|
| April 7. |
42. Charles Carkesse to John Scrope, dated from the Custom House, London, concerning the plundering of the “Anna and Helena,” a Dutch ship lately stranded in Bigbury Bay, near Kingsbridge, Devonshire. The country gentlemen, with the assistance of the Custom House officers, saved part of the cargo, but the country people in a violent manner carried off the remainder. 2 pages.
Appending:—(a.) Copy of instructions from the Customs Commissioners, London, dated 1738, March 28, to the Customs officers to assist in saving and recovering the plunder. 2 pages.
(b.) A letter from William Cowell and Thos. Tremlett, Custom officers at Dartmouth, dated 1737–8, March 24, to the Customs Commissioners concerning the plundering as above. “The people about Bigbury bay, having I been used to plunder ships and cargoes for so many years and gone unpunished, we apprehend that all ships that shall be forced on shore for the future will suffer the same fate as this ship and the ship Britannia, William Moverly master, lately did unless a military force be quartered in the neighbourhood. 2 pages.
[Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII. No. 40.] |
| April 10. |
43. Royal sign manual to the Clerk of the Signet attending for preparation of a bill to pass the Privy Seal appointing, in accordance with the Act of 10 Geo. II., for explaining the Act of 12 Anne relating to Players of Common Interludes, a salary of 400l. per an. to Walter Chetwynde, nominated by the Lord Chamberlain of the Household, and hereby approved and appointed by the King to be Examiner of all interludes, tragedies, comedies, operas, plays, farces or other entertainments of the stage under what denomination soever; and of 200l. per an. to Thos. Odell, gent., to be Deputy Examiner of the aforesaid particulars under the said Chetwynde: to be payable quarterly from Christmas last: payable out of the Civil List revenues.
[King's Warrant Book XXXIII. p. 40.] |
| April 11. |
44. Treasury warrant to the Auditor of the Receipt to make forth 250,000l. in Exchequer bills on Malt 1738, to complete 750,000l. thereon.
Memorandum:—By warrant, dated 1738, May 4, a loan of 116,700l. on malt next in course was signed, anything in the aforegoing warrant notwithstanding.
[Money Book XXXIX. p. 195.] |
April 13.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers. |
45. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
Orders for the following issues out of the Civil List Revenues:— |
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
To the Treasurer of the Chamber on bills for 1737, Michaelmas quarter |
7,594 |
9 |
4 |
|
To the Privy Purse |
3,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Steuart, for Lady Lovelace and Mrs. Bodens |
130 |
0 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Schutz, for the Robes |
867 |
2 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Robinson, Resident at Vienna |
1,556 |
0 |
0 |
|
To the Works, for Mr. Bridgman, 1738, Lady Day quarter |
944 |
1 |
3 |
The letter from Mr. Carkesse to Mr. Scrope of the 6th instant read relating to the ship La Marie Perreine and her cargo seized at Falmouth, and desiring that the prosecution may go on against the said ship, so that the next term may not be lost by staying the same. The said letter and the accompanying paper to be transmitted to Mr. Stone to be laid before the Duke of Newcastle in answer to a letter from his said Grace's office of January 24 last.
The letter from Mr. Carkesse of the 7th instant read relating to the orders given by the Customs Commissioners for discovering, &c., the plunderers of the cargo of the Anna and Helena, a Dutch ship lately stranded in Bigbury Bay. “As my Lords are only informed by this letter of the orders given their Lordships will wait the effects of these orders before they transmit the proceedings on this affair to my Lord Harrington, pursuant to His Majesty's pleasure herein.”
The report of the Customs Commissioners of the 30th ult. read on the Duke of Dorset's memorial concerning smugglers escaped from Dover Castle. Ordered to be transmitted to the said Duke for his consideration.
“Read a report dated 20th December 1737, signed by the Commissioners of Customs and Commissioners of Excise in Scotland, about the allowance to soldiers assisting the revenue officers in making seizures, and as the said Commissioners are of opinion that in case the rule of distributing the produce of seizures in England should take place in Scotland the public revenue would be diminished, my Lords conceive the practice in Scotland with respect to such rewards must be continued.”
Order for the surplusages, due to the representatives of Mr. Missing on his declared accounts for victualling Gibraltar and Annapolis, to be paid out of unappropriated moneys remaining in the Exchequer.
Same for a sign manual for the issue of 3,000l. to Mr. Selwyn, the late Queen's Treasurer, towards discharging debts and accounts of her late Majesty remaining unsatisfied at her decease.
Same for the issue, out of supplies anno 1738, to the Paymaster General of the Forces of 98,485l. for two months' subsistence to the Forces to 1738, June 24, pursuant to his memorial of the 6th instant. [Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. pp. 72–3.] |
| April 14. |
46. J. Scrope to the Stamp Commissioners, for an account of the gross and net produce of that part of the stamp duties under their management, which is appropriated towards making good the debt from the Masters in Chancery from the commencement thereof to the termination of the accompts for the same, distinguishing each year. [Letter Book XIX. p. 469.] |
| April 17. |
47. Same to the Lord Chamberlain, granting Viscount Shannon permission to enclose with boards so much of St. James's Green Park as will make a square of the breadth of the garden of a house in Arlington Street, which he has purchased and is intending to pull down, said garden looking into said park, all with the object of making a square enclosure to dispose rubbish in during the rebuilding of said house.
Prefixing:—Said Viscount's petition to the Treasury for the same. [Lord Chamberlain's Warrant Book II. p. 102.] |
April 18.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers. |
48. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
Orders for the following issues out of the Civil List Revenues: — |
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
To the Cofferer of the Household, for imprest to purveyors and in part of 31,840l. for 1737, Christmas quarter |
6,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Walton by Sir Theodore Janssen |
293 |
14 |
0 |
|
To the Earl of Jersey |
500 |
0 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Lowther |
2,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Hoare, for the Hospital at Bath |
200 |
0 |
0 |
|
To Mr. Francis Manning by Mr. Stewart, for six months to 1738, Lady Day |
200 |
0 |
0 |
Order for a warrant for the Earl of Warwick's pension to be paid to 1738, Lady Day.
The memorial of the Paymaster of the Forces of the 14th instant, enclosing Sir Joseph Eyles's proposal for remitting subsistence money to the Gibraltar and Minorca garrisons read and agreed to as follows, the rates of exchange being certified to be as usual, viz.:—15,850 dollars for Minorca, payable in gold at sight, at 55d. per dollar; 22,500 dollars for Gibraltar, payable in gold at sight, at 54½d. per dollar.
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 74.] |
| April 18. |
49. Treasury warrant to Dudley Ryder, Attorney General, to file an information in the nature of a Quo Warranto in the Kind's Bench against the Master and Co-Brethren of the House or Hospital of St. John Baptist, Bedford, to the intent the pretensions of the said Master, &c., and His Majesty's right and title to the said House or Hospital and its lands, &c., may be examined and determined.
Prefixing:—Said Ryder's report to the Treasury on George Williams' petition concerning the premises.
[Warrants not relating to Money XXVI. p. 62–3.] |
| April 18. |
50. Order by the Auditor of the Receipt to the Tellers at the Exchequer for the payment of 4,270l. to Sir Everard Fawkener, His Majesty's Ambassador to the Grand Signior, whom His Majesty has appointed Ambassador and Plenipotentiary for the mediation of a peace or truce between the Czarina and the Grand Signior and their confederates, being his ordinary entertainment of 10. per day for 427 days, viz., from 1736, August 25, the date of his commission for that purpose, to continue during his absence from Constantinople and to determine on the day of his return thither, to 1737, October 26 inclusive, being the day he returned from Bada-Dagh (to which place he went for the purpose aforesaid) to Constantinople, as by the Duke of Newcastle's certificate. [Order Book XVI. p. 454.] |
| April 18. |
51. Warrant under the royal sign manual to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to perform works and repairs and the provision of new gun carriages at Fort Charles, near Kinsale, at an estimate as below.
Appending:—Estimate, dated 1737, July 23, by John Corneille, second Engineer at Fort Charles, of said works and repairs. (Total, 2,301l. 4s. 5d.) [Irish Book IX. pp. 127–30.] |
| April 20. |
52. The Duke of Newcastle to the Treasury, dated Whitehall, conveying the King's pleasure that Brigadier-General Anstruther, Lieutenant-Governor of Minorca, should provide the necessary wood and oil for the garrison of St. Philip's Castle by a credit upon the Paymaster General of the Forces. 1 page.
[Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII. No. 44.] |
April 25.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers. |
53. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington Lord Sundon Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
“Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer will take the King's pleasure on Mr. Sheffeild's petition (now read) to be reprized the moneys by him paid on a contract of the late Duke of Bucks for suppressing of certain alum works in order to raise his own works, which are since reverted to the Crown, for the time the Crown was possessed of and had the benefit of the said works, amounting to about 800l.”
Order for the issue, out of public funds anno 1738, of 23,000l. to the Treasurer of the Navy to complete 43,000l. for services specified in his memorial of the 20th instant.
The report of the Customs Commissioners of the 20th instant read on the petition of Thomas More, bail for two persons arrested (and since fled) for unshipping 13 pieces of Holland from Flanders without payment of duty. The case to be proceeded with this term unless the single value of the goods and the cost of prosecution be paid.
Mr. Carkesse's letter of the 18th instant read, transmitting by order of the Customs Commissioners copies of letters from the collector and Comptroller of Dartmouth and collector of Plymouth, giving an account of their proceedings in bringing to justice the persons concerned in plundering the cargo of the Dutch ship Anna and Helena, lately stranded on the coast of Devonshire. Ordered to be sent to Lord Harrington to be communicated to the Dutch Envoy for his information.
“Read the Duke of Newcastle's letter, dated the 14th instant, for my Lords to receive the King's pleasure on Mr. Villett's bill, craving 469l. 9s. 9d. paid by him to Mr. Allen, whom he succeeded as His Majesty's Secretary at Turin. This is look't upon as a double payment, and my Lords decline movings. His Majesty therein, for that the Privy Seal for the 40s. a day to Mr. Villett determines Mr. Allen's allowance from the time Mr. Villett's commences.”
Order for the issue, out of the Civil List Funds, of 10,539s. for the services specified in Mr. Scrope's letter to the Exchequer.
“Catherine Alexander, widow, is to be paid 120l., as the King's bounty, by the hands of Mr. Lowther, and this payment is to be noted in the book of the late King's arrears against the name of the said Catherine Alexander, who had a pension of 200l. per an. in the Pension Office.”
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 75.] |
| April 26. |
54. Report to the Treasury from Dudley Ryder, Attorney General, on the petition of Thomas Paget, Inspector of Prosecutions in the Exchequer Court, relating to uncustomed and prohibited goods, as to the stoppage of his allowance of 12d. per £ on a sum of 3,096l. 2s. 5d., being his Majesty's share of 9,288l. 7s. 2d., recovered in Michaelmas term last from the East India Company on a seizure of prohibited goods.
Finds that petitioner's office was first erected in 1686, when John Pearse was appointed for one year by virtue of a warrant from the Earl of Rochester, then Lord High Treasurer, of date 3 June 1686, “to take care that informations concerning uncustomed and prohibited goods be effectually prosecuted, and that the fines and recoveries be duly brought to the King's account.” By another Treasury warrant of 1687, August 4, issued in pursuance of a report from the Customs Commissioners, Pearse was ordered an allowance of 1s. per £ for the half-year's service, being 233l. 11s. 8d. on a sum of 4,671l. 13s. 10d., certified to be paid into the Exchequer for fines and forfeitures in the six months ending the December preceding. By another warrant of 1687, November 14, Pearse was appointed to the same office till further order. In 1689 Richard Hosier was appointed by a Treasury warrant and with the like allowance. In 1712 William Wynd succeeded Hosier by letters patent under the Great Seal 5 February, 1 Geo. I., with the title as above. Petitioner Paget was appointed 2 February 1727, loco Wynd, with the like fees, allowances, profits, &c., enjoyed by any former Inspectors. The Treasury have never issued any instructions for the office, but in the 20 December 1733 the Customs Commissioners issued instructions to Moses Montel, deputy to Paget in said office. The allowance of 1s. per £, as above, has never been established, and rests only on the above warrant of 1687, August 4, and subsequent practice. The method of payment hitherto has been for the Customs Commissioners, upon a certificate from the Pell office of money paid into the Exchequer, to make an order for the payment of the allowance thereon to the Inspector out of the Customs. Said Commissioners have not been guided by any certain rule in their judgment as to the sort of forfeitures liable to the above fee. Several forfeitures on prosecution have been treated as not so liable, particularly all excise cases. Cases of forfeitures determined by Justices of Peace were also exempted till 1728, when a case was stated for the Attorney General's opinion, who gave in favour of the Inspector, since which time his fees on such goods have been allowed. Details the precedents for refusal or otherwise of fees on sums recovered in particular from the East India Company. “The first warrants and the patents, tho' they vary in some of the particular expressions that constitute the office, yet all agree in confining the duty of it to the prosecution of uncustomed and prohibited goods. The present case is clearly not within the former sort, and the latter, called prohibited goods, has a known signification in the customs laws, and is never, I think, understood to include goods that may be lawfully imported into and used in Great Britain, merely because they are carried into a foreign country, the exclusive trade to which is granted to a particular company for its private interest.” 7 pages.
Appending:—(a.) Said petition of Thomas Pagett to the Treasury, with Treasury order of reference, dated 1737–8, January 31, to the Attorney General. 2 pages.
(b.) Affidavit by Moses Montell, appending (c.) infra. 2 pages.
(c.) Copy of an entry from the Records of the Exchequer Court referred to in (b.) supra. 1 page.
(d.) A further representation of said Pagett, dated 1737–8, March
22. Together with an extract from the Customs Commissioners' instructions, as above. 3 pages.
(e.) Affidavit by Moses Montell, appending (f.) infra. 1 page.
(f.) Copy of statement of opinion by P. Yorke, then Attorney General, dated 1728, November 1, as above, on the Inspector's right to fees on seizures condemned in other than the Exchequer Court. 1 page.
(g.) Copies certified by Charles Carkesse of the various warrants, &c., relating to the appointment of said office and its holders, taken from the books in the Customs office. 4 panes.
(h.) Extracts, certified by same, of the various orders for the payment of poundage to the various successive Inspectors, as above. 7½ pages.
[Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII. No. 45.] |
