs that the Agents do write accordingly [to the Receivers General of the respective counties and places throughout England and Wales]. Treasury Minute Book XVII, p. 66.
Nov. 24, forenoon. Present: Lord Treasurer.
[The Gentlemen of] the Bank are called in, and also Mr. Brydges, Treasurer of the Salt Duties. My Lord Treasurer opens [to said Brydges] what the Bank desires relating to his receipt. Mr. Brydges alleges the difficulty of paying debentures in case he is to send the persons [holders of such debentures] to the Bank [for payment].
The Gentlemen of the Bank say they will take care that there shall be no cause of complaints on that or any other score but in case it should prove impracticable they will not insist upon it.
Mr. Brydges says he is ready to lodge the money with the Bank, but because bills of exchange are liable to hazard he thinks he should take care to receive them because of the great security which he gives [for his faithful accounting in his office].
The Bank say they will be answerable for that too and [they therefore] desire the receiving of them.
My Lord says he can direct it so if there be occasion (taking it to be for the public service).
Mr. Brydges [says he] will comply and the Bank [is requested to] take care in this matter without giving my Lord any further trouble.
My Lord thanks the Bank for their ready compliance with his request for an advance the other day for the service of the Navy on a deposit of tallies; and acquaints them that there is a further occasion of their help at this time for pressing services of the Forces, particularly to advance on a like deposit a sum of 40,000l. for bills of exchange drawn on Sir H[enry] F[urnese]. They say they are ready to do what they can to help Sir H. but at the same time acquaint my Lord that he must take care to comply with his agreements. My Lord recommends it to the Bank and Sir H. to adjust these matters amongst themselves.
Mr. Brydges [Paymaster General of the Forces Abroad] is called in. My Lord acquaints the [Gentlemen of the] Bank that he [Brydges] has several bills of exchange due and that will be due in a very short time: Mr. Brydges says to the amount of near 40,000l., and that for the service of recruits and subsistence to the [Army] Officers come over for that purpose [of recruiting] there is a pressing occasion for 40,000l. more. My Lord Treasurer says the last [named] services he does not take to be in so much haste as the other and therefore directs Mr. Brydges to wait on the B[ank] with such tallies as he has in his hands and adjust with them what they shall like best for a [security] deposit for the said 40,000l. for bills of exchange: to be repaid out of Exchequer Bills to be lent on the L[and] Tax.
Mr. Baker and Mr. Gosselyn are called in [about Wager's prize]. They acquaint my Lord they have att[ended] the Attorney General and two advocates: that they are of opinion the two Acts [6 Anne c. 3 clause 11 and 8–9 Wm. III c. 5 concerning Duties on seizures] clash: [but they] will not give an opinion under their hands that the Queen has a right to a share of Wager's prize but think it a matter of such consequence to the public that it ought to be judicially determined. Ibid., pp. 67–8.
Nov. 26, forenoon. Present: ut supra.
Mr. Brydges having represented to my Lord that the Bank of England have agreed to advance the sum of 35,000l. to pay off bills of exchange drawn on him for the use of her Majesty's Forces abroad upon a deposit of tallies on the General Mortgage anno 1709 upon condition to be repaid with 5 per cent. interest out of loans to be made on next year's Land Tax either in money or Exchequer Bills my Lord Treasurer is pleased to agree thereunto. Ibid., p. 69.
Nov. 28. Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
[My Lord signs] a letter approving the disposition of 48,930l. 9s. 9½d. in tallies on the Land Tax in Mr. Brydges' hands and [a like letter for] 39,000l. of the payments by the Bank to the service of Spain and Portugal anno 1709.
On reading a memorial from the Works for payment of 20,019l. 14s. 1½d. in tallies on tin for two quarters due [in the Office of the Works] at Michaelmas, 1709 [sic ? for 1708], my Lord Treasurer takes notice of the vast expense of the Works and that they are all done without his participation or knowledge and knows no better way to put a stop to this evil than to forbear the paying for them. Ibid., p. 70.
Nov. 30, forenoon. Present: Lord Treasurer.
[My Lord directs] 327l. 7s. 0d. to be paid on the late Earl of Clarendon's pension in further advance for his funeral charges, servants' wages &c.
Mr. Baron Scrope is called in and acquaints my Lord Treasurer that the D[uke] of Q[ueensberry] consents that the signatures relating to the revenue in Scotland do pass as in England [to wit on the signature or counter-signature] by my Lord Treasurer; that the Invalids in Scotland who are already paid out of the Invalid Fund there to the 1st of February last may be paid out of the same to the end of this year and from thence to be placed on the General Establishment of Invalids and the rest of the fund to be applied to some debts to seamen &c. there.
My Lord will speak with Mr. Howe [Paymaster of Guards and Garrisons] upon this as soon as may be.
My Lord will speak with Mr. Walpole in reference to the clearings due to the Army in Scotland before the Union.
Mr. Scrope mentions several particulars which he thinks will require some help from an Act or Acts of Parliament, particularly as to the support of the Civil List in Scotland. My Lord is pleased to direct that an account be made of what is applicable at present to that use, what the charge is already thereon and what further may be absolutely necessary to be provided for.
[My Lord orders] Mr. Onslow's memorial to be sent to Mr. Howe to know if he has any objection to what is proposed. Treasury Minute Book XVII, p. 71.
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