Minute Book: April 1710 | British History Online

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 24, 1710. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1952.

'Minute Book: April 1710', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 24, 1710, (London, 1952) pp. 12-17. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol24/pp12-17 [accessed 25 April 2024]

April 1710



April 3.	Present: ut supra.
	The Earl of Wharton comes in.
	[My Lord directs the issue to the Navy Treasurer of] 30,000l. for wages to ships and 3,000l. for recalls.
	[My Lord orders] Mr. Hamel to have 400l. in Ireland as of her Majesty's bounty.
	The Earl of Wharton will be here again on Thursday evening.
	[Send] to the Directors of the Bank to be here on Wednesday morning.
	[My Lord orders a royal] warrant for letters patent to be passed in Ireland to authorise the Lord Lieutenant for the sum not exceeding_to be issued to_by way of imprest and upon account for the building of an arsenal near Dublin according to a plan thereof which has been laid before the Queen in Council, together with an estimate of the charge amounting to the said sum: both of which have been approved by order in Council of the_. Ibid., p. 119.
April 5, forenoon.	Present: ut supra.
	The Gentlemen of the Bank are called in. My Lord Treasurer takes notice that the discount on Exchequer Bills does not only continue but increase and acquaints them with the damage the Government undergoes thereby. They [Say they] will lay this matter before a Court of Directors to-morrow and give my Lord an answer.
	[My Lord directs the issue to Mr. Lowndes out of Civil List funds of] 2,000l. for secret services.
	[My Lord directs the issue to the Navy Treasurer of] 34,890l. 12s. 5d. for the Victuallers upon their memorial of this day.
	and 822l. 10s. 0d. for two months' subsistence for Officers and 400 Marine soldiers going on the present Expedition.
	Upon reading to my Lord a memorial from Mr. Francis Hawes as follows dated March 24 last my Lord was pleased to agree thereto.
	may it please your Lordship
	the defalcations on ships' books in the time of Sir Thomas Littleton's Treasurership for the Chest at Chatham, Greenwich Hospital, groats and twopences due to chaplains and surgeons, tobacco money &c. and which must be paid by the executrix of the said Sir Thomas Littleton deceased, amounting by computation to 80,000l., I humbly desire your Lordship's directions to dispose of 20,000l. talleys on the twelfth 4s. Aid with a retrospect of two months' interest for answering several demands that are daily made on account of the aforesaid services.
	Mr. Walpole delivers to my Lord Treasurer an account of the losses sustained by William Sutherland, a serjeant of the Second Troop of Guards, by his lodgings being robbed whilst on his duty in suppressing the late tumult, amounting to 78l. 7s. 8d.
	Upon consideration thereof and of his service at that time my Lord is pleased to order that 100l. be paid to him by a contingent warrant and a letter is to be writ to Mr. Walpole to prepare the same accordingly. Ibid., p. 120.
April 18, forenoon.	Present: ut supra.
	[My Lord directs] 100l. more to Mr. Harison (Harrison) and he is to pay 100l. out of the money he has received and shall receive to Mr. Rutter for his pains and good service in the business against the heirs, executors or administrators [struck through] for recovery of the debt owing upon account of Mr. Wickes.
	[My Lord directs the issue to the Treasurer of the Navy of] 10,000l. for bills of exchange: 6,000l. for pay of the Jersey and 20,000l. for wages to ships. Ibid., p. 121.
April 19.	Present: ut supra.
	[My Lord directs that] the Treasurer of the Ordnance may dispose of the tallies for 50,000l. on Land Tax anno 1710 [in exchange] for Exchequer Bills.
	[Direct the] Commissioners of Stamp Duties to attend to-morrow at 11 o'clock.
	[Send] to Mr. Walpole to be here on Friday morning.
	Mr. Crag and Sir Theodore Janssen are called in. Sir Theodore says that for 58½ pence sterling [paid] here there may be paid a "weights" piece of Eight at Genoa and the like at Geneva according to the present rates of exchange: the bills to be paid at one month after sight. Treasury Minute Book XVII, p. 122.
Eodem die, afternoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	The Earl of Wharton [Lord Lieutenant of Ireland] comes in. The papers relating to Ireland are read and the minutes [of my Lord Treasurer's answers and decisions thereon are margined or endorsed] upon them. Ibid.
April 21.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	The Commissioners of Stamps Duties are called in. They say the Devizes is in the heart of Wilts and their officer is more conveniently placed there than in the shire town of Salisbury; but they regard chiefly the having a good officer whosoever he is; but there will be another officer at Salisbury though the head officer should be at the other place. My Lord Treasurer will consider of this.
	A paper of Mr. Barnes is read. They [the Stamps Commissioners] say Barnes lives at a distance from Norwich where many apprentices are bound: and therefore [they] think it convenient to have Godard there unless Barnes will reside at Norwich: with which reason my Lord Treasurer concurs.
	Their [the said Commissioners'] scheme for managing the Duties on apprenticeship is read and approved.
	[Send] to the Agents for Taxes to be here on Monday afternoon with a scheme for managing the additional Duties on Houses in England and Wales. Ibid., p. 123.
April 24.	Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	[Direct] the Auditors [of Imprests] to attend next Thursday morning. Ibid., p. 124.
April 25.	Present: ut supra.
	Sir Theodore Janssen's proposal is read and agreed to for remitting 106,666²/3 Crowns of 82 sols each, money of Piedmont, viz. by his bill on Turin at 60 days at 59½ pence sterling per Crown, being for an ordinary [quarter's] subsidy to the Duke of Savoy: for repayment of which Janssen offers to take Exchequer Bills or tallies to be struck on the new fund on Candles and Apprentices.
	My Lord Treasurer agrees that for this remittance he shall have tallies on the Candle Duty in course and Sir Theodore is to give his bills to go by this night's post.
	[My Lord directs the issue out of Civil List Funds of] 3,000l. to Mr. Lowndes for secret service, to wit 2,000l. this week and 1,000l. next week. Ibid., p. 125.
April 27.	Present: ut supra.
	Auditor Harley is called in.
	A state of the Earl of Ranelagh's accounts is read and the minutes [of my Lord Treasurer's decisions as to the cravings and allowances therein are endorsed] upon it. It is given to Mr. Harley to prepare the draft of a privy seal upon it. He will attend again on Saturday morning.
	The Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank are called in with the Agents for Taxes. My Lord says that where any payments are to be made at the Exchequer in ready money to any of the Queen's officers or others (except in repayment of loans or for interest) such payments ought to be made in Exchequer Bills lying there from time to time in [or as the equivalent of] cash, which Bills will be specie bills and demandable at the Bank with interest when the bearer is pleased to call for the same.
	The proposal of the Bank to prevent the high discount on Exchequer Bills is read and amended and (with the amendments) is approved.
	[My Lord directs the issue out of Civil List funds of] 6,000l. to Mr. Tailer for [buildings for the Duke of Marlborough at] Woodstock. Ibid., p. 126.
April 28.	Present: ut supra.
	The Duke of Grafton and Duke of Northumberland come in. Their memorial is read praying payment of the pension of 4,700l. per an. fallen to them by the death of the Duchess of Cleveland. My Lord [Treasurer says he] will give order speedily for the payment of the half year now due thereupon.
	[Send to the] Commissioners of the Navy and the Commissioners of the Victualling and Mr. Walpole to attend this afternoon at five o'clock.
	[My Lord directs the issue to the Navy Treasurer of] 30,000l. for wages out of the funds in the Exchequer applicable thereto and 5,000l. more for Parliamentary [seamen's] tickets [under clauses 10 and 12 of the Act 4–5 Anne, c. 6].
	The Governor and others of the Bank are called in. My Lord Treasurer considers with them of methods of bringing down the discount of Exchequer Bills. They will offer to my Lord their proposition in writing.
	My Lord desires to speak with the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer next Monday morning. Ibid., p. 127.
Eodem die, afternoon.	Present: ut supra.
	[My Lord orders that] where any of the Queen's officers do receive any specie [Exchequer] Bills at the Exchequer for the service of their respective Offices they are to tender and deliver the same in payment as ready money in those Offices, taking care that the [accruing] interest [for the period] whilst these bills are [dormant] in those Offices be surcharged upon themselves according to the former direction in that behalf: and to acquaint the several persons who receive them that the growing interest with the principal upon such Exchequer Bills will be paid by the Bank of England at their chief office in London whensoever the bearers thereof think fit to demand the same.
	The [Navy] Commissioners and the Treasurer of the Navy are called in. My Lord Treasurer orders that the remainder of the tallies and orders on the Land Tax which were put into the Navy Treasurer's hands as for the Navy and Victualling (having not been exchanged for Exchequer Bills) to wit for three months on their [respective] Courses [the Course of the Navy and the Course of the Victualling] and all the tallies and orders on the Malt Act which were put into his [the Navy Treasurer's] hands for another three months of the said Courses be forthwith assigned to the said Courses: and care is to be taken that when the interest on the Exchequer orders commences the like [interest] upon the [Exchequer] Bills in course do cease. (In the margin: write the letter for the Land Tax tallies first.)
	[Direct the] Excise Commissioners to be here on Monday next in the evening: and my Lord Treasurer to be minded of speaking to them about credit to be given to the brewers for [supplying] the Victualling at Portsmouth and Plymouth [to wit credit for their Duties] for the Excise. Treasury Minute Book XVII, pp. 127–8.
April 29.	Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	Lord Halifax and the Tellers and other officers of the Exchequer are called in. The minute of the 27th inst. [relative to Exchequer Bills] is read. My Lord Halifax thinks it will be for the public service [to operate the said minute] and the Tellers promise to govern themselves accordingly.
	My Lord orders, as the most effectual method to prevent many inconveniences that might otherwise happen to the public, that all Receivers of Taxes and [of] any other public moneys under his Lordship's direction do transact their affairs with the Bank.
	My Lord thinks it will be of service to the credit of the Exchequer Bills in the country if a publication were made by the Receiver [General of Taxes in each respective county] or his deputy upon every [publicly fixed day or time of] receipt that he is obliged to exchange the money in his hands for Exchequer Bills to such persons as shall require the same at the certain place appointed for the keeping of his Register Book and that he is to show to such persons at the same place the Register by him kept of what [Exchequer] Bills he hath exchanged and with whom and their abode: and that every (such) Receiver be directed to make a publication in every market town when he receives the money from the sub-collectors that he shall be ready to exchange the money in his hands for Exchequer Bills at the place where he keeps the Register Book: and that every Receiver should send up a list with all Exchequer Bills paid on his account into the Exchequer; in which list shall be inserted the dates and numbers of the Bills and the abode of the persons with whom they were exchanged or of the collectors from whom the same [other like Exchequer Bills] were received:
	and accordingly my Lord directs that the Agents for Taxes do prepare the necessary directions to the Receivers General strictly and punctually to observe the method abovementioned.
	The Auditors of Imprests are called in and the draft of a privy seal [prepared by them] relating to Mr. Brydges' account for the [Forces in the] Low Countries is read and approved, to wit for the year ended 1706 Xmas.
	The stated accounts of the late Glass Duties are reviewed [and my Lord Treasurer directs that] some further allowances as per the [notes thereof margined in the] accounts are to be made to the late Commissioners provided they forthwith pay in the balance as upon the said state, which the Auditors will give them, and [provided further that they] deliver up the bonds to the [Queen's] Remembrancer to be prosecuted.
	The accounts of Mr. Shales for the encampment at Hounslow Heath in the year 1687; for the Expedition to Salisbury anno 1688; and for transporting Forces to Flanders anno 1689; and for the Expedition to reduce Ireland anno 1689 are read. [My Lord Treasurer] ordered that 1,122l. 4s. 6d. be set in super on Haynes, Meret and Brown. My Lord cannot allow any sum for which there is no voucher or other proof whereupon any legal or equitable allowance can be made, especially when the accounts have been [so long] delayed [as] to bring the Crown into debt [to wit into the payment of interest]. But in regard there may be a colour in some of these cravings (as they are represented by the Auditor) my Lord is willing to move the Queen to grant a privy seal to discharge the balance set on him [Shales] by the Auditors in consideration of all the cravings and pretences set forth in the petition.
	[My Lord orders that] the account of Mr. Hubbald [as now stated and read] is to be prepared for declaration.
	[Similarly] Sir John Gibson's account is to be prepared for declaration.
	The accounts of the late Contractors of the Victualling annis 1672 and 1673 are read. My Lord Treasurer takes notice that the balance is made [struck] by a large computation for interest because the moneys [for repayment of their advance] were not paid precisely at the days appointed, though [in the contract itself] there is no particular covenant for interest: that his Lordship cannot enquire after so many years how far they complied exactly with their own covenants and other facts that were necessary to ground the allowance of so large a sum for interest but is willing to move her Majesty for a privy seal to allow, in consideration of all their pretences, so much as will make the account even. Ibid., pp. 129–31.