Minute Book: May 1715, 24-31

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1957.

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'Minute Book: May 1715, 24-31', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715, (London, 1957) pp. 263-266. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol29/pp263-266 [accessed 26 April 2024]

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May 1715, 24-31

A FRESH TREASURY COMMISSION.
1715
May 24.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.
Present: Charles, Earl of Carlisle; Sir Richard Onslow, Chancellor and Under Treasurer of the Exchequer; Sir William St. Quintin.
His Majesty's Commission under the great seal of Great Britain, bearing date the 23rd of this instant May is read whereby his Majesty revokes his letters patent dated Oct. 13 last appointing Charles, Lord Halifax (afterwards Earl of Halifax and since deceased), Sir Richard Onslow, Bart. (then and still Chancellor and Under Treasurer of the Exchequer), Sir William St. Quintin, Bart., Edward Wortley, Esq., and Paul Methuen, Esq., to be Commissioners for executing the office of Treasurer of the Exchequer and [in lieu thereof hereby] constitutes the Rt. Honble. Charles, Earl of Carlisle, and the said Sir Richard Onslow, Sir William St. Quintin, Edward Wortley and Paul Methuen to be his Majesty's Commissioners for executing the said office of Treasurer of the Exchequer with power to confirm and approve all those orders and warrants which have been already signed by the late Commissioners and [which] remain unexecuted and which to the said Commissioners shall seem reasonable and for his Majesty's service.
Mr. Wortley comes in.
Mr. Aislabie, Treasurer of the Navy, attending is called in. My Lords consider the letters sent from the Admiralty proposing that out of the money which was lately ordered for putting ships out of pay (in regard there is no opportunity at present of applying it to that use) there may be forthwith paid one quarter more to the Yards and two months (to wit March and April last) to the Course of the Navy: also another letter from the Admiralty that instead of two months’ Course to the Navy one month may be paid to the Course of the Navy and one to the Course of the Victualling:
And likewise a memorial signed by the said Treasurer of the Navy:
And thereupon [my Lords] are pleased to direct that 72,000l. intended for putting ships out of pay as aforesaid be applied as follows: viz.
£
to complete 69,776l. for half a year to the several Yards ended at Lady day 1714 39,776
for one month's Course to the Navy ended 31 March last 14,702
for the same month's Course to the Victualling 13,244
for the further carrying on the pay due to [Naval] Officers who have passed their accounts 4,278
£72,000
A letter is read from the Duke of Somerset desiring 6,000l. for the extraordinaries of his Majesty's Stables, which my Lords do order accordingly; [to be issued] out of the money in the Exchequer applicable to the uses of his Majesty's Civil Government. Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 91.
Attached to the above page in the Minute Book there is a loose note as follows:
Memorandum: On the 18th May 1715 upon presenting to the House of Commons a petition of Francis Beaumont for 54,750l. 2s. 8d. due to him for winter forage [supplied to the Forces] in Flanders anno 1712 or 1713 out of the 300,000l. granted in the last Parliament upon account of the debts of the Army, a debate arose in which Mr. Robert Walpole, Mr. John Smith, the Lord Coningsby et al., did affirm that the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury had power to pay that debt without troubling the House, and a tacit consent was given for payment thereof accordingly [see Commons Journals XVIII, p. 124. The debate and tacit consent are not there entered].
May 25. Present: Earl of Carlisle, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
A letter dated the 20th inst. is read from the Secretary to the Commissioners for Chelsea Hospital desiring the like subsistence to nine persons therein named who have given informations upon oath of frauds committed in relation to outpensioners [of said Hospital] as is already allowed to nine others who formerly gave informations upon oath of abuses in relation to the said outpensioners. My Lords direct the same [subsistence] from the date of the said letter [and to be paid] weekly. And my Lords direct Mr. Borret to attend to-morrow morning to give my Lords an account of what proceedings have been had against the persons accused.
The report of the Board of Works concerning the repairs to be made in the Mall is read and approved.
A letter from Mr. Secretary Stanhope is read signifying his Majesty's pleasure that 200l. be paid to Don Emanuel Mercader or his order for the joint use of the Deputies from the island of Minorca. My Lords direct a warrant to be prepared accordingly.
A Committee of the East India Company attends and are called in. They congratulate the Earl of Carlisle upon his being First Commissioner of the Treasury and recommend the Company to his protection and then withdraw.
Mr. De Gols, attending from the Bank, is called in. He says the Bank desire to know when my Lord Carlisle will give them leave to wait upon him at this place.
My Lord [Carlisle] answers whenever twill be most convenient for them; that his Lordship is here every day. Ibid., p. 92.
May 27. Present: Earl of Carlisle Sir William St. Quintin.
The [Principal] Officers of the Works are called in. Their report on the Lord Chamberlain's letter concerning a parketed floor for Madame Schuylenberg's lodgings is read and approved: also for making a pair of stairs into the Gallery belonging to the Young Prince his apartments; and for repairs in the Mall [likewise] read and agreed to.
As to the King's pleasure signified by my Lord Chamberlain for making six Luthern Lights into the Great Drawing Room at St. James's against the King's birthday my Lord [Carlisle] tells them they must take care to comply therewith though the time has been too short [for my Lords] to send them orders in the manner prescribed by the New Instructions [relative to the undertaking of works and repairs by the said Office of Works].
As to a representation of the Board of Works that they have with a very great deal of application in about ten days or a fortnight gone through the examination of part of the bills [for works and repairs] for February and all those for March last which remained unpassed by the former Board of Works, and desire to know whether according to the letter of their Instructions my Lords will require them to reexamine all the bills passed by the former Board of Works which remain unsatisfied, in regard there were great deductions made when those bills were passed and for that it will take up three or four months’ time and consequently keep the creditors of the Office so much longer out of their money; or whether their Lordships will dispense therewith.
My Lords are pleased to direct that the new Board of Works do re-examine all the bills passed by the former Board for works performed since his Majesty's accession to the Crown: but as to the bills passed for works performed in her late Majesty's reign not yet satisfied my Lords will not expect their further examination thereof. Ibid., p. 93.
May 31 Present: Earl of Carlisle, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
At the recommendation of my Lord Chancellor my Lords are pleased to appoint Mr. Cracherode to be Solicitor of the Treasury in the room of Mr. Borret: at the like yearly allowance of 500l. for salary for himself and for clerks and in lieu of bills; as was enjoyed by the said Mr. Borrett.
[My Lords order] the warrants to be prepared for his Majesty's royal sign manual for appointing the respective Clerks of the Works following: viz.
Nicholas Hawkesmore for Whitehall, Westminster and St. James's.
Henry Joynes for Kensington.
Thomas Kynaston for Somerset House.
Andrew Jelfe for Newmarket.
William Dickenson for Winchester.
Thomas Fort for Hampton Court.
Thomas Rowland for Windsor.
The Treasurer of the Navy is called in. His memorial [for money for the Navy and Victualling] is read. [Thereupon my Lords] ordered [issues as follows] out of moneys in the Exchequer of loans on this year's Land Tax [1 Geo. I., St. 2, c. 1]: viz.
£
for wages, to put the Queenborough out of pay 9,300
for [Naval] Officers who have passed their accounts 5,000
£14,300
Mr. Walpole comes in. His memorials [for money for Guards and Garrisons] are considered and thereupon [my Lords] ordered issues as follows out of loans on the Land Tax anno 1715:
£ s. d.
in part of 425,900l. 14s. 6d. for Guards and Garrisons anno 1715.
upon account of subsistence from 25 Dec. 1714 9,210 14
for one month's subsistence from 26 May to 24 June 1715 23,676 19 3
in part of 57,759l. 14s. 7d. for Forces and Garrisons in Minorca anno 1715.
for two months’ subsistence to the four Regiments there from 25 June to 24 Aug. 1715 5,933 15 6
for Contingencies for the same time 334 4 7
in part of 37,192l. 14s. 9½d. for Forces and Garrisons at Gibraltar anno 1715.
for two months’ subsistence as above to the three Regiments there 3,865 17 6
for Contingencies for the same time 167 2
in part of 35,912l. 19s. 2d. for Forces in Flanders anno 1715.
for two months’ subsistence as above to the three Regiments there 4,468 5 0
£47,656 18 2
Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 94. Disposition Book XXIII, p. 67.
Eodem die,
afternoon.
Present: Earl of Carlisle, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quint in.
[My Lords direct the issue of] three quarters to the Band of [Gentlemen] Pensioners to Lady day 1715.
[My Lords order] what [is] due to the Stables in the time of the late [Treasury] Commissioners, [as grown due] since his Majesty's accession to the Crown, to be paid: and a warrant to be prepared for what [grew] due in her late Majesty's time to Xmas 1713.
[Write to] the Solicitor General to come to my Lords about the Commission to be passed to Mr. Layton, Mr. Merryll and Mr. Crispe to state the debt to the late Marine Regiments.
[My Lords order] a warrant [to stop process against the Land Tax Commissioners for Whitehall] reciting the special matter contained in the memorial of the said Commissioners in relation to the arrears due for [salaries of Household officers in and about] Whitehall, and to stop process. Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 95.