Treasury Minutes: May 1717, 2-31

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 31, 1717. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1960.

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'Treasury Minutes: May 1717, 2-31', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 31, 1717, (London, 1960) pp. 13-20. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol31/pp13-20 [accessed 14 April 2024]

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May 1717, 2–31

May 2.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer [Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
The Agents for Taxes attending according to order are called in. They present a certificate of the arrears of the fifth 2s. Aid in the hands of the several Receivers [General] from the year 1715 to 1717: upon which my Lords made the following orders:
[John] Nuttal and [James] Marten [Martin], Receivers for Co. Surrey: a Distringas to go out against the acting [Assessment] Commissioners of the Hundreds where the arrears are standing out. The Agents for Taxes to take care accordingly.
My Lords upon observing that there is a great sum of money in the hands of Mr. Douglas, Receiver of the Land Tax for Scotland, direct the Agents [for Taxes] to enquire of the Paymaster of the Forces whether there is any necessity for reserving, for the service of the Forces [in Scotland], money belonging to the public in the hands of the [said] Receiver.
A certificate is read of the money paid into the Exchequer on the sixteenth 4s. Aid for the year 1716 with an account of the remains in the hands of the respective Receivers [General] and the arrears standing out [uncollected] in the country.
My Lords direct the Agents for Taxes to prepare letters from time to time to be signed by one of the Secretaries of the Treasury to hasten Receivers who are backward in their payments.
My Lords are pleased to make the following observations and directions upon inspecting the states of the accounts of the following Receivers [General]: viz.
[Francis] Manaton, Receiver for Co. Cornwall: [his re-appointment for the current year's Land Tax is ordered to be] Respited.
[Edward] Conway, Receiver for Cos. Denbigh, Flint &c.: Respited.
Thomas Ashby, Receiver for Co. Herts: a letter to be sent to him to know in what Divisions in that county the arrears stand out.
John Harleis [Harneis], Receiver for Co. Lincoln: Respited.
Thomas Clifford, Receiver for Co. Monmouth: a letter to be prepared and sent to the [Assessment] Commissioners in the country.
Richard Hampton, Receiver for Co. Merioneth &c.: Respited.
John Cooper, Receiver for Co. Northampton: a letter [to be sent] ut supra.
Gerrard Croker, Receiver for Co. Oxford: Respited.
John Bowdidge, Receiver for Co. Somerset: Respited.
A letter ut supra to be sent to the [Assessment] Commissioners of Land Tax in Co. Surrey.
The like to the [Assessment] Commissioners in Co. Sussex: John and Nicholas Dee, Receivers.
A like letter to the [Assessment] Commissioners of South Wales.
A like letter to the [Assessment] Commissioners of Whitehall and St. James's to know [of them] in what districts the money standing out lies.
The petitions of the several Receivers who are not respited [in which petitions they pray re-appointment for the 1717 Land Tax and offer their securities] are to be referred to the Agents for Taxes, who are to examine the sufficiency of their respective securities.
Prepare a warrant granting the reversions of the offices of the Auditors of Imprests to Mr. Benson and Mr. Wortley Montague and send the draft thereof to the Attorney General for his approbation. Treasury Minute Book XXIII, pp. 100–1.
May 3.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer [Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
The Surveyor General of Crown Lands &c. [et al.] attending according to order is called in. Several of his reports are read upon petitions for renewing terms in leases &c. and warrants are ordered pursuant to the said reports.
Prepare a paper book to insert [therein] from time to time the names of all persons recommended to any offices in the Revenue, with the names of persons recommending, the names of the offices and the dates of the warrants.
The Treasurer of the Navy [is] called in. He presents a memorial for the following sums: which are agreed to [by my Lords and are ordered to be paid] out of the residue of the 100,000l. in his hands on the Vote of Credit: viz.
£ s. d.
to the head of Wages.
to pay off his Majesty's ships Rochester and Chester
10,792 0 0
to the head of Wear and Tear.
for the old and new Course of the Navy
1,396 4 10
£12,188 4 10
Ibid., p. 102.
May 7.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
Send to the Agents for Taxes to transmit to my Lords a list of all Receivers [General] of Taxes who have demands or cravings for their extraordinary charges; and an abstract thereof [showing] whether they be reported or not, distinguishing [in the said list those] who complied with the late Act [1 Geo. I., St. 2, c. 36] for clearing their accounts before Michaelmas last and [those] who did not and how much remained due to the Crown from the latter. Ibid., p. 103.
May 9.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer [Stanhope], Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
My Lords upon application from the Duke of Montagu et al. [desiring my Lords] to order the [Great] Wardrobe to provide Standards for the four Troops of Horse Guards and two Troops of Grenadiers pursuant to the Lord Chamberlain's warrant in that behalf do concur in opinion with the late Lords of the Treasury (as per their minute of 25 July 1716) [ut supra, Calendar of Treasury Books, Vol. XXX, p. 33] that the Standards &c. ought to be provided by the Commanders of the respective Regiments at the best and easiest rates and that an account of the charge should be exhibited to the Secretary at War who is to be directed to prepare a [royal] warrant for reimbursing the said Officers out of [Army] Contingencies.
[My Lords order] the Under-Secretary of State's first clerks and the chamberkeepers of the two Secretaries of State's Offices (as by the account and memorial of William Jones in their behalf) to be paid 55l. 5s. 0d. by the hands of Mr. Lowther [being for their] fees for passing several commissions [for the Commissioners employed] in regimenting the persons employed in the Yards at Portsmouth, and the charges for stamping the same; the good of the service requiring the immediate despatch [of the said commissions, for which reason] they were not delayed on account of fees.
My Lord[s] upon perusing Mr. Lowther's account of money paid to witnesses for detecting frauds in Chelsea Hospital direct Mr. Cracherode to consult the Attorney General whether he thinks it necessary that the said payment should be continued: and to make a report thereof to my Lords. Ibid., p. 104.
May 10.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Lord Torrington, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
Mr. Brent, one of the Commissioners of Customs in Scotland, [is directed by my Lords] to finish his affairs here as soon as may be and to return to his post.
The Treasurer of the Navy is called in. He presents a memorial for money for the Navy [and thereupon my Lords order issues as followeth]: viz.
£
for half a year's pay for Deptford and Woolwich Yards 25, 461
whereof 5,787l. 11s. 8d. out of tallies and orders remaining in the [said] Treasurer's hands on the Vote of the House of Commons; 6,495l. 3s. 8d. out of money in the said Treasurer's hands on credit of the said Vote and the remaining 13,178l. 4s. 8d. out of tallies and orders on the Land Tax anno 1717 which [tallies] my Lords order to be struck.
Prepare a warrant for 800l. for secret services: in the name of Mr. [William] Lowndes. Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 105.
May 14.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer [Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
Prepare a warrant for his Majesty's signature granting the office of Usher of the Custom House in reversion to [John] Norris [son of Sir John Norris, Kt.]: for life.
My Lords read a letter from the Duke of Bolton, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, as follows:
6 May 1717. My Lords: I have made choice of Mr. Webster, one of your Lordships' clerks, for my Secretary in the affairs of Ireland. With a view to do him service and not to remove him from the settlement he hath made in the Treasury to a preferment which though beneficial to him is but precarious in its duration, I therefore desire your Lordships will please to give him leave of absence, and that he may enjoy his salary and not suffer in his pretensions in the [Treasury] Office whilst he is in my service.
This my Lords is but a reasonable request in behalf of a gentleman who hath served 26 years in the Treasury under very small encouragement and will be esteemed as a favour done [to me].
My Lords do agree to the request of the said Duke made in Mr. Webster's behalf and every part thereof and have ordered this minute to be made accordingly.
My Lords upon reading a petition of Thomas Herbert setting forth his service in increasing the [revenue from the] soap Duty, do order a warrant to the Excise Commissioners to pay him 200l. out of the moneys arising or arisen by the said Duty: [to be as] in full of all pretensions and to give the Treasury no further trouble. Ibid., p. 106.
May 15.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
My Lords by the commands of his Majesty direct an order to be entered in the Treasury Books that no offices, employments, places of trust, commissions &c. shall henceforward pass by grant from his Majesty for life or lives or quamdiu se bene gesserit or for any term of years whatsoever, except such offices as are to be so granted according to ancient custom or usage: and that his Majesty will hereafter grant no reversion of any office whatsoever. Ibid., p. 107.
May 16.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Lord Torrington, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
Issue 4,000l. to Mr. Henning for the Privy Purse.
The Treasurer of the Navy is called in. He presents a memorial for 29,620l. to pay off and lay up his Majesty's ships as follows:
£
on the head of Wages.
for paying off and laying up the Solebay
9,175
for paying off and laying up the Shoreham 4,631
for paying off and laying up the Rose 7,947
for paying off and laying up the Oxford 7,867
£29,620
At his motion and request my Lords order towards the same the sum of 20,000l., part of 50,000l. directed by warrant of May 7 [inst.] in tallies and orders on the Land Tax at 4 per cent. to redeem a like sum with like interest on tallies on the Land Tax anno 1716: of which 50,000l. the sum of 30,000l. is towards redeeming the said tallies and orders and the said 20,000l. towards wages as above.
Further my Lords order tallies and orders to be struck for 43,169l. in the name of the Treasurer of the Navy on the Land Tax anno 1717 at 4 per cent.: of which sum 9,620l. is to complete the abovesaid 29,620l. for paying off ships as above: and the remainder thereof, being 43,169l. [sic for 33,549l.], to be to the head of Wear and Tear and to be for Portsmouth and Plymouth Yards for 1715 Xmas quarter and 1716 Lady day quarter. Ibid., p. 108.
May 20.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer [Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
[Write] to Mr. Clayton to attend to-morrow.
See what is due to complete Michaelmas [quarter for the] coinage tin according to the contract [with the Tinners]. Ibid., p. 109.
May 21.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
Mr. Sloper for the Earl of Lincoln [Paymaster of the Forces] is called in. He presents a memorial [for money for the Forces. There-upon] my Lords order [issue of] the sum of 27,748l. (upon the unsatisfied order in the name of the said Earl and out of loans to be made by himself on credit of the Land Tax anno 1717, for which loans the tallies are to be struck and repayment orders are to be drawn without interest): to be applied to the services as follows:
£ s. d.
in full of 1,206l. 16s. 0d. voted for the pay of additional men taken to reinforce the Garrison of Edinburgh Castle.
to answer his Majesty's warrant of 1 March 1716–17 for payment of the said additional Officers from the 25th July 1715 to the 15th March 1716–17 with the bounty money on their disbanding
1,206 16 0
in further part of 959,943l. 1s. 10½d. voted for Guards and Garrisons anno 1717.
towards completing the subsistence and clearings to 24 June 1717 of eight Regiments of Foot and five of Dragoons ordered for Ireland in lieu of the like numbers to be disbanded there
20,000 0 0
for bounty money to the non-commissioned Officers and sentinels ordered to be disbanded to reduce the said 13 Regiments to the numbers of the Irish Establishment 739 8 0
in part of 26,894l. 8s. 4d. voted for 28 Companies of Invalids anno 1717.
for completing the subsistence and clearings of 28 Companies of Invalids ordered to be disbanded to the 15th March 1716–17
5,801 16 0
£27,748 0 0
(Letter of direction dated May 22 hereon.) Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 110. Disposition Book XXIII, p. 290.
May 22. Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer [Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Wallop, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
My Lords direct that all the money in the Exchequer arisen by the loan on tin and the money in the Exchequer arisen by the sale on [of] tin be issued to Edward Elliot, Esq., Receiver and Paymaster [of tin], to complete the payment and satisfaction for the tin coined in Cornwall and Devon at Xmas 1716, [to wit] in manner following:
£ s. d.
out of moneys arising by the sale of tin 16,384 11
out of loans on sale of tin 5,580 0 0
£21,964 11
[My Lords direct] Mr. Lowther to pay 91l. to Mr. Willis, [the King's] Decypherer, for the charges and taxes on his salary.
Prepare a [royal] warrant for 1,000l. for secret service: in the name of Mr. [William] Lowndes.
My Lords upon reading the underwritten copy of a letter from Mr. Tho. Bambridge to Mr. Lowndes dated May 22 are pleased to agree thereto:
Sir,
Sir Biby Lake having made a proposal to satisfy General Wills the debt by him claimed from Robert Peters et al. I am to request you will acquaint the Treasury Lords thereof to the end that their Lordships' pleasure may be suspended on any petition or memorial preferred by Peters his creditors until Wednesday sevennight by which time I expect the General's answer to such proposal as is made and sent to him by the last night's post.
Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 111.
May 23.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
Write to the four Tellers of the Exchequer for an account of the sum total of Exchequer Bills [received and remaining in hand or unissued] in their respective Offices upon the several heads of Revenues and Taxes.
[Write the] Surveyor [General] of Woods [North and South Trent] to attend on Thursday morning next.
[My Lords order a money] warrant for 53l. 15s. 0d. to George Tilson, Esq., to reimburse the like sum by him advanced to Capt. Williamson towards the charges of his journey to Holland to take care of Baron Gortz during his confinement: Mr. Lowther [is] to pay the [Exchequer] fees on the receiving the same. Ibid., p. 112.
May 25.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Mr. Wallop, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
My Lords direct a warrant to the Auditor of the Receipt to strike tallies on the Land Tax anno 1717 for 100,000l. in the name of the Earl of Lincoln [Paymaster of the Forces, as for loans to be made by him on the said fund of Land Tax, the tallies and the repayment orders to be drawn] without interest; the said tallies and orders being intended to be reserved in the hands of the said Paymaster to attend the directions of the Treasury as to the applying and disposing thereof. Ibid., p. 113.
May 30.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: the Chancellor [of the Exchequer, Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Wallop, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
Mr. Sloper, for the Earl of Lincoln [Paymaster of the Forces], is called in. He presents [a request for money for the Forces in the form of] the following memorial:
£ s. d.
in further part of 959,943l. 1s. 10½d. voted for Guards and Garrisons anno 1717.
for one month's subsistence May 26 inst. to June 24 next to the Regiments, Troops and Companies provided for in the above sum (exclusive of the 13 Regiments transferred to the Irish Establishment)
44,082 11 9
for completing the subsistence and clearings to June 24 next of eight Regiments of Foot and five of Dragoons ordered for Ireland in lieu of the like number to bedisbanded there 16,214 0 0
in further part of 34,7422l. 14s. 2d. voted for Guards, Garrisons &c. in America [sic for the Forces in the Plantations] anno 1717.
for one month's subsistence to June 24 next to the Regiment and Independent Company provided for in the above sum [see Commons Journals, Vol. XVIII, p. 483. The vote covered Col. Alexander's Regiment, the four Independent Companies at New York, four ditto at Annapolis Royal, four ditto at Placentia, one ditto at Bermudas and two ditto at Jamaica]
2,092 0 0
in part of 13,551l. 9s. 5d. voted for provisions for the Garrison of Gibraltar anno 1717.
to Thomas Missing, Esq., Contractor for victualling the Garrison of Gibraltar, for provisions furnished by him between 8 Oct. 1716 and 27 Jan. following
5,430 4
£67,818 16
My Lords direct this sum out of Land Tax tallies in the hands of the Paymaster [of the Forces: on which tallies or the relative repayment orders my Lords direct the] interest to commence from the day the sale of the said tallies shall be made. [The relative letter of direction on this minute takes the form of a letter dated May 31 from C. Stanhope, a Treasury Secretary, to the Earl of Lincoln, Paymaster of the Forces, to raise the said 67,818l. 16s.d. by an absolute sale of tallies and orders for that sum on the Land Tax anno 1717 at par and to negotiate “the said loan” at 4 per cent. interest from the day the sale shall be made.]
Write to the Agents for Taxes to certify to my Lords what sums of money are due and in arrear from Mr. Bangham, Receiver General [of Taxes] for Co. Hereford, distinguishing what is actually in his hands and what stands out in the country. Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 114. Disposition Book XXIII, p. 293.
May 31.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: the Chancellor [of the Exchequer, Stanhope], Lord Torrington, Mr. Wallop, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Micklethwaite.
Write to the Agents for Tin in Cornwall and Devon to send an account to my Lords of what sums are in their hands arisen by the sale of tin.
Make a state of the payments to French Protestants from the [time of the] King's accession. Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 115.