Majesties Subjects who have Loans on that Revenue being thereby longer out of their Money and to the occasioning the increase of Taxes more than otherwise would be requisite to carry on the present War if the said Revenue were better Managed and Accompted for The said John Farthing further sets forth that the Charges of Managing the Revenue of Excise for the said Year 1688. according to the Commissioners of Excise their Accompts to the King amounted to Eighty nine Thousand nine Hundred and thirty Pounds three Shillings five Pence half-peny which was more than by Authentick Vouchers appears to have been Expended by Twenty eight Thousand five Hundred Sixty nine Pounds three Shillings nine Pence half-peny That the said John Farthing being in the Year 1689. Authorized by an Order of the then Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to make an Inspection into the several Offices of the Excise and to have the perusal of all Vouchers in the said Offices in order to make a Discovery of the evil Practices committed on the said Revenue desiring to have a sight of the Country Collectors Ledgers for the Year 1684 which was the first Year of the Commissioners Management was Answered they were in Nubibus And when he required the Perusal of the Commissioners and Managers Books he was informed by their Accomptant general that one of the then Commissioners of Excise formerly one of the Managers before the Year 1684 had taken them out of the Office The said John Farthing can also shew by Tables Calculated for that purpose what very great Summs of the King's Money arising by Excise were from time to time detained in the hands of the two chief Commissioners of Excise who at the same time were Receivers General of the said Revenue and of the then Farmers and Managers ready upon all occasions either to buy up Tallies or advance to his then Majesty at Interest of 10 l. and 8 l. per Cent. per Annum by which means his said Majesty paid them double Interest for his own Money first as Running Cash and then as Advance Note The said two Chief Commissioners who were at the same time Receivers General were Copartners with two of the Farmers and Managers in the Spoils made on the said Revenue and the said two Farmers and Managers are at this time Commissioners of the Excise and the chief Directors of those Affairs The Auditor and Comptroller of the Excise can make no other Charge on the Commissioners the Managers of the Excise than by such Vouchers as the said Commissioners think fit to give them Note The Accounts of the Commissioners of Excise inrolled in the several Offices of the Exchequer are only Accounts of Money pretended to be received in each Year commencing 25 th June and ending 24 th of June following and not of the Gross or Neat Produce of the said Revenue of Excise That these Accounts are not made stated and inrolled as aforesaid until about five Years after the Expiration of each Year whereby great Disadvantages accrew to his Majesties Revenue of Excise The said John Farthing is humbly of Opinion that the Accompts of the Gross and Neat Produce of the Excise and of the Mony yearly received and paid thereon may be made up and stated and fit to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury by the 29 th of September in each Year And that all Monys arising by Excise even from the Remotest Parts of the Kingdom may be returned and paid into the General Office in London by the End of August each Year The Advantages which would arise by such speedy Payments and Accompting for the Excise would be very great but too many to be incerted in this Paper According to an Order of the Commissioners appointed to examine take and state the Publick Accounts the said John Farthing attended the said Commissioners a second time at their Office on Saturday the 22 d of February last but some of them being sick others absent he could not deliver his Books and Papers according to the House of Commons Order And being informed that the Act appointing the said Commissioners does only impower them to make a Retrospection to the 24 th of June 1689 and the matters herein complained of being Transacted in the Year 1677 and from thence continued to this time the said John Farthing humbly proposes to Your Lordships that the said Commissioners may have power to make a Retrospection to the 24 th of June 1677 by which the Truth of these Preceding Articles will manifestly appear and the like Practices for the future may be discovered and prevented Also the said John Farthing is humbly of Opinion that if Your Lordships and the House of Commons shall think sit to abrogate several Clauses herein set forth in an additional Act of Excise past the 25. of July 1689 and to revive the old Laws of Excise with some necessary Additions And to charge the Coffee-venders with the Duty of Excise and to six a moderate Price on the Coffee-Berries which are now ingrossed into the hands of a few Persons to the great Oppression of the Traders he does not doubt but if a due Care be taken in the future Managment of the said Revenue being put into the Hands of fit Persons the said Revenue may be vastly increased without any Oppression or Illegal Exaction on the People and by Methods which the said John Farthing is ready to lay before Your Lordships or the Commissioners of Accounts if thereto incouraged he will for the future undertake to secure the Revenue from any such evil Practices or if any such shall happen that they may easily be detected and remedyed The said John Farthing humbly prays that Directions may be given to the said Commissioners of Accounts that they make speedy report of these matters to Your Lordships and the House of Commons and to give their Receipts for such Books and Papers as he shall from time to time lay before them The Consideration of the Premises is humbly submitted to Your Lordships by John Farthing late of Long-Ditton in the County of Surrey Esq now of Chelsea in the County of Middlesex Subscribed John Farthing POSTSCRIPT A Demonstration of the Loss to the Revenue of Excise by the Alteration of the Barrel and Allowance to the Ale-Brewers by the Act for an Additional Excise past 25th July 1689. viz. By Common Brewers of Ale loss At 32 Gallons to the Barrel 2 Barrels in 22 Allowance and at 3 s. 3 d. Duty l. s. d. Gallons Barrels    By Alteration of the Barrel and Allowance 23474,67168 733,58349 108 07 05 Loss At 34 Gallons to the Barrel 2. ½ Barrels in 23 Allowance and at 3 s. 3 d. Duty    Gallons Barrels    23474,67168 690,43152 100 00 00 By Common Brewers of Ale loss 008 07 05 By Brewing Retaylers of Ale loss At 32 Gallons to the Barrel and 3 s. 3 d.    Gallons Barrels    By Alteration of the Barrel Duty 20923,07708 653,84615 106 05 00 Loss At 34 Gallons to the Barrel and 3 s. 3 d.    Gallons Barrels    Duty 20923,07708 615,38462 100 00 00 By Brewing Retaylers of Ale loss 006 05 00 The said John Farthing in June 1689. by Reasons Humbly offered for reviving the old Additional Duty Act of Anno 22 and 23. Car. 2. and by Objections against the new Additional Duty Bill then under the Consideration of the House of Commons Printed and delivered to thâ— Members of the said House and by the Demonstration foregoing endeavoured to have prevented the passing of the said Bill but they had no other effect than excepting the Brewers of London Westminster and within the Bills of Mortality from the said Alterations and the Bill past 2â— of July 1689. aforesaid to the very great damage of thâ—â— Revenue as appears by the low Ebb it is now reduced to tho' double to what it was then FINIS