Warrant Book: Miscellaneous year, 1704

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 19, 1704-1705. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1938.

'Warrant Book: Miscellaneous year, 1704', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 19, 1704-1705, (London, 1938) pp. 562-565. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol19/pp562-565 [accessed 24 April 2024]

Miscellaneous year, 1704



June 1.	Report to Treasurer Godolphin by the Earl of Ranelagh [as late Paymaster General of the Forces] and William Blathwayt [as Auditor General of the Plantations] on the petition of Robert Livingston as by the order of reference of 1704 April 29 supra p. 217. Petitioner prays payment of several sums, salaries and disbursements and of interest money, all for services by him performed in New York. We distinguish his pretences under two heads, what relates to the military part and what only concerns the Civil Government and revenue. As to the military part he claims allowance of the following sums :
		New York money.			Sterling.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
	for interest of several sums amounting to 1149l. 16s. 11½d New York money, advanced by him for the service of the Forces upon the Establishment of the Army	882	6	8¾	678	14	5
	for interest of 853l. 10s. 9½d., New York money, disburst by him for victualling the Forces from 1 May 1698 to 25 March 1699 at 8 per cent. "and for which there will be issued Parliamentary debentures"	341	8	4	262	12	6
	for 1½ years' salary as Commissary of the Provisions to the Forces, from 1st May 1699 to 1 Nov. 1700 at 2s. 6d. a day	68	15	0	52	17	8
	for 4 months' victualling the Forces [the 4 Companies there] from 25 Dec. 1699 to 26 [24] April 1700	328	3	10	252	9	1
	for interest of the said 4 months' Victualling [from the said 24 April [1700] when the said sum became due to March 25 last]	102	16	7	79	2	0
		£1723	10	5¾	£1325	15	8
	For the first article the petitioner has produced the royal warrant of 30 Jan. 1695-6 to the Governor of New York to state his account of interest for several sums amounting to 1149l. 16s. 11½d. New York money (or 884l. 9s. 11d. sterling) disbursed by him for the service of the Forces and for the payment thereof out of the revenue there : whereupon an account of interest at 8 per cent. was stated, allowing him 882l. 6s. 8¾d. New York money (or 678l. 14s. 5d. sterling). It appears by a report of a committee of the Council there dated 1702-3 Feb. 20 that he had not received any satisfaction for said interest sum. Petitioner now prays payment thereof out of the surplusage of the 30 per cent. arising by the difference of the exchange on the Forces' Establishment there, alleging that the civil revenue (out of which he was to have been paid according to the abovesaid royal warrant) was diverted and applied to the service of the Forces there for want of the necessary supplies from hence and the rather because the revenue of New York (as we are otherwise given to understand) will not suffice to answer these demands. We think this request may be granted. For the second item, as above, the petitioner produces a certificate dated 9 Nov. 1700 from the late Lord Bellomont certifying that 1196l. 4s. 3d. New York money (or 920l. 3s. 3d. sterling) was due to petitioner, whereof the said sum of 853l. 10s. 9½d. is part : for which sum he desires interest to be paid out of the said 30 per cent. "for that the like favour" of interest had been granted him by his Majesty's warrant aforesaid upon a report from the Treasury Lords dated 2 Jan. 1695-6. For the third item as above, petitioner produces a commission from the Earl of Bellomont dated 13 April 1698 to him to be Commissary of the Provisions for one year, in which post he actually served 2½ years and received one year's salary at 2s. 6d. a day ; as appears by a report of a committee of the Council of New York dated 20 Feb. 1702-3 [as above]. We are of opinion he has an equitable title to the said salary as having performed that service and that he may be paid out of the 30 per cent. surplusage. As to the 4th item as above the said sum of 328l. 3s. 10d. is included in the aforementioned certificate of the late Lord Bellomont dated 9 Nov. 1700, which he prays may be allowed him out of the subsistence of those [the 4 New York] Companies for the said time remaining still in arrear. We think he may be allowed same out of such pay. As to the fifth article of 102l. 16s. 7d. we submit the same to [the decision of] your Lordship. As to the other part of his demands, which relates to his office as Secretary to the Indian Affairs, we find he had a commission from Wm. III dated 27 Jan. 1695-6 wherein he is appointed Secretary or Agent of the Indian Affairs in New York with a salary of 100l. sterling per an. from 25 March 1695 ; from which time to 25 March 1704 he claims 1170l. New York money (900l. sterling), of which he has received only 32l. 10s. 0d. New York money or 25l. sterling. We find by the abovesaid report of the Committee of Council of New York dated 20 Feb. 1702-3 that he was thereby allowed only 192l. 9s. 5d. New York money or 148l. 1s. 1d. sterling, he being suspended from 17 Sept. 1696. Against this he produces another report from the late Earl of Bellomont (in pursuance of his [late] Majesty's Instructions in that behalf) stating that he found the said Livingston a person fit and capable to execute the said office and that nothing had been offered against him to render him undeserving of his Majesty's favour : as also a letter from Lieut. Governor Nanfan to the Commissioners of Trade dated 21 Aug. 1701 which alleges that petitioner continued in that office and did very considerable service to the Government in it. He further craves 191l. 2s. 0d. New York money (or 147l. sterling) for interest for 682l. 10s. 0d. New York money (or 525l. sterling) part of the salary claimed by him as Secretary of the Indian Affairs "for which" he had received several warrants under the hand of the late Lord Bellomont. He likewise alleges that the said warrants were received by him as ready money the 25 Sept. 1700 "and as such disposed of" but that the payment of them being afterwards stopped by my Lord Bellomont (as appears by a minute of the Council of New York) he had been forced to re-take them and to raise money at 10 per cent. to satisfy his creditors. But inasmuch as his pretensions relating to his office of Indian Secretary are matters that concern the Civil Government of New York (the salary being made payable out of that revenue) and that no resolution has been given therein by the Lord Cornbury, the present Governor [of New York], upon a report made to his Lordship by three members of the Council [there] we think that this matter may be referred to the Governor and Council of New York. Out Letters (Plantations Auditor) II, pp. 219-225.
July 25.	Report to Treasurer Godolphin from the Earl of Ranelagh [as former Paymaster General of the Forces] and William Blathwayt [as Auditor General of the Plantations] on the memorial and demands of Robert Livingston pursuant to the order of reference of the 17th inst. supra p. 306. We have reviewed our former report [of June 1 last supra p. 562] together with the certificate of the Comptrollers of the Accounts of the Army and the Act of last Session [2-3 Anne c. 1 cl. 5] relating to the application of the 30 per cent. saved by the exchange to New York. We think the sum of 882l. 6s. 8¾d. New York money (or 678l. 14s. 5d. sterling) should be paid out of said 30 per cent., having been stated in pursuance of King William's warrant and allowed as by a report from a Committee of the Council of New York. So likewise 68l. 15s. 0d. New York money (or 52l. 17s. 8d. sterling) to make up his salary as Commissary of Provisions to 1 Nov. 1700, he having performed that service. As to the 341l. 8s. 4d. New York money (or 262l. 12s. 6d. sterling) for interest, he has produced to us a report of the late Treasury Lords to the late King advising that he should have 8 per cent. interest (being the usual rate of interest allowed in New York) as well in justice to himself as for encouragement of others to be serviceable to his Majesty on the like occasion. For these reasons, and in regard that 656l. 11s. 4d. is now issued to him in debentures upon the Forfeited Estates in Ireland which he is obliged to dispose of at a very great discount) we think that the said 341l. 8s. 4d. New York money or 262l. 12s. 6d. sterling may be satisfied out of the said 30 per cent. The said 30 per cent. surplus amounts in all to 2991l. 4s. 1¾d., whereof the Commissioners of Accounts of [the Debts of] the Army have certified 533l. 10s. 1¼d. to the several Officers directed to be satisfied out of the same ; for which debentures are now issuing to them accordingly. So that 2457l. 14s. 0½d. remains to be disposed of. We think it a proper fund for satisfying petitioner's said three articles amounting in all to 994l. 4s. 7d. There will then remain 1462l. 9s. 5½d. of said fund for disposal. As to the 252l. 9s. 1d. due to him for 4 months' victualling and 79l. 2s. 0d. for interest thereof we find that the said four Companies have received no part of their pay for the said four months for want of muster rolls, which have miscarried at sea or otherwise. "But when your Lordship shall be pleased to direct in what manner they [the musters] shall be computed and order money for that purpose, we see no reason why petitioner should not be satisfied his said principal demand of 252l. 9s. 1d. out of the subsistence of the said Companies and his said craving of 79l. 2s. 0d. for interest out of the said surplus of 30 per cent." Out Letters (Plantations Auditor) II, pp. 225-8.