Minute Book: July 1706

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1952.

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Citation:

'Minute Book: July 1706', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706, ed. William A Shaw( London, 1952), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol20/pp86-93 [accessed 13 December 2024].

'Minute Book: July 1706', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706. Edited by William A Shaw( London, 1952), British History Online, accessed December 13, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol20/pp86-93.

"Minute Book: July 1706". Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706. Ed. William A Shaw(London, 1952), , British History Online. Web. 13 December 2024. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol20/pp86-93.

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July 1706

July 2, forenoon. Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. Cartwright's memorial is read. Ordered that the sum of 10,161l. 16s. 8d. [sic for 10,153l. 9s. 1d.] be issued out of Contributions for annuities anno 1706 to Mr. Brydges [Paymaster of the Forces Abroad] on the order in his name for extraordinaries of the War not particularly provided for in the last Session of Parliament ; as in satisfaction for foreign money provided by Sir Henry Furnese to be sent with Earl Rivers for the service of the Forces under his command in the intended Expedition : to wit
£ s. d.
for the value of 4500 Pistols at 17s. 6d. each 3937 10 0
for ditto of 4000 ounces of French Crowns at 5s. 7d. per ounce 1125 0 0
[sic for 1116 13 4]
for ditto of 18,000 ounces of pieces of Eight at 5s. 7¼d. per ounce 5043 15 0
to Sir Henry Furnese for his own commission at 11s. per cent. 55 11 8
£10161 16 8
[sic for £10153 9 1]
[My Lord directs] 10,000l. to the Treasurer of the Navy for Wages. Ibid., p. 252.
July 3. Present : Lord Treasurer.
Sir Christopher Wren is called in. My Lord desires him to view the Paper Office and report what the necessary alterations there may amount to.
Speak with Mr. Travers [the Surveyor General of Crown Lands] about some addition to the Lord Treasurer's stables &c.
[The Gentlemen of the] Bank of England are called in. My Lord recommends to them to fill up the loan on the Malt anno 1706 [to the total of 650,000l. authorised by the Act 4-5 Anne, c. 17] and the more to enforce them to it acquaints them that there is now in his power to apply 18,822l. 14s. 9d. which he can do either to discharge unsatisfied loans on coals granted in the reign of King William which carry 8 per cent. interest or [can apply] to the tallies which they have on the Land Tax anno 3 of the Queen's reign at 5 per cent. : but if they fill up the credit on the present Malt Duty his Lordship will then apply this overplus to their deficiency and give them [the security of] a [formal Treasury] minute in case the Malt [Duty Fund anno 1706] proves deficient [namely a minute to guarantee] to satisfy them out of other money.
The Duke of Ormonde will be here to-morrow.
Send to Mr. St. John [Secretary at War] to be here to-morrow about eleven of the clock.
My Lord directs 4200l. to Mr. Savory for Sick and Wounded. Ibid., p. 253.
July 4, forenoon. Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
[My Lord directs] 500l. to Mr. Roberts in further part of the charges of building a bridge [over the Thames] at Datchet.
[Send a] letter to Mr. St. John [Secretary at War] that my Lord Treasurer has received the Queen's pleasure that the pay of the Earl Rivers as Captain General of the Land Forces going upon the present Expedition, or so much as his said pay shall amount unto, shall be continued and paid to him or those claiming under him from the date of his commission [as Captain General] to Dec. 25 next although he should die sooner.
[Write the] Excise Commissioners and Mr. Newman to attend [here] to-morrow afternoon at 5 o'clock.
Mr. Tyndale to be recommended to the Revenue Commissioners of Ireland for such employment as they shall find him qualified for.
Capt. Cartwright's memorial is read and thereupon [my Lord Treasurer directed] 13,055l. to be issued to Mr. Brydges on the order in his name [as Paymaster General of the Forces Abroad] for extraordinary services of the War not provided for in the last Session of Parliament : and is to be applied and paid over as follows :
£ s. d.
for 84 days' pay by way of advance to the General and other Officers appointed to serve in the present Expedition pursuant to the Queen's warrant 2424 2 0
for medicines provided for the present Expedition 100 0 0
for 91 days' subsistence upon account for the Regiment of Dragoons and the 6 French Regiments of Foot according to their present numbers 8879 6 6
for subsistence to Lord Mark Kerr's Regiment of Foot from 24th June 1706 to Aug. 23 next 1651 11 6
£13055 0 0
The Duke of Ormonde [Lord Lieutenant of Ireland] comes in.
A memorial relating to the Detachments sent to Catalonia is read [and thereupon my Lord Treasurer] ordered that 3672l. be issued to Mr. Brydges on the order in his name for the 5000 men in Catalonia anno 1706 : and is to be paid over to Lord Coningsby, to wit 2700l. for levy money for 900 men detached for Catalonia out of the Regiments of Wynn, Lillingston and Lepell and 972l. for 324 men to fill up the Regiments of Mohun, Dungannon and Caulfeild to the English Establishment at 3l. a man.
Ordered : that the demand of 1350l. for the sea clothing of the said 900 men at 30s. a man be repaid by the Regiments who received the men ; and a warrant is to be prepared by Mr. St. John [Secretary at War] accordingly ; and in the meantime a warrant [is to be prepared] to the Duke of Ormonde to cause the same to be placed to the head of Military Contingencies or Concordatums [Ireland].
[My Lord Treasurer orders] "also a warrant to allow the 450l. 14s. 3d. lost by the clothing of such of the 400 men intended for Newfoundland : out of the revenue of Ireland at large."
[My Lord directs the] issue to Mr. Brydges of 841l. 10s. 7½d. on his order for the 5000 men in Catalonia ; which sum is intended to be on account of subsistence to the Regiments following and to discharge debts by them contracted in Ireland according to a list presented by the Duke of Ormonde viz. :
£ s. d.
Lord Dungannon's Regiment 334 0
Col. Caulfield's Regiment 385 3
Lord Mohun's Regiment 122 7
£841 10
[On the said Duke's representation my Lord Treasurer orders a royal] warrant for increasing La Melloniere's pension of 270l. a year to 300l. Treasury Minute Book XV, pp. 254-5
July 5, forenoon. Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
[The Gentlemen of the] Bank of England are called in. They acquaint my Lord Treasurer that they have agreed to fill up the loans on the Malt anno 1706 [to the Parliament's total of 650,000l. authorised by the Act 4-5 Anne c. 17].
His Lordship agrees that if the said fund shall prove deficient of repaying to them what they shall so lend or any part thereof then the same together with the interest thereof shall be satisfied out of some other fund.
The overplus of the 9d. per barrel for 99 years from 25 Jan. 1692-3 [by 4 Wm. and Mary c. 3] is to be applied to satisfy the loans on the Register of the Land Tax anno 1703.
Send to the Agents for Taxes to send my Lord an account of what they have done relating to the complaint against Mr. Weston. Ibid., p. 256.
July 12, forenoon. Present : ut supra.
[My Lord Treasurer directed] 1000l. to be advanced to Major Gen. Earle "who goes on this Expedition."
[Likewise] 15,000l. to the Treasurer of the Navy for Wages and 7000l. more for Wages [sic for for the Chest under the head of Wages] being intended to be paid over to the Chest at Chatham to enable them to pay a year to the cripples.
[Likewise] 1000l. [to William Lowndes] for secret service : on Mr. Lowndes's unsatisfied order.
[Likewise] 12,785l. 7s. 0d. to J. Brydges [Paymaster of the Forces Abroad] : on the proper [relative] orders in his name : to be issued out of annuity Contribution money in the Exchequer and to be for uses as follows viz. :
£ s. d.
for 3 months' subsidy to the King of Prussia for his Troops in the service of the Duke of Savoy, to wit from July 4 inst. to Oct. 4 next being 50,000 Crowns with agio and exchange included 12500 0 0
for Charles Bouchier Esq. on a warrant signed by the Queen in this behalf being to complete 150l. to him for pains and service in buying horses in Ireland and seeing them shipped for Portugal and for the charges of passing his accounts of money imprested for buying the said horses 139 6 0
on a warrant signed by the Queen for books for the service of the Forces in Flanders and Portugal called the "Soldiers Monitor" 104 1 0
for Lieut. Col. Durand for 84 days' pay as Engineer for the present Expedition "if the Queen has signed a warrant for his appointment" 42 0 0
£12785 7 0
Treasury Minute Book XV, p. 257.
July 16, forenoon. Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
[My Lord Treasurer directs] 15,000l. to the Treasurer of the Navy for the head of Victualling.
[Send word to the Principal] Commissioners of Prizes to be here this afternoon.
Upon reading a memorial of Mr. Whitfeild my Lord orders that there be issued to the Treasurer of the Navy 3334l. 16s. 0d. to be paid over to the said Whitfeild ; and is for 2 months' subsistence for 1278 private men of the Marines from the 24th June last who are ordered on the present Expedition and for the Commission and Non Commission Officers who are to go along with them. Ibid., p. 257.
Eodem die, afternoon. Present : ut supra.
The Excise Commissioners and Mr. Newman are called in and his paper representing his services and want of reward is read.
My Lord says that he remembers that Mr. Newman some time ago said when he had a reward for his past services he would lay before his lordship a scheme for improving the revenues of Excise at least 70,000l. a year : that his Lordship observes that the Excise Commissioners are doubtful whether the Duties on Low Wines will be advanced by the Act passed in the last Session of Parliament [4-5 Anne c. 23], nor do they know whether Mr. Newman was the projector thereof : and therefore his Lordship is resolved not to give him any reward till he lay before him the said proposal. Ibid.
July 17, forenoon. Present : ut supra.
The Principal Commissioners of Prizes and Mr. Brewer and the Attorney General are to attend next Tuesday morning. Ibid., p. 258.
July 23, forenoon. Present : ut supra.
Upon reading the Earl of Ranelagh's answer to the Earl of Essex's memorial for 345l. 13s. 0d. due to him for respits on the Regiment under his command according to the Queen's warrant in that behalf my Lord Treasurer will order the same to be satisfied out of unappropriated money in the Exchequer.
Send to the Auditors of Imprests to distinguish how much of their demand of 682l. 15s. 5d. for passing the Earl of Ranelagh's accounts for the years 1699, 1700 and 1701 is for the allowance of half pay to the Officers of the disbanded Regiments.
The Principal Commissioners of Prizes and Mr. Bruer are called in, the Attorney General being present. My Lord Treasurer orders a letter from the Victuallers to be read wherein they desire that 30,000l. may be ordered forthwith for paying bills of exchange, there being already due upwards of 23,000l. of which 14,800l. is due to the Commissioners of Prizes, the said Commissioners having acquainted them [the Victuallers] that the captors concerned in the prizes to which those bills relate are so clamorous [for their share of the prizes] that they cannot satisfy them.
My Lord says he observes there is a considerable sum remaining in the hands of the Treasurer for Prizes, and therefore in regard such a sum as is demanded by the Victuallers cannot conveniently at this time be supplied to them Mr. Bruer [the said Treasurer for Prizes] should give all the ease he can in this matter ; and that when any money is really wanted to carry on the pays of the captors, upon a signification thereof from the Commissioners of Prizes, my Lord will take care to pay the bills due from the Victuallers. His Lordship says money has no earmark and they ought to accommodate the public service as much as they can.
My Lord Treasurer goes away.
Sir Henry Fumese comes in and tells the Chancellor of the Exchequer that my Lord Treasurer spoke to him as he was going out [and desired him] to give his bills for 2 months' subsistence to the Troops in Portugal and 2 months' subsidy to the King of Portugal : which he [Fumese promises he] will do by this night's post in the cheapest and best manner he can but will come to-morrow and adjust the price [the exchange rate] with my Lord. Treasury Minute Book XV, pp. 258-9.
July 23, forenoon. [sic? for afternoon.] Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Sir Henry Fumese is called in. My Lord says there is occasion to make some remittances to Portugal, as well for the King of Portugal's subsidy as for subsistence to the Forces there on the English Establishment ; and [desired him] that he would give his bills so as to be sent away by this night's mail.
He says he will go to Mr. Brydges's Office and give them [the requisite bills] in the cheapest manner he can for the public service and leave an account thereof at the Treasury.
[Which account he afterwards so delivered in and is as follows] :
Sir H. Furnese's account of bills of exchange for Portugal delivered this day, London July 23
Delivered this day to Capt. Cartwright 3 bills on Lisbon viz.
for the King of Portugal's subsidy [one bill] for 83,333 milreis 333 reis at 30 days' sight at 6s. per milrei 25000l.
for the subsistence of her Majesty's Forces [2 bills viz.]
for 43,6363/8 pieces of Eight at 10 days' sight and for 61,0907/8 pieces of Eight at 20 days' sight 24000l.
Sir Henry Furnese also agreed this day [the exchange rates as follows] for the several foreign coins undermentioned to be sent with my Lord Rivers in the present Expedition viz. :
£ s. d.
20,000 ounces [of silver in] pieces of Eight at at 5s. 7¼d. per ounce 5604 3 4
2500 French and Spanish Pistols at 17s. 6d. each 2187 10 0
provision [as commission to Sir H. Furnese] at 11s. per 100l. 42 17 0
£7834 10 4
Ibid., p. 260.

Footnotes

  • 1. The Act 4 Wm. and Mary c. 3 granted an Additional Excise of 9d. per barrel for 99 years from 25 Jan. 1692-3 as a fund for Annuities at 14 per cent. without survivorship advantage and at 10 or 7 per cent. with survivorship advantage. Clause 25 of this Act laid down that all the surplus of the Fund (after payment of the annuities, rents and interest thereon) should be to the use of their Majesties, their heirs and successors. This clause specifically appropriated to the Civil List for 99 years any surplus of the Fund so granted. This appropriation was not touched by any appropriation clauses of subsequent Acts which dealt with the Excise, that is to say either by the Act of 7/8 Wm. III c. 30 (the Low Wines Act) which charged the Hereditary and Temporary Excise with 6000l. per week as security for a loan of 500,000l. for the Civil List or by the Act of 9 Wm. III c. 23 which provided for 700,000l. per an. for the Civil List, or by the Act of 12/13 Wm. III c. 12 which appropriated to the use of the public the sum of 3700l. per week out of the Hereditary and Temporary Excise. The net result therefore was that this particular Surplus as being part of the Civil List was within the disposal of the King or of the Treasury as representing the King. The legal or constitutional position thus established was not altered by the Act of 1 Anne St. 2 c. 5 anno 1702. That Act declared that certain of the annuities payable under the Act of 4 Wm. and Mary c. 3 had run off by death viz. annuities to the amount of 5277l. per an. and the Act put up an equivalent amount for sale de novo. By so doing it raised a fresh supply of 79,155l. by the sale of such annuities and pro tanto prevented the Surplus from accruing at an enhanced rate. The Annuities Act of 4-5 Anne c. 18 which provided for a further sale of 99 years' annuities left the Act of 4 Wm. and Mary c. 3 untouched and therefore did not affect the Surplus in question but it contained a special clause No. 16, which provided that any accruing Surplus from the funds granted by the new Act should be disposed of only by Parliament from time to time for the public use and service. It is clear therefore that at the time the Lord Treasurer made the above minute he was entirely within his rights and that the Surplus with which he dealt in it was still devoted to the Civil List and was disposable by the will of the sovereign or of his minister, the Lord Treasurer. This constitutional position was radically altered during the Committee debates on Supply for the year 1708 see Commons Journals XV, pp. 506, 527, 558-9. In Committee of the whole House on Supply on the 20 January 1707-8 it was resolved that the surplus of the particular Excise granted by 4 Wm. and Mary c. 3 should be charged towards raising the fund of 40,000l. per an. for sale of Annuities and this provision was incorporated in the Act 6 Anne c. 39, clause 2, for such sale. In this manner the House of Commons deprived the Crown of a source of revenue conferred upon Wm. only a few years before. This history of this particular Surplus so far as it can be traced in the revenue accounts up to 1705 is as follows :—
    Payments out of the Surplus.
    £ s. d.
    in the financial year ended March, 1694 to the Earl of Ranelagh 30000 0 0
    " " " March, 1695 nil
    " " " March, 1696 to Mr. Knight towards supplying the Deficiency of the Duty on Salt at Michaelmas 1695 towards answering the annuities charged thereon 13600 0 0
    " " " March, 1697 nil
    " " " March, 1698 nil
    " " " March, 1699 nil
    " " " March, 1700 nil
    " " " March, 1701 nil
    " " " March, 1702 nil
    " " " March, 1703 nil
    " " " March, 1704 nil
    " " " March, 1705 principal repaid on the Land Tax anno 1703 9620 0 0
    interest on ditto at 5 per cent. 319 18 5
    The account of the fund itself for the last named year, ended Michaelmas 1705 is as follows :— Additional 9d. per barrel Excise for 99 years from 25 Jan. 1692 by 4 Wm. and Mary c. 3.
    receipts. per contra.
    £ s. d. £ s. d.
    net. 152331 13 1 on annuities at 14 per cent. 125531 15 1
    " " 7 per cent. with survivorship advantage 7638 4
    on account of management 1468 7
    out of the Surplus of this Fund at Midsummer 1705
    by principal repaid on the Subsidies [Land Tax] granted for the year 1703 9620 0 0
    by interest on the same Fund at 5 per cent. 319 18 5
    £144578 5 8