December 1647: An Ordinance for defraying the Sallaries and Charges of the Committee, and Sub-Committees of Accompts.

December, 1647

[17 December, 1647.]

Chamber lain of London to receive arrears.; Treasurers to receive arrears in; respective counties.; Salaries of officers and charges of Committees to be paid out of arrears; Overplus.

Whereas the Arrears due unto the State upon Severall Accompts out of which the salaries of the severall Registers, Accomptants, and other Officers of the Committee, and SubCommittees for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom, and the necessary incident Charges of the said Committee, and Sub-Committees for House Rent where they sit for that Service Books, Paper, and the like, should be defrayed, have been by divers late Ordinances of Parliament disposed of in most Counties to the use of the said Counties, or otherwise, or else are payable to proper Treasurers formally appointed by Order or Ordinance of Parliament, whereby the taking of the said Accompts is much obstructed, and like to fall to the ground for want of Monies to defray the Officers salaries, and the necessary incident charges of the said Committees, and Sub-Committees, Be it therefore Ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Chamberlain of London for the time being, shall have power to receive Arrears due upon any accompt taken before the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdome, And that the severall Treasurers appointed by the Committee, and Sub-Committee of Accompts, in any County, to receive the Arrears due upon Accompts within the said County, shall have power and Authority by vertue of this present Ordinance to receive all Arrears, discovered and found by them to be due upon any Accompt taken by them in those respective counties, notwithstanding any former Ordinance, or Ordinances to the contrary. And the said Chamberlaine of London, and the said Treasurers, shall from time to time out of the said Arrears pay unto the severall Officers, and other persons imployed by the said Committee, and respective Sub-Committees, such summe or summes of money for their Salary and pains, as have or shall be allowed them according to the Ordinance of the 26 June 1645, and to defray the necessary incident Charges of the said Committee, and Sub-Committees for House Rent where they sit for that Service, Books, Paper, &c. and shall pay all the overplus of the said arrears (if any be) unto the proper Treasurers appointed by any Act or Ordinance yet in force to the uses therein limited.

In case arrears due insufficient for such salaries and charges, how to be made up.

And that in case the Arrears due upon Accompts payable to the Chamberlaine of London, shall not be sufficient to defray the said Salaries and necessary incident charges of the Officers of the Committee in taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdome; That then the fifteene hundred pounds formerly appointed to be paid unto them out of the Excise, by an Ordinance of the fifth day of June last past, shall be paid to them accordingly, otherwise the said Ordinance for the said fifteene hundred pounds shall be void and null.

Proviso.

Provided that the severall summs of money to be issued out for the payment of the Salaries of the Officers of the Committee and Sub-Committees for taking the Accompts, and the incident Charges aforesaid shall be from time to time issued out by the said Chamberlaine of London, and the severall respective Treasurers aforesaid, by Warrant under the hands of the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdome, or any five of them, to such person or persons as shall be comprised in the said Warrants; And that the said Warrant or Warrants, together with the Acquittances of the said person or persons therein comprised, shall be a sufficient discharge unto the said Chamberlaine and Treasurers for the severall summes so issued