|
1737–8.
[? Jan. 1.] |
1. Papers of estimates for the year 1738:—
(a.) The charge of the Guards, Garrisons and Land Forces. (Total for 17,704 men, 647,549l. 11s. 3½d.)2 page.
(b.) Same of the Ordnance. (Total, 86,019l. 4s. 7d.) 1 page.
(c.) Same of the out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital. (Total, 27,910l. 7s. 6d.) 1 page.
Enclosing (c.) (I.) A comparison of said charge for said out-pensioners for the years 1737 and 1738. 1 page.
(d.) Same of His Majesty's Forces in the Plantations and at Gibraltar. (Total, 225,982l. 0s. 7½d.) 1 page.
Enclosing (d.) (I.) Comparison of said charge for said forces for the year 1737 and 1738 respectively. 1 page.
[Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII. No. 1.] |
| Jan. 2. |
2. Petition to the Treasury from the Officers-at-arms, detailed, for the ancient fee of 40l. for their allowance on the solemnity of Her late Majesty's funeral and for 30l. for their Droits for the creation of the following peers, viz., 5l. in each case, viz.:—Lords Hervey, Hardwicke, Talbot, Poulett of Hinton, Clifford, Malton. 1 page. [Ibid. No. 2.] |
| Jan. 3. |
3. Same to same from the workmen belonging to His Majesty's yard at Chatham. “The last pay being but one quarter, and the gentry having ventured so much in the Lotteries lately on foot and laid out their money for mourning for the death of the best of Queens, has so drein'd the countrey of money and distress'd those that were wont to give your petitioners credit while they received six months' pay when twelve months were due, that many of your petitioners' creditors, being greatly distress'd themselves for want of ready money to carry on their trades and business, make your petitioners very uneasy and fearfull of arrests and prisons.” Therefore pray their Lordships' order for half a year's pay to last Christmas, there being then a year due. 1 page. [Ibid. No. 3.] |
Jan. 5.
Whitehall.
Treasury
Chambers. |
4. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington.
Lady Lovelace and Mrs. Bodens are to be paid their pensions on the establishment, payable by Mr. Stewart for 1737, Christmas quarter.
“My Lords, the Surveyor General being present, read his memorial, importing an alteration to be made as to the manner in which the Duchess of Buckingham's rent of 1,200l. per an. for lands in Yorkshire should be paid; and their Lordships adhere to the payment thereof into the Exchequer, as the warrants already passed do direct, and not to the Receiver General of the County, as the said memorial imports.”
Order for the issue to the Treasurer of the Navy, out of funds anno 1737, of 10,000l. for Greenwich Hospital, according to his memorial of this day.
“Read a letter signed Jean Lostan and dated this day, desiring that the payment of Col. Mathews' salary as Governor of the Leeward Islands may be suspended until the affair of a French ship, called the Fleuron, which was confiscated by him, shall be determined. My Lords will not be concerned in attaching Mathews' salary to make good damages, but say the payment thereof may be delayed.”
The report of October 6 last from the Excise Commissioners read on Isaac Cocart's petition for rewards for services to the revenue as Commander of a Custom House sloop. Said Commissioners directed to propose a reasonable reward.
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 66; Letter Book XIX. p. 460.] |
Jan. 10.
Whitehall.
Treasury
Chambers. |
5. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
The Surveyor General with his deputy, Mr. Chambers, to attend on Thursday next concerning the Duchess of Buckingham's lease as to the payment of the reserved rent.
“Read the Duchess of Buckingham's memorial to be repaid 163l. 0s. 8d. for fees paid on 5,000l., issued to her for the value of the stores and utensils belonging to the alum works in Yorkshire. These stores and utensils her Grace now enjoys as lessee to the Crown, and fees of this nature are always borne by those who receive the consideration money.”
The Countess of Portland's letter to Mr. Scrope of the 2nd instant read, concerning her dispute with the Earl of Pembroke about ground contiguous to their dwelling-houses in Whitehall. Their Lordships agree to hear the matter on Thursday, the 19th instant. Both parties and the Attorney and Solicitor General to be written to, to attend.
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 67; Letter Book XIX. pp. 460–1.] |
| Jan. 17. |
6. Petition to the Treasury from Philip Livingston, Secretary for Indian Affairs at New York. Sets forth that he has not received any salary for his said office for 16 years past, and prays that the warrant signed by his late Majesty, ordering his salary of 100l. per an. current money of New York to be paid him out of quit rents there, may be renewed.
Referred to Horatio Walpole, Auditor General of His Majesty's Plantations in America. [Reference Book X. p. 101.] |
| Jan. 17. |
7. Report to the same from the Salt Commissioners on the petition of Thomas Liveings, gentleman. Petitioner holds letters patents for a new compound manure, in the manufacture of which large quantities of foul salt are used, for the supply of which petitioner has also invented a new manufacture of foul salt from the brine. Said salt being useless for any other purpose than as above petitioner prays for instructions from the Treasury to the Salt Commissioners not to obstruct him in the making and using of said new invented foul salt.
Have inspected samples of said foul salt, but as petitioner will not disclose its composition cannot decide whether it is capable of being reduced to pure salt or of being used as it is by leather dressers, potters, or glass makers. Cannot therefore say how far the new manufacture would affect the revenue from salt. As the laws stand said salt must certainly be liable to the payment of the present duties on English salt. 1½pages.
Appending:—(a.) Said petition of Liveings, with Treasury order of reference, dated 1737, October 11. 1 sheet.
[Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII. No. 10.] |
Jan. 18.
Whitehall.
Treasury
Chambers. |
8. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
Order for the following issues out of the Civil List: — |
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
To the Cofferer of the Household, toward 1737, Michaelmas quarter |
10,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
To several persons, as specified in the letter to the Exchequer, dated this day |
12,365 |
7 |
4½ |
|
Same for Mr. Lowther to pay, out of the King's money in his hands, 50l. to Mr. Charles Palmer, as royal bounty, and 10l. to Charles Kemmetter to be paid by him to Richard Wilkins, as same. [Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 68.] |
| Jan. 18. |
9. Royal warrant for letters patents to pass the seal appointed by the Treaty of Union, in place of the Great Seal of Scotland, for a grant to the University of Glasgow of a lease of the rents of the Archbishopric of Glasgow for 19 years from 1736.
[North Britain Book XII. pp. 170–6.] |
| Jan. 18. |
10. Treasury warrant to the Auditor of the Receipt for payment of 645l. to Jonathan Forward for transporting 129 felons, detailed, from the gaols of Newgate and the county gaols for Surrey, Essex, Kent and Bucks to Virginia on board the Dorsetshire, John Whiting, Commander.
Appending:—Names of the felons and certificates by the various clerks of the peace, clerks of gaol delivery, &c.
[Money Book XXXIX. pp. 181–2.] |
Jan. 19.
Whitehall,
Treasury
Chambers. |
11. Present: Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Dodington, Lord Sundon, Mr. Winnington, Mr. Earle.
“The Lords enter upon hearing the matter in difference between the Earl of Pembroke and the Countess of Portland, with respect to a piece of ground contiguous to both their dwelling-houses in Whitehall, the said Earle and Countess with many other personages being present, and the said Earl's case being opened by Mr. Sergeant Eyre and Mr. Murray of counsel for him, and they answered by Mr. Shute and Mr. Noel of counsel for the Countess; and their answer being after replied to by the said Earl's counsel; all parties withdraw, and as Mr. Attorney and Sollicitor General were both present the whole time of the hearing my Lords desire they will consider the case as it appeared to them upon the said hearing, and advise what in their opinion may [be] proper and convenient for their Lordships to do therein.”
[Treasury Minute Book XXVIII. p. 69.] |
| Jan. 19. |
12. An account of the sales of land in the Island of St. Christopher, formerly belonging to the French, made by Gilbert Fleming by virtue of His Majesty's commission of 1731, October 12. 6 pages. [Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII. No. 14.] |
| Jan. 20. |
13. Report to the King from the Commissioners and Trustees for improving Fisheries and Manufactures in Scotland, dated from Edinburgh.
The regular sum destined for improvements as above for the year ended 1737, Christmas, was 4,000l., composed of 2,000l. as by the Act of 5 Geo. I. and 2,000l. interest on 40,000l. lodged at different times by the King's approbation with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Out of this the Commissioners have issued: — |
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
For the Fishery |
651 |
11 |
0 |
|
For the linen manufacture |
1,733 |
13 |
0 |
|
For encouraging the manufacture of coarse wool |
602 |
0 |
0 |
Which leaves a balance of 1,012l. 16s. out of the regular fund.
As to the Fishery the bushes, three in number, have fished in deep water with considerable success. They began to fish as early as the Dutch, landed their take and set out to sea again and pursued a second fishing with reasonable success, which the Dutch because of their distance cannot conveniently do. What enabled them to do so was the additional fleet of nets bestowed by the Trustees this last season. The coast herring fishing in Loch Fyne, the Northern Lochs and the Firth of Forth extended to 31,752¼ barrels, an excess over the preceding year of 7,509¾ barrels. This success would be greater but for certain lawless and oppressive exactions made upon the fishers by the tenants and servants of some of the landlords of the northern coast. The Trustees have now a prosecution defending against said oppressors for same.
The linen manufacture is thriving. The total stamped for sale in the above year (exclusive of quantities made for private use, which are not liable to be stamped), was 4,721,240¾ yards, an excess of 182,762¼ yards over the preceding year. The quality of the linen cloth now produced is vastly improved, owing to the introduction of foreigners to disseminate the mystery. The smallness of the dealers' stocks and the scantiness of funds for improvements are the only hindrance to a more rapid development. In the matter of the process of bleaching or whitening the Commissioners have failed of success, In Holland that branch is industriously kept a secret, few masters know the whole of it, and the Commissioners have not been able to obtain it either by sending young men to pry abroad or by inducing foreigners hither. They have done what they could. “They found out some persons of this country, who had passed some time in Holland and had looked a little into the whitening there before jealousy of the progress of some of their neighbours had made the Dutch lock up their secret so fast as it is now keeped, and those persons they were authorised by your Majesty in the year 1728 to encourage to set up bleaching or whitening fields by giving them a premium of 50l. per acre.” The experience of nine years shows that the mystery has been more perfectly possessed by Andrew and William Grays than by any other. The cloth whitened at their field has been generally able to stand the comparison with any whitened at Haarlem, and the Trustees verily believe that their method, if not exactly the same, is not in any considerable article different from that used in Holland. Propose to assist the said Grays financially to extend their business, on condition of communicating the mystery to the other undertakers of whitening fields, least it should perish with them. Two years since said Commissioners issued 300l. to Alexander Christie to enable him to erect a bleaching or whitening field for low priced cloth at Perth, where great quantities of that sort of manufacture are made. Propose to issue a further 300l. to him to enable him to extend his field, in accordance with the importunate desire of the manufacturers in that neighbourhood: and another sum of 150l. to William Neilson to indemnify him for the cost of setting up a small field for whitening at Roslyn, near Edinburgh.
The Trustees have at present four expert Dutch weavers, each obliged to receive four young journeymen to instruct for a year. If at the end of the year the journeyman is found by examination of a piece of cloth altogether made by himself, to be sufficiently instructed the Dutch master receives 10l. and the journeyman receives a Dutch loom (at a cost to the Trustees of 11l. 17s. 6d.), and is sent into the country to instruct others. Said Commissioners propose to bring over a fifth Dutch weaver to be stationed at Glasgow, where a very commendable zeal is shown for the manufacture. Further propose to put those already perfected in the mystery of weaving fine linen apprentice on the same terms for a year to the foreign cambric weavers in Edinburgh to be perfected in the art of weaving cambrics. Some of the foreign cambric weavers brought over nine years since are dead. Said Commissioners take what care they can of their children and pray a further imprest for the support of this infant manufacture, as the number of looms just projected are not yet full.
The Flanders flax-raiser, who was brought over at an encouragement of 30l. per an., demands 10s. per day more for maintenance. As he is skilful and insists on it, propose to compound with him for 10l. per an. and to send him four young men each year to be instructed as flax raisers, with a premium of 5l. each towards enabling him to entertain them. Propose to continue the salary of 30l. per an. to a Dutch reed maker, and 43l. 15s. for two additional journeymen to the Dutch weaver stationed at Bonnington.
The balance of savings in the present year, as above, viz., 1,012l. 16s. added to 1,905l. 7s. 7½d., the surplus of the malt duty for the year ended 1735, midsummer, and other balance leaves a fund of 3,020l. 19s. 10d., available for improvements. As however, the surplus of the malt duty fell in 1736 to 376l. 16s. 11¾d., and in 1737 to nothing at all, are therefore under a necessity to keep some of the above balance to meet contingencies.
“And this shortcomeing of the Malt Duty gives your Trustees the greater concern that it seems to them to proceed principally from a cause that affects the revenue of excise in the same degree, and must continue to destroy both unless prevented by some new law to be executed with rigour. They mean the excessive use of tea, which has extended itself to the lowest degree of persons, who are encouraged to it by the smallness of the price at which the smugglers sell it, there being no possibility of guarding so wide a coast as that of Scotland from running goods by so small a number of officers as the revenue of this country can afford to keep.”
Detail the various payments out of the above fund of surplus for the current year in connexion with the various kinds of improvements, as above.
Together with the detailed accounts referred to in the above report. 22 pages.
Appending:—(a.) An account, dated Edinburgh, 1737–8, January, stated by Allan Whitefoord to the King of all money issued and paid by him as Receiver General in Scotland and Cashier of the Funds applicable to the encouragement of Fisheries and Manufactures there, pursuant to precepts issued upon him by the abovesaid Commissioners and Trustees for the year ended 1737, December 25. 6 pages.
[Treasury Board Papers CCXCVII No. 15.] |
| Jan. 21. |
14. The Duke of Devonshire, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to the Treasury, dated from Dublin Castle, requesting His Majesty's favourable consideration of a proposal of a grant of 60l. per an. for a French Protestant minister to be settled amongst the foreign Protestants, under whose direction a cambric manufacture has been set up at Dundalk in Louth: the grant to be upon the Civil Establishment of Ireland, and the minister to be approved by the Lord Lieutenant. 1½pages. [Ibid. No. 16.] |
