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| 1724. |
1. Particulars of the causes under prosecution with the states thereof. Prepared by A. Cracherode, showing the name of the plaintiff and defendant in each cause and an epitome thereof. 31¼ pages.
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2. Two accounts connected with the Treasurer of the Chamber's department and a letter relating to the defraying “the expense of the ensuing Maundy.” 11 pages.
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3. Letters from the Lord Chamberlain and Vice-Chamberlain of the household to the Lords of the Treasury, viz.: (1) for payment of 5l. a week to his Excellency Hag Abdeleader Perez, Ambassador from the Emperor of Morocco for his diet; (2) for 300l. for Mr Kent, who had finished the Presence and Council Chambers ceilings, in grotesque painting, according to the designs shown to his Majesty; (3) for 500l. to Sir Clement Cotterell, Master of the Ceremonies, as a present from his Majesty to Mons. Chavigny, Envoy Extraordinary from France; and (4) for 500l. to the Ambassador from the Emperor of Morocco, and 100l. each to his companion and secretary, and 50l. for clothing for the Ambassador's slaves. 5 pages.
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4. Various papers connected with the Civil List; principally accounts of the debt. 11 pages.
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5. Reports of the Comrs of Customs to the Lords of the Treasury, including letters from their Secretary: (1.) On the memorial of the Earl of Cadogan for exemption from customs, of four small pieces of hangings after the manner of Tenniers, and two pieces of the History of Jupiter, from Holland; which served as furniture in his house at the Hague, when he was ambassador there. [The Comrs have no objection thereto.] (2.) On the petition of Richard Page, whose father was seised of certain lands in the parish of Harrow, Middlesex; petitioner was seised of lands for life and copyhold there, &c. His father was security for certain tobacco merchants who failed, and an extent was issued against his father, and a second extent against petitioner's copyhold lands: prays for stop of prosecution. A trial of the case was recommended to ascertain if any of the lands are copyhold. [Minuted:—“Process to be stayed till the next issuable term. L~re writ. 15th Febry 1723.”] (3.) On the petition of Bridget, wife of Wm Botting, of Nuthurst (Sussex), for a reward for discovery of certain persons who assaulted the Officers of Customs of the port of Lydd. (4.) Letter and memoranda as to Treasury fees for London and out-ports and Plantation Establishment. (5.) Enclosing “list of superannuated officers at pension.” (6.) On the baggage of Count Starembergh, the Emperor's Ambassador, and Mons. Chavigny, Envoy from the Court of France. (7.) On the memorial of the Comrs of Customs in Scotland relating to the impresting money by the Receiver General, at Edinburgh, to the Collector of port Glasgow. Minuted:—“Agreed to. Warrt signed 21st May 1724.” (8.) On the petition from William Broderick, Esq., late Attorney General of the Island of Jamaica, for a reward for his services. (9.) On Mr Rogers' bills for expenses in suppressing smugglers and owlers. [Minuted:— “Wart signed in full of all his demands.”] (10.) Memorial (without report) relating to a warrant issued for John Brown to be collector of Pocomock in Maryland. [Minuted:—The Comrs to grant ye deputation to Brown. Letter signed 14 July 1724.] (11.) Laying before their Lordships an account of the produce of the revenue, viz., the further subsidy of tonnage and poundage and other duties, &c. 64 pages or parts of pages.
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6. Memorials of the Comrs of Customs for Scotland to the Lords of the Treasury:—(1.) About the establishing of officers at Glasgow Town, &c. [Minuted:—“13th May 1724. To Commrs Cust. in Scotl. to use their endeavours with the magistrates & merchts of Edinburgh & Glasgow to make them agree to the continuance of the execution of this method for another year & that the officers presented in this memll are to continue to act in the same manner & to be paid in the same way they now are for the time this method shall be continued.”] (2.) On the neglects of Mr Charles Eyre, solicitor to the Board. He has been one great occasion that the provisions of law against clandestine trade have been eluded, and advantages given to the unfair traders openly to insult the officers of the revenue and carry on their illegal designs with impunity. Recommending his dismissal and the appointment of Mr Peter Wetherburne, advocate, practising in the Exchequer Court. (3.) For a clause in an Act to be obtained to restrain the extravagant number of landing places in use in Scotland. (4.) On taking illegal fees from the merchants. Have discovered “that a great scene of fraud and corruption has been carried on by several of the officers at Leith. The salaries are so low that there is a temptation to accept bribes. Advise that the officers should have better encouragement, and that instead of the five land-waiters on the present establishment at 35l. per ann., and two coast-waiters at 25l. each, the office of coast-waiter, as distinct from land-waiter, should be sunk, and instead thereof, four land-waiters and two coast-waiters be appointed land-waiters and coast-waiters at 45l. per ann. each, and some other minor changes. Propose also to fill up vacancies from the outports, to make the officers more vigilant, and less liable to corruption, from the expectation of preferment to a better salary. (5.) For sinking the officers on the establishment of Lewis and Campbeltown. (6.) On the repeated complaints from the officers of Glasgow Town that they are not only insulted by the common people in the execution of their duty, but that the provost there, with some of the justices of the peace, instead of supporting them, have in several instances made use of their authority to obstruct them. “As such proceedings are contrary to law, and as these magistrates assume a power of determining seizures which the law vests in the Court of Exchequer only”, they are advising with the Lord Advocate as to the method they can be most effectually prosecuted, and accordingly shall proceed against them as far as the law will permit. (7.) Concerning the Receiver General's office. (8.) On the Order of Council of 21 June 1714, “that no person is to be admitted into any employment in the customs in any of the out ports of Great Britain who are inhabitants in such out ports,” proposing for the better service of the revenue, to revive that practice in future presentments to their Lordships for supplying vacancies. [Minuted:—“24th 9br 1724. My Lords concur with their presenting.”] (9.) Encloses copy of the opinion of the King's Advocate upon the obstruction of the Justices of the Peace, offered to the officers at Glasgow Town in the execution of their duty. His opinion is “that there is no law obliging merchants to take permits, by reason whereof the justices cannot be prosecuted.” Also two other papers on the same subject. One being a representation of the justices of the peace for the shire of Edinburgh [which is in the same terms as that of the justices for the shire of Clackmannan noticed in this Calendar under 17 Nov. 1724]. 42 pages.
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7. Estimates of extraordinary and other expenses connected with the land forces; also an estimate of the charge of the office of ordnance. (The last document is in duplicate, but one copy has an additional signature.) 8 pages, 13 lines.
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8. Reports of the Comrs of Excise to the Lords of the Treasury relating to:—(1) receipts from the “duty on malt for the Lottery 1722”; (2) the smugglers concerned in “the murder of Purchase,” who were skulking about Shaftsbury and whose number was so great that the civil magistrates dared not, without a military force, execute the warrants granted for apprehending them. Also relating to the dragoons lately ordered to Blandford, who are now planted one half at Pool and the other half at Christ Church, where they are not serviceable; (3) the troops last mentioned as at Pool and Christ Church: advising that they should remain there; and that other forces should be placed at Shaftesbury. [Minuted:—“Lre writ to Secry at Warr”]; (4) the time the several revenues under their care, which are applicable to the payment of the Civil List, take to adjust. The computation of the half-yearly produce of the revenues applicable to the Civil List should be made from the half-yearly payments into the Exchequer, and not from the half-yearly estimates; (5) the several accounts of the produce of the hereditary and temporary duties of excise; (6) warrants of distress issued against several persons at Yeovill, against whom judgments had been obtained for resistance to the officers. The constables will not assist in the execution of the justices' warrants. The method taken for avoiding payment of the duties on cider has been for private persons to retail their cider, and receive money for it under colour of selling apples and other things for ten times their value, and pretending that the cider is given them for nothing. 27 pages.
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9. Papers relating to fees received at the Treasury for three disjointed months. 10 pages.
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