provided for in that Office but I do say that Tallyes struck in my time to the Sum of 35000 l. and which is reckoned as part of Sir Roberts Charge of 1419244 l. 16 s. 6 d. were paid after my time and the Money applyed by the present Commissioners of the Treasury in the stead of other Money which they must have paid and Sir Robert himself knows that these Lords Commissioners when they appointed a weekly Sum out of the Customs of 2000 l. a Week to discharge the Debt by Tallyes in Course made use of the Tallyes struck for the Navy Ordnance and Forces in their Course too and by that means had so much also of the 2000 l. a Week which they applyed to the payment of the several Offices as I doubt not but both the Commissioners of the Treasury and Paymaster of the Forces will own and to say this was no carrying the Offices of the Navy and Ordnance forward beyond the time of my leaving the Staff because it did not pay the whole Debt of those two Offices is no Argument for untill the whole Debt can be paid all payments are directed in course and as I paid Debts before my time especially to the Navy so these Gentlemen must pay before their Time and so must the Payments of any who shall succeed them be applyed to the Payment of Ships and Yards c. due before their time unless it may be supposed that Ships abroad c. at the alteration of the Treasury into other hands shall never be paid But had Sir Robert sent to the Office of the Ordnance for a Certificate to know how much money I had paid them in all in my time and what the accrued Debt was in the said time I doubt not but it would have appeared that I had supplyed more Money to that Office than would satisfie the whole Debt accrued in the said time As to the 33000 l. or there abouts for I have not positively named that Sum the matter of Fact is That a stated Sum for Pensions was directed Yearly so that if Tallyes were not struck yet the Money remained in the hands of the Commissioners and Receivers of the Excise until such Tallyes were struck And that this Money did remain in their hands at my leaving the Staff in part of a greater Sum Sr Robert who was one appointed to state their Accounts cannot but know As also that those Commissioners and Receivers being to be laid aside did apply all the Cash in their hands to Tallyes in Course and paid over this 33000 l. or there abouts and the other Moneys in their Hands to discharge Tallyes in Course And such Tallyes as are reckoned part of the Charge left by me on that Branch of the Revenue But the said Commissioners and Receivers of the Excise might perhaps give the present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury an Account of little or no Cash in their Hands for the Reasons aforesaid and yet this is no manner of Argument to prove what Sr. Robert would infer by his printed Paper Unless as he had lessened thereby my Deductions he had also lessened the Charge as he ought to have done Knowing that with the Money in their Hands at my leaving the Staff they really paid as much in Tallyes which are a part of the Charge said to be left by me And this if Sr. Robert would have Writ to them to Certifie they must have owned to be True And consequently from what I have said concerning these two Deductions I hope others will think them Reasonable although Sr. Robert do not My eighth Deduction is 15000 l. by Tallyes on the Customes c. This I must needs say was not so plainly expressed as it ought to have been in my former Book For these Tallyes were given to Mr. Kingdon then Pay-master of the Army and not being made use of by him before my leaving the Treasury they were since delivered up by him to the present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury so that they relate not to that 〈◊〉 which Sr. Robert hath taken the trouble to set down Folio 18th But I am sure Sr. Robert knows it to be true that such Tallyes to the Sum of 15000 l. were delivered up by Mr. Kingdon to the Lords Commissioners and he ought therefore in justice to have added them to that Sum of 4395 l. 3 s. 6 d. on Mr. Kents account for the Knowledge of which I am beholding wholly to Sr. Robert because otherwise I should have been ignorant of that Deduction My ninth and last Deduction is 2342 l. by Mr. Montagues Tallyes which Sr. Robert is also pleased to Admit Having gone through the Deductions and having given the reasons on which they are grounded I hope they are so clear as will give every body satisfaction and I shall now follow Sr. Roberts Method in his Folio 19. By taking First the Examiners charge which was 1485570 l. 00 s. 00 d. Then Substract my former Deductions which were 794930 l. 00 s. 00 d. Then Substract likewise the Deductions now to be added by Sr. Robert Howards assistance amounting to 58352 l. 9 s. 6 d. which is double Charged on that advance of Excise And also 4395 l. 3 s. 6 d. Deducted on Mr. Kents Account of Tynn Viz. 062747 l. 13 s. 00 d. Which together amounts to the Sum of 857677 l. 13 s. 00 d. And the remaining Charge will be 627892 l. 07 s. 00 d. I suppose Sr. Robert admits the Charge left on the three great Branches of the Revenue by the Lord Clifford to be as I have said in my Book viz 469371 l. Because he says nothing against it and in that Computation are neither reckoned Advance-Monies nor Monies unpaid to Ships c. which amounted then to above Treble the Sum Sr. Robert now reckons to Sr. Iohn Narborow's Fleet. And then the Charge left by me on the said three Branches being but 627892 l. 07 s. 00 d. And the Charge by my Lord Clifford being 469371 l. 00 s. 00 d. The Anticipations are increased in my time viz. In Five years and three Quarters although no Supplies were given by Parliament but what were appropriated and were so applied only by the Sum of 158521 l. 07 s. 00 d. And as I have said in my Answer to the Examiner Folio 11th I paid in that time 318473 l. to the Gold-smiths for their Perpetual Interest which is almost double the Sum increased upon the Anticipations Besides the Rebellion of Virginia c. which I have mentioned in that Answer and therefore will not repeat them here Before he closes his Account Sr. Robert thinks fit to add to the Examiners Charge A further Charge of 655634 l. 19 s. 6 d. By three particulars viz. Unpaid on the one Fifth of the Excise 83000 l. 00 s. 00 d. The Debt of the Eastland Merchants 186585 l. 19 s. 09 d. The Debt to the Navy upon the return of Sr. John Narborow's Fleet 385648 l. 19 s. 09 d. Of which
THE EARL OF DANBYS ANSWER TO Sr. Robert Howard's BOOK ENTITULED An Account of the State of his Majesties Revenue as it was Left by the Earl of Danby at Lady-Day 1679. LONDON Printed for Randall Tayler 1680. THE EARL OF DANBYS ANSWER TO Sr. Robert Howard's ACCOUNT c. I Know not whether I should find fault or thank Sr. Robert Howard for his late Book called An Account of the State of his Majesties Revenue as it was left at Lady-Day 1679 c. Because upon Examination it will appear to have done me no injury and has shewed the Examiner that there was nothing to be said in Justification of any other part of his Book but only what concerned the State of the Revenue as it was found by Me at June 1673. and left at Lady-Day 1679. Sir Robert does likewise shew how he detests such Scurrilous Language as the Examiner is full of for in my Answer I have but once called a certain untruth a notorious Falshood and Sr. Robert seems to be much offended at the Expression He shews himself also far more ingenuous than the Examiner was for he confesses many Errors in the Examiners Book although the Examiner be very positive in the defence of them viz. In his absolute affirming that my Sallary was never included in secret service In his double charging of 200000 l. on the one fifth of the Excise And in saying that the whole Tax upon the first Act for Disbanding the Army was come into the Exchequer in my time c. which Sir Robert is so much my friend as to acknowledge he believes to be otherwise although he confesses Fol. 7. that he has not given himself the trouble to examine it and in the same page he sayes he shall not meddle with their Arguments meaning I suppose the Examiners Arguments and mine so as I perceive we must stand upon our own legs for what either of us have said he being resolved only to give the Publick an Account how the Revenue was left at Lady day 1679. and not to meddle with Politick Disputes nor matters of State which fills the greater number of Folioes in the Examiners Book Sir Robert does also know that if all the matters of Fact contained in his Book were true it could be no Crime in me that the Revenue was more or less in Debt at my leaving it unless I had either lessened the Income of the Revenue or not truly answered the whole Income according to his Majesties Directions or had diverted any of the Moneys given by Parliament to other uses than were limited by the several Acts and he does not pretend to say any thing either as to the lessening or not answering the whole Revenue but on the contrary confesses the Revenue to be increased in my time And for diverting any part thereof he speaks as if some others did complain to him of it but I do not understand that he directly charges any such thing himself nor can any man do it but with great untruth insomuch that were it not for some expressions not so becoming a mans own Secretary to be guilty of and that the time of publishing his Book hath not been so generously taken as some men of Honour would have done I should not only have forgiven but have thanked Sir Robert for the opportunity of clearing the integrity of my management in the Treasury however I may have been wanting in those abilities which God hath given to himself above other men And he ought not to blame me but my understanding if I could not always comprehend such Schemes and Projects of his concerning the Revenue whereof I have some still in my custody which I must acknowledge I do not yet understand any more than I did when I first received them That which makes me complain of the time Sir Robert has taken to divulge his Book is because it may be too reasonably suspected that those Reasons he gives for having deferred it so many moneths are not so probable as some other reasons may be which he does not think fit to give because if his Relations were not well at Tunbridge yet it seems he was well himself and how a man whose Office and Dwelling is in the Exchequer and who hath so great a controul over it could want either Records or Certificates from other Offices so long as he hath taken to satisfie his Friends inquiry is not very likely But these Reasons were likely First That such a Book as this though I dare say understood by very few that reads it would make a great noise against a man in my condition in the time of a Parliaments Sitting Secondly That in Probability it would be impossible for me under a confinement and who am without Power to send for any Records or Papers and who am now without the help of those Officers who acted then under me to give any full answer during the sitting of Parliament to what he has found so many months little enough to do who had all the Leasure and Helps for it he could desire 3. That being under Accusations in Parliament I might probably be called upon to answer them at this time So as I should not only want leasure but in all Likely-hood I could not have my thoughts free to attend to such a matter as this when I had so much greater concerns upon my Hands And lastly Though it contain nothing of Criminal in it Yet it might be hoped that any small weight which could not receive an Answer in due time might contribute to the heightning of mens ill Opinions against one he thought not yet enough Loaded with false Aspersions If this was the Design as I have too much reason to believe both from what I have said and because otherwise I do not believe he would have troubled himself to have Writ what he knows will be found to have so many mistakes I do acknowledge that he hath gained so much of his design that I shall not be able under my Circumstances to give so full an Answer at present as I hope to do hereafter If my Condition will permit And I doubt not but to make it appear that I have said nothing in my first answer but what I have still good reason to believe True In the mean time I shall endeavour to shew the Fallacies which are in many parts of his Book The wrong State of the Questions to such Officers from whence he hath got Certificates so as though the Certificates may be true yet they are not properly applied by Sr. Robert And lastly The dis-ingenuous swelling of the Account to make a noise to the world of a great Debt besides the Anticipations which will appear to be no more any Ground for accusing my Management than it hath been of my Predecessors and must be of those who succeed me in the Treasury As the Examiner I doubt not but knew very well when he made no mention of it in the Range of his Malice
who made appear sufficiently that he would not have spared those nor any other particulars to have loaded his Charge but that he knew how easily they would be answered As to the fallacious Glosses of which he makes great use throughout his Book he begins Folio 2. That the third Quarter of the Eighteen months Tax was signed Osborn And hopes from thence to have it inferre'd that I had the disposal of some of the Money of that Quarter which I can prove that himself knows the contrary as well as that I never was Lord Treasurer under the Title of Sr. Thomas Osborn And from the same Reason of my having signed that Quarter which was done at the request of my Lord Clifford and for satisfaction of the Creditors on that Quarter that they should not be Post-poned by my coming to the Treasury he would also have it believed that the 21163 l. 6 s. 8 d. said in my Book to be charged by my Lord Clifford on the fourth Quarter of that Tax was not so But I must acknowledg he insists not much upon that matter but ends that Paragraph Folio 3 with a Confession that be knows nothing of it His next pretence is that upon the three last Quarters of that Tax there appears to have been paid into the Exchequer the Sum of 584718 l. 7 s. 5 d. which I call but 565498 l. 13 s. 10 d. ½ all the Charges being deducted as the forgiving any Receivers or their Securities c. which is notwithstanding made received in the Exchequer as if it came to be disposable Money to the Kings use And although I cannot now have the sight of Originals I have great Confidence that the Certificates I received of that matter before my leaving the Staff will prove my Computations to be true when all the Circumstances are Examined In Folio's Third Fourth Fifth and part of the Sixth he takes great Pains to show that I did hinder and divert the Money on the one Fifth of the Excise from being Paid into the Exchequer as the Act of Parliment did direct and says Mr. Duncomb the Gold-smith did often complain to him of it The truth is I have so often heard Mr. Duncomb complain of Sr. Robert himself that he should not for his own sake much regard his Complaints But in this matter it happned that the 200000 l. being Lent by Mr. Kent and Duncomb and Mr. Kent then being Receiver of the Customs from whom Sir Iohn Iames Major Huntingdon c. who were then Pay-masters of the Army were to receive 2000 l. a Week out of the Customs And the said Sr. Iohn Iames Major Huntingdon c. being Receivers of the Excise so as the one Fifth was to be Paid by them to the said Mr. Kent and Duncomb An agreement was made or Pretended to be made amongst themselves and without any Direction of mine for the Accommodation of the Kings service by Mr. Kent and Mr. Duncombs taking the 2000 l. a Week which was in their own Hands for part of the Money due to them from Sr. Iohn Iames c. upon the one Fifth of the Excise And although some differences did at last arise in this matter betwixt them yet it was setled in the Kings presence at the Treasury Chamber before my leaving the Staff and was so far from being diverted by me either from being Paid into the Exchequer as the Act directed or from being paid to any other uses than the Direction of the said Act did appoint that I will put the truth or Falshood of what either he or I have writ about the Revenue upon the proof of that Particular And for the 83400 l. which he says was unpaid of the 200000 l. I confess I understand not how that could be when Mr. Kent and Mr. Duncomb might force the Receivers of the Excise to pay what was due to them on the one Fifth when ever they Pleased Besides that I believe at the time of my leaving the Staff there was 52000 l. in Mr. Kents hands by an arrear of the 2000 l. a Week on the Customs then due to Sr. Iohn Iames c. By which Mr. Kent and Duncomb might pay themselves so much of whatsoever Sum was remaining unpaid to them at that time on the one Fifth of the Excise And in truth the whole matter concerned me no more than it did Sr. Robert himself and I have some reason to think that the Examiner was not so ill instructed as to have left that Sum out of his Charge especially having mentioned it in his sixth Folio if it could have been made any Argument against me which as I have already said it cannot be Unless I had either given Orders to the Receivers of the Excise not to pay the Fifth according to the Act or had given them Orders for applying any part of it to other Uses than the Act directed either of which I do Challenge Sr. Robert or any body else to prove and therefore it was that I called it Notoriously false The next head wherein he is knowingly unwilling to do me Right is about the Poll Bill which I find I have spoke so fully to in my answer to the Examiner that I see he thinks not fit to make any reply to what I have there said But only designs to make it a piece of my ill management that 186585. l. 18. s. 9. d. for which he says the Commissioners of the Treasury have given Assignments is added as a Charge upon the Revenue to make up his Additional Charge at the end of his Book to amount to the sum of 655634. l. 19. s. 6. d whereas no body knows better than Sr. Robert that the Poll Bill was estimated to 400000. l. at least That Credit was given by the Act for 300000. l. in Money upon it and an indefinite Credit for stores beyond the 300000. l. So as no part of the Money or Credits lent upon that Act was believed would ever have affected the Revenue at all And if ready Money was promised to any body upon that Act which was not Performed I am sure no man can say they had that Promise from me And moreover though Sr. Robert puts this 186585 l. 18. s. 9. d. as a Debt due only to the East-land Merchants I remember that the sum demanded by them in my time was far less and as I think not full 40000. l. so that I believe that reckoning must be swelled by other Demands and is no fault of mine if there be now such a Charge on the Revenue In Folio the 8th I find Sr. Robert brings the same Paper which was quoted by the Examiner for a State of the Revenue as it was made up by my Lord Clifford 10th of June 1673. I confess I do not see any use he makes of it But he hopes perhaps that others will when he has told them that the Original of that Paper was drawn by Sr. Philip LLoyd But that can by no means agree with Sr.
body else can do that it is better to avoid Tallyes of Anticipation where it can be done than to make use of them but that the Revenue must be ruined by them Ideny or that the Interest is left to any such uncertainty as he would have believed but that it must be by the knavery of the Lord Treasurer Chancellor of the Exchequer or the sworn Auditor of the Exchequer before whom the Account is brought if the King be wronged in what Interest he pays upon such Tallyes I doubt not neither but the present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury have endeavoured to avoid such Tallyes and so did I till I found it impossible for me to help it and if I am not misinformed although the present Lords Commissioners have spared 2000 l. a Week by their other retrenchments to discharge Tallyes which I was not able to spare and supply the Kings other Occasions yet those Tallyes which were in course being paid I hear and have good ground to believe true that now the Lords Commissioners are necessitated to comply with some Lenders of Money so far as to give them Tallyes of Anticipation to a considerable Sum nor do I know how it can be helpt unless Sir Robert can be able to do more by his Legislative Capacity for remedy of the matter than he will ever be able to do by his private and if this be now the Case as well as it was in my time then by Sir Roberts Rule the Exchequer will still be no wiser than it hath been in knowing when Interest is to commence upon such Tallyes 'T is true that the Exchequer does not presently know the Commencement of Interest upon Anticipations but I doubt not but the Lords Commissioners do take care that the Vouchers though called private ones shall be as authentick as publick ones and it is the Duty of a sworn Auditor to see they be so from whence they are entred in the Exchequer and from that time the Exchequer does know the times of lending upon Tallyes of Anticipation and consequently the charge of Interest upon them so that the Bug-Bear is made far more terrible than it is although as I have said it were better to be avoided if the Kings necessities will permit I have now gone through Sir Roberts Book and hope I have made appear that the State of the Revenue at Lady-Day 1679. was not as it hath been represented either by the Examiner or Sir Robert Howard and since Sir Roberts friend to whom he writes had no curiosity to enquire into those other parts of the Examiners Book which concerned the affairs of State therein mentioned I shall repeat nothing upon that Subject but conclude that his friend is satisfied in those matters which are of much the greatest Concern to me but I hope it will be taken notice of that both the Examiner and Sir Robert how much soever they may be strangers to one another have carried on the same design against me as if it had been with the same hand saving that Sir Robert has shewed himself to be the better Accomptant by rectifying divers Errors in the Examiners Computations and that he has been much more civil than the Examiner in his Language I shall conclude this Answer to Sir Robert Howard with this single Request to all my Country-men That they would not believe any thing against me by Reports till they see it proved And then as I shall desire no other favour so I doubt not but to be restored to the good Opinion of all such as have not particular prejudice against me DANBY FINIS