Treasury Minutes: March 1717, 2-26

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

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'Treasury Minutes: March 1717, 2-26', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 31, 1717, (London, 1960) pp. 5-8. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol31/pp5-8 [accessed 19 March 2024]

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March 1717, 2–26

March 2.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
Mr. Burnbury lays before my Lords two anonymous letters whereby 20 guineas were demanded of him, in which are contained several scandalous reflections; and the bringer of the said letters who calls himself by the name of Blackmanship being now in custody, my Lords direct Mr. Cracherode to prosecute all persons concerned in this practice.
Prepare a [Treasury] warrant for the remainder of the 15,822l. 8s. 7d. interest due to Scotland by way of Equivalent according to the [Scotch] Lord Chief Baron's report.
My Lords order the salaries of the Agents for Forfeitures and their clerks to be inserted in the quarterly demands of the Commissioners [for Forfeitures]. Ibid., p. 80.
March 4.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
Issue 7,812l. 15s. 10d. to the Treasurer of the Chamber [for the charge in his Office] to Xmas 1716.
The Attorney General attends and is called in as also the Commissioners for Forfeitures, Sir Robert Raymond and Mr. Ward, counsel for the late Duchess of Ormonde and Lady Elizabeth Butler, her daughter, in relation to the dispute about the manner of paying the annuity granted by his Majesty's letters patent to the said ladies.
Upon hearing them my Lords would be advised whether the trustees to whom the estate of the late Duke of Ormonde in Ireland is granted and who are accountable for the profits arising from the said estates should not give directions for appointing some person to receive the same.
The opinion of the Attorney General is [that] the trustees only are empowered to appoint a Receiver who is to pay the money granted by the patent according to the direction therein and to return the rest of the money into the Exchequer for the use of the public.
The counsel for the late Duchess [of Ormonde] will prepare a power for the trustees to give [to] Mr. Henry to receive the said rents and pay the money given to the said late Duchess and Lady Elizabeth Butler and return the rest into the Exchequer: and the Attorney General is to peruse the same. Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 81.
March 7.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Lord Torrington.
The [King's private] pensions and [bounties payable by the hands of] Mr. Clayton are ordered [to be paid] out of money remaining in the Receipt of the Exchequer applicable to the uses of his Majesty's civil Government.
“to pensions payable by Mr. Clayton, Xmas quarter 1716, 10,725l. 12s. 11¾d.
Prepare a [royal] warrant for 500l. to Roger Thorpe as of his Majesty's bounty: Mr. Lowther to pay the [Exchequer] fees [on the issue thereof]. Ibid., p. 82.
March 9.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
The following proposal of Mr. Beranger to the Earl of Lincoln [Paymaster of the Forces] for remitting the subsistence for the Forces at Minorca and Gibraltar is laid before my Lords by Mr. Sloper and agreed to:
London, 21 Feb. 1716–17.
I propose to give my bills for the subsistence of his Majesty's Forces at Minorca and Gibraltar, viz.
for Minorca my bills at sight at 54½ pence per piece of Eight.
for Gibraltar my bills at sight at 54 pence per piece of Eight: for such sums as the service shall require and to be paid [for the same] out of the next Land Tax.
M[oses] Beranger.
Direct the Treasurer of the Ordnance to raise the sum of 12,000l. by an absolute sale of tallies and orders for that sum on the Land Tax and Malt Duties anno 1716 at par “and to negotiate the said loan” at an interest after the rate of 4 per cent. per an. from the day the sale shall be made. In the margin: Land Tax 10,000l; Malt 2,000l.
Issue 30,000l. to the Treasurer of the Ordnance: out of the loans remaining in the Exchequer on credit of the vote (fn. 1) of the House of Commons. Ibid., p. 83.
March 14.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: ut supra.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer comes in and signifies his Majesty's pleasure that the late Lords Carnwath and Nairne have an allowance of 3l. per week each for their subsistence in the Tower, to commence from — and to be paid by the hands of Mr. Cracherode.
And also that the Count de Gyllemborg have an allowance of 100l. per month as long as he shall remain a prisoner in Plymouth Castle and that the Governor of said Castle have 200l. issued to him without account for fitting up lodgings in the said Castle accordingly. Ibid., p. 84.
March 20.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Lord Torrington, Mr. Edgcumbe.
[My Lords order] Mr. Corbiere to be paid at the rate of 200l. per an. as his salary: from Xmas last.
[My Lords order payment of] 20l. to — James [as royal] bounty: by the hands of Mr. Lowther.
The reports of the Agents for Taxes on the petitions of several Receivers General [of Taxes] are read, craving allowances upon their accounts. My Lords direct them to be laid before the House of Commons pursuant to their precept of the [14th] inst. (fn. 2)
My Lords read the draft of a power from the trustees in whom the estate of the late Duke of Ormonde is vested, appointing Hugh Henry, Esq., of Dublin, [to be] Receiver of the rents thereof, together with the Attorney General's opinion and approbation [and] directing the payment of 2,000l. per an. to the late Duchess and 10,000l. to Elizabeth Butler pursuant to his Majesty's grant in that behalf grounded upon an Act of Parliament. (fn. 3)
My Lords after directing Mr. Clayton, solicitor for the said late Duchess, to consult the Attorney General about some further alterations which my Lords think necessary to be made therein, do agree that the draft so amended be engrossed to be signed by the trustees and a copy to be entered in the Treasury Books.
My Lords direct 8,400l., out of money in the hands of the Treasurer of the Navy, to be applied by him to the head of Wages.
[My Lords further order the] Treasurer of the Navy to reserve in his hands 12,000l. (part of the 100,000l. lately issued to him out of the loan on Land Tax anno 1717) to answer bills of exchange to be drawn on the Victualling Commissioners by the Agent Victualler of the Fleet going to the Baltic, for supplying the said Fleet with provisions whilst they are there. Treasury Minute Book XXIII, p. 85.
1717.
March 25.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Lord Torrington, Mr. Edgcumbe.
Issue 219,859l. 18s. 9d. to the Earl of Lincoln [Paymaster of the Forces] out of loans on credit of the Vote of the House of Commons, [and is] to complete four months' subsistence and pay upon account to the Regiments and Companies provided for in the sum of 959,943l. 1s. 10½d. “voted for Guards and Garrisons anno 1716 [sic for anno 1717, and is to cover the said subsistence and pay] from the 25th day of Dec. 1716 to the 24th April 1717 both inclusive.” Ibid., p. 86.

Footnotes

  • 1. The Vote of Credit was as follows (Commons Journals, Vol. XVIII, p. 492, 5 March 1716–17). Resolved. nemine contradicente that whoever shall advance or lend any sum not exceeding 600,000l. for the services of the public by sea or land shall be repaid the same with interest at 4l. per cent. out of the first Aid to be granted this session of Parliament.
  • 2. (Commons Journals, Vol. XVIII, p. 508, 14 March 1716–17.) A petition of Thomas Newsham, James Phillip, John Turner, Thomas Clifford, George Howell, Samuel Clark, Lawrence Ambrose, Thomas Richers, Caleb Powell, John Dee and Thomas Lloyd on behalf of themselves and several other Receivers and late Receivers of the public taxes and their sureties, and of the executors and administrators of others was presented to the House and read, setting forth that the petitioners many times bring up very considerable sums of money in specie and are at very great charges in having persons to guard the same, for which the Government thought it reasonable to make them allowances; and in expectation of having such allowances upon subsequent accounts they gave credit to the Government in subsequent disbursements upon the like occasions; and in order thereto the Treasury conceiving the same reasonable to be done, referred these matters to be adjusted by the Agents and Commissioners of Taxes, who made reports of the same; and thereupon the petitioners were in hopes of having such allowances; in which cases they were ready to make up their accounts and pay their balances into the Exchequer and thereby to have freed themselves and their sureties from the great securities [bonds] they had given the Government: but they were informed that the public money out of which they used to have such allowances was appropriated and that there were not money applicable to their satisfaction: and praying that their hard cases may be taken into consideration to prevent the utter ruin of them and their families and to afford them relief therein.The matter was referred to a strong Committee. The Committee reported on the 29th March that the allegations were true: “upon consideration whereof the Committee have thought proper to state the case of the Receivers under the following heads:(1) They find that all the Receivers except seven hereafter particularly mentioned have cleared their accounts to the end of the year 1714 and though they then owed nothing to the Government yet have allowances reported by the Commissioners for Affairs of Taxes to be due to them, amounting to a considerable sum, which remains unsatisfied by reason all the money [? Land Tax money] in the Exchequer is appropriated.(2) It appears that although Mr. Howell, late Receiver of South Wales, hath not passed his accounts yet when the allowances reported [as] due are made good to him his balance will be overpaid; and that Mr. Brougham, the Receiver for Cos. Cumberland and Westmorland, and Mr. Parran, formerly Receiver for Co. Oxford, have not passed their accounts, but their allowances already reported and the future claims they have to make will very near balance the same.(3) That the three Receivers hereafter mentioned, viz., Mr. Thomas Lloyd, late Receiver for Chester and North Wales, Mr. Bradgate for Leicestershire and Mr. Brown for part of Norfolk appear to be indebted to the Government over and above the allowances reported to be due to them; and that Mr. Dixon, Receiver for Somersetshire, who has absconded for some years, is indebted a great sum, which the Government is in danger of losing through the insolvency of him and his securities.The Committee do further represent that there are several of the petitioners and other Receivers General who have not petitioned or had any reports for allowances for several years in which they have been employed; so the Committee could not examine their claims: but on inquiry do find that they have cleared their accounts to the end of the year 1714 except as before excepted: and many of them ought in justice to have proper allowances when they shall make application for the same.[Upon this Report the House] Ordered that it be an Instruction to the Committee of the whole House to whom the Bill for charging and continuing the Duties on Malt, Mum, Cyder and Perry for the service of the year 1717 is committed that they have power to receive a clause for the relief of the Receivers General of the Public Taxes.
  • 3. Act of 1 Geo. I, St. 2, c. 17, for the Attainder of James, Duke of Ormonde. Private Act of 1 Geo. I, St. 2, c. 41, for vesting several manors, messuages, lands and hereditaments late of Charles, Earl of Dorset and Middlesex, whereof James, late Duke of Ormonde, at the time of his attainder was seized as surviving trustee named in the will of the said Earl, in new trustees and their heirs upon the same trusts.