Minute Book: February 1679

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 5, 1676-1679. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1911.

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'Minute Book: February 1679', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 5, 1676-1679, (London, 1911) pp. 860-864. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol5/pp860-864 [accessed 19 April 2024]

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February 1679

Feb. 1. Saturday. His Majesty will be at the Treasury Chamber at 4 in the afternoon [of this day] to hear Mr. Ryder touching the Irish [revenue farm] business. The Lord Chancellor, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Attorney General are summoned to attend his Majesty accordingly.
[Day Book p. 148.]
Feb. 8.
Whitehall. Treasury Chambers.
Present : The King, Prince Rupert, Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, Duke of Lauderdale, Earl of Arlington, Secretary Coventry, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Attending : Attorney General, Solicitor General.
It is humbly proposed [as follows] for the management of his Majesty's revenue of Excise for three years to commence from 1680, June 24.
(1) To ascertain [make certain or guarantee] the yearly rent of 560,000l. for the duty on beer, ale and all other exciseable liquors if the Additional duty be continued ; and if the same be not continued [then to guarantee only] the yearly rent of 446,000l. A defalcation [from this rental is to be allowed] after the rate of 40,000l. per an. in respect of the brandy for so long time as the same shall stand prohibited.
(2) To pay [to the Exchequer] the running cash except charges and incidents to the amount of the respective monthly and quarterly payments according to the present covenants.
(3) To account for the overplus above the rents, charges and allowances yearly. The account to be made and adjusted within six months next after the end of each year and the money to be paid by the end of the said six months [the proposers for the farm or management of Excise as herein] being allowed thereout a gratuity of 12d. per l.
(4) Provision to be made that in case (after such overplus paid) by reason of any accident the revenue shall not amount to the rent, charges and allowances [then the deficit is] to be made up out of the overplus paid so far as it shall extend.
(5) For securing the rent [the proposers herein are] to advance 250,000l. by five quarterly payments, the first payment to be at Lady day next and so following or within 20 days after each quarter.
(6) To have interest for the same [advance money after the rate of] six per cent. and gratuity of four per cent. from the respective times of payment until the 24th of June, 1680, and from thence 6 per cent. interest and 2 per cent. gratuity until the respective times of [repayment to them by way of] detainer.
(7) To detain the advance money by such and so many quarterly payments as may make the same secure (struck through) in such manner as is endorsed on the backside. A bond [to be given by the proposers as herein] to secure [to the King the due accounting for and paying to his Majesty] the overplus of the last year [of this farm].
(8) To be allowed for Office charges, etc., 56,000l. per an. ; and for bad debts and accidents 5,000l. per an. ; and for the managers' [or Farmers'] reward 10,000l. per an.
(9) To submit to such other usual and necessary covenants as well on his Majesty's part as on our parts as his Majesty's learned Counsel and ours shall think fit.
(10) No determination [of this farm or management to be made] till a year after warning.
(11) The payments of the interest of the advance money are to be as now [under the existing farm] they are, [that is] quarterly out of the growing rents of the present farm until Midsummer, 1680, and afterwards out of the rents [due] on the succeeding farm till [complete] repayment.
(12) The [Excise of the] four Northern Counties and [that of] Wales to be sub-farmed with the approbation of the Lord Treasurer and none other [County Excise] to be [sub] let without his licence, and the advance money [payable on these sub-farms is] to be lent to his Majesty so as [provided that] the Farmers be secured the repayment thereof.
(13) [The advance money to be repaid to the Farmers by way of detainer out of their rents as follow] :—
If the Additional Duty be not continued [then they are] to detain— If the Additional Duty be continued [then they are to detain]—
20,000l. at Michaelmas, 1680. 30,000l. at Lady day, 1682.
20,000l. " Christmas, 1680. 40,000l. " Midsummer, 1682.
20,000l. " Lady day, 1681. 45,000l. " Michaelmas, 1682.
20,000l. " Midsummer, 1681. 45,000l. " Christmas, 1682.
20,000l. " Michaelmas, 1681. 45,000l. " Lady day, 1683.
20,000l. " Christmas, 1681. 45,000l. " Michaelmas, 1683.
20,000l. " Lady day, 1682.
20,000l. " Midsummer, 1682.
20,000l. " Michaelmas, 1682.
20,000l. " Christmas, 1682.
25,000l. " Lady day, 1683.
25,000l. " Midsummer, 1683.
250,000l. 250,000l.
Mr. Attorney General. By Treasurer Danby's command I send you the above written heads of an agreement between his Majesty and George Dash wood and partners, present Managers of the Excise, for a new farm or management thereof for three years to commence from Midsummer, 1680 ; by which Treasurer Danby desires you to draw your own warrant for preparing the bill to pass under the great seal and that you will use all expedition because the receipt of a great sum depends on signing the warrant : and you may call to your assistance such of his Majesty's Commissioners of Excise as may be necespary for your better information therein.
C. Bertie, Feb. 18.
[Treasury Minute Book VI. pp. 59-60.]
[? Feb. 19.] Heads of an agreement between his Majesty and Bernard Turnor, Esq. and his partners for a lease to be made to them, by the King, of the Excise of Wales, [and of the four Northern Counties, that is] Cumberland, Northumberland, Westmorland and Durham with Newcastle and Berwick.
(1) Mr. Turnor and partners are to advance 20,000l. viz., 13,000l. on signing the first [the King's sign manual] warrant and 7,000l. as soon as the patent passes under seal.
(2) The term to be three years from 1680, June 24.
(3) They are to ascertain [guarantee] and pay to the King the yearly rent of 14,200l. for the four [Northern] Counties and 13,800l. for Wales if the Additional Duty be continued : or if not [so continued, the rentals to be] then 11,309l. 7s. 0d. for the four counties and 10,990l. 13s. 0d. for Wales : to be paid quarterly with such days of grace as the rent for the country Excise is payable by the present Grand Farmers [of Excise].
(4) [The proposers as herein are] to have 6 per cent. interest and 4 per cent. gratuity for the advance money [from the date of their payment of same] till the [date of] the commencement of this farm ; and this interest to be cast up and made principal every six months till that time : and [after that time they are
to be allowed] 6 per cent. interest and 2 per cent. gratuity till repayment : the same [interest moneys] to be detained [by said Farmers in their hands out of their rents due] as follows, viz., at Michaelmas, 1680, so much as shall be then due, and the remainder from time to time out of the last payment of every quarter's rent.
(5) The said advance money to be repaid by retainers [out of their rents as follows], viz. :—
If the Additional duty continue. If it do not continue.
3,000l. at Lady day, 1682. 2,500l. at Michaelmas, 1681.
3,000l. " Midsummer, 1682. 2,500l. " Christmas, 1681.
3,000l. " Michaelmas, 1682. 2,500l. " Lady day, 1682.
3,000l. " Christmas, 1682. 2,500l. " Midsummer, 1682.
4,000l. " Lady day, 1683. 2,500l. " Michaelmas, 1682.
4,000l. " Midsummer, 1683. 2,500l. " Christmas, 1682.
2,500l. " Lady day, 1683.
2,500l. " Midsummer, 1633.
20,000l. 20,000l.
(6) To submit to such reasonable covenants as counsel on both sides shall advise.
Mr. Attorney General. By order of Treasurer Danby I send you the above heads of an agreement between the King and Bernard Turnor and partners by which you are to draw your warrant for a bill to pass the great seal. You are to take notice that in the draft of your warrant for the new farm of the Grand Excise you must except Wales and the four Northern Counties as above and abate the rents to be reserved on this [present] grant out of the [total rent for the grand farm of the] general [Excise] payable by Mr. Dashwood and his partners [so] that the two grants may not interfere.
Charles Bertie, 19 Feb.
[Treasury Minute, Book VI. p. 61.]
Feb. 21. Treasurer Danby directs that Lord Byron's tally be struck for 125l. for last Christmas quarter of his pension of 500l. per an. upon the Excise.
[Ibid. p. 63.]
Feb. 24. Charles Bertie to the Attorney General. Sir. Understanding this day from Mr. Bernard Turnor that be was with Mr. Johnson in order to perfect that part of the warrant which will concern his [Turnor's] farm of [the Excise of] Wales and the four Northern Counties wherein he [Turnor] desires to have some clause inserted to discharge that farm from the proviso of resumption upon the year's notice and also from any danger which may happen to him by the breach of the [Excise Grand Farmers' or] Managers' covenants or non payment of their rent so long as he pays his and performs his covenants, I have acquainted my Lord Treasurer with these desires of Mr. Turnor which his lordship thinks reasonable (being an absolute and distinct farm [and not a sub-farm under the grand farm]) and therefore desires if you have no material objection to it that the warrant [for the bill for the great seal] may be drawn accordingly. And as to the detainers of the 270,000l. advance his lordship agrees it shall be made according to the following scheme out of the monthly and quarterly payments but so as that no detainer be made out of the monthly so long as the quarterly payments are sufficient, viz. :—
If the Additional duty be continued— If it be not continued—
£ £
45,000 at Lady day, 1682. 22,000 at Michaelmas, 1680.
45,000 at Midsummer, 1682. 22,000 at Christmas, 1680.
45,000 at Michaelmas, 1682. 22,000 at Lady day, 1681.
45,000 at Christmas, 1682. 22,000 at Midsummer, 1681.
45,000 at Lady day, 1683. 22,000 at Michaelmas, 1681.
45,000 at Midsummer, 1683. 22,000 at Christmas, 1681.
22,000 at Lady day, 1682.
22,000 at Midsummer, 1682.
22,000 at Michaelmas, 1682.
22,000 at Christmas, 1682.
25,000 at Lady day, 1683.
25,000 at Midsummer, 1683.
£270,000 £270,000
Treasurer Danbydesires that the warrant maybe perfected this night that I may read it over with you to-morrow morning.
[Treasury Minute Book VI. p. 62.]
Feb. 26. Treasurer Danby has this day procured the King's hand to a warrant for a patent for Mr. Dashwood and partners to manage the Excise for three years commencing from 1680, Midsummer, and countersigned the same at [the Privy] Council and gave it to the Attorney General without being entered.
Memorandum : That the patent itself be entered or that a book of it fair written be called for, to remain in this [the Treasury] Office.
[Ibid. p. 63.]
[Feb.] 28.
Treasury Chambers.
Present : Treasurer Danby.
Sir John James, Major Huntington and Mr. Dawson are called in. Treasurer Danby demands of them why they delay assigning orders to. such person as his lordship will direct to the value of 100,000l. upon their [the Excise Managers' credit or loan to the King of] 200,000l. registered on the 412,925l. [part of the 18 Months' tax]. They answer that they have brought their registered orders along with them and are ready to make assignments as his lordship expects.
[Ibid.]