Danby at Lady day 79. 'T is set down by the Examiner and not denied by my Lord of Danby pag. 10. to amount to the sum of 1485570 l. 16 s. 4 d. excepting one Talley of Mr. Montague's of 2443 l. which he says was paid in his time From this Charge my Lord Danby deducts these following Particulars viz. For the Advancement on the Excise 270000 l. For the Advance on the Hearth-duty 150000 l. To be discharg'd by Orders to the Commissioners of Excise on the first Act for Disbanding 101000 l. More by Talleys on the surplus of the Excise for 30000 l. and 99000 l. being no charge on the Rent unless the surplus fail 12900 l. More by Talleys which were to pay the Forces from Lady day 1679 forwards to the instant July which was 97 days beyond my time 059588 l. More by Talleys on the Customs made use of to carry on the service of the Navie and Ordnance beyond the said Lady day 79 l. More by Talleys struck for Pensions upon the two last Quarters of the Excise viz. Christmas 78. and Lady day 79. for payment of which Money was left in the hands of the Commissioners of Excise about 033000 l. More by Talleys on the Customs restored for Tynne deposited in Mr. Kent's hands 015000 l. More by Talleys on the Customs accounted by the Examiner to be unpaid to Mr. Montague which were paid in my time 002342 l. Total 794â—30 l. Thus have I set down the Charge as it is made up by the Examiner as also particularly the deductions out of that Charge as they are set down by my Lord Danby The Examiners Charge is 1485570 l. 16 s. 4 d. My Lord Danby ' s deductions are 794930 l. So that by that Lord's Computation the debtâ— on the Revenue Lady day 79. amounted to no more than 690640 l. 16 s. 4 d. The Examination of these particulars must determine the true State of the Charge left on the Kings Revenue which I shall endeavour to do with as much Candour and Clearness as lies in my power But before I proceed to take the Particulars in their Order I must take notice of one small Mistake of my Lord Danby's for he reckons the Advance on the Excise 20000 l. more than really it was which increases his Deductions for the Advance was but 250000 l. and is so set down by the Examiner But upon the Farm of the Excise let the 13 of March 1678 9 which was a little before my Lord Danby left the Staff the Advance indeed was 270000 l. of which Sum his Lordship onely dispos'd of 58352 l. 9 s. 6 d. which being charg'd by Tally was included by the Examiner in the general Account of the charge on the Excise by Tallies But this Mistake is not of much moment since I presume the Deduction it self is by no means allowable I shall take the particulars in the same order as they are set down by my Lord Danby The first two are of the same nature viz. the 270000 l. advanced on the Excise and the 150000 l. advanced on the Hearth-duty I cannot imagine why these should not be lookt upon as so much of the Debt left upon the Revenue it seems as if it were implied that it was never to be paid again but his Lordship's reason for his opinion is That those Sums are a Security only for the Rent of those great Branches which must always be done if his Majesty were in the most plentiful Condition of his Exchequer In Answer to this I would in the first place ask his Lordship What Security is now given for the Rent of the Customes and what prejudice it would be to His Majesties Revenue if these two branches of the Excise and Hearth-Duty were managed as the Customes are and not Farm'd and then there were no necessity of such a Security as his Lordship calls it for the payment of the Rent As to my own opinion I cannot but think that these two Branches managed as the Customs are might be improved above what they now yield as well as the Customs now exceed what ever they made to the King when they were Farm'd and whilst they also had an Anticipation upon them by way of Security And perhaps if this Advance-Money that my Lord Danby would not have reckon'd as part of the Debt were not in the way they might at this time be managed in the like manner with the Customs with equal advantage to the King's affairs and prevent many Frauds and Bargains that are this way sheltered And upon these several accounts this Advance-Money may very properly be called part of the Debt First Because that until it is cleared his Majesty is not at liberty to manage those two Branches to the best value Secondly The Matter of Fact determines the Argument for every Quarter the Sum of 22000 l. is really paid to those that advanced upon the Excise and 17500 l. every half year to the Farmers that advanced upon the Hearth-duty which certainly makes those two Branches the one now Let for 460000 l. per annum and the other for 160000 l. per annum so much less worth to the King every year as 88000 l. and 35000 l. amounts to so that I presume I may justly conclude this Advance-money must of necessity be accounted as a Debt left upon the Revenue unless my Lord of Danby can demonstrate that while those Sums are repaying the Advance to those that lent the Money the King does not receive the less for it The next Deduction according to my Lord Danby ' s placing it is 101000 l. that was to be discharg'd by Orders to the Commissioners of Excise on the first Act for Disbanding This 101000 l. and the 99000 l. mentioned in the next Deduction amounting to the Sum of 200000 l. was double Security in the hands of Sir John James and Partners to enable them to carry on the Payments that should be charg'd on the Excise and in this perplext Condition the present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury found it at Lady day 79. The 99000 l. will receive its proper answer in the next Paragraph and this 101000 l. to be discharg'd by Orders did not come in till some Months after by the Tax on which it was assigned nor was this Sum comprehended in the Examiners Charge and therefoer ought not to be deducted out of it so that without either Malice or Mistake the Charge on the Revenue was as it is set down by the Examiner notwithstanding this pretence among others of a deduction The next Deduction claim'd by my Lord of Danby is 129000 l. on the surplus of the Excise which my Lord would have to be no Charge on the Revenue unless the surplus fail which is not likely These are my Lord's words but not intelligible by me while I take the Surplus and the Rent both to be part of the Kings Revenue so that in my opinion if the Surplus was charg'd with this Sum the Revenue was
AN ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF His Majesties Revenue As it was left by the Earl of DANBY At Lady-day 1679. In a LETTER to a FRIEND Occasioned by his Lordships ANSWER TO An Examination of the State of the CASE of the Earl of DANBY By the Honourable Sir ROBERT HOWARD LONDON Printed for Thomas Fox and are to be Sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Angel in Westminster-hall 1681. SIR T Is now some Months since I received your Commands occasioned by my Lord of Danby's Answer to an Examination of a Book entituled The state of my Lord Danby's Case of which you desired me to give you as clear Satisfaction as I could of the matter of Fact especially relating to the Difference of the Accompt How the King's Revenue was left charg'd Lady-day 79 which as you justly say depends on the large Deductions set down by my Lord of Danby the Charge by Tallies being seemingly agreed to on both sides I was not only willing to obey your Commands but also inclined of my self to give the Publick some Account of this especially finding my Name often used by his Lordship but how ingenuously sometimes I leave others to judge by the following Account I had before now finished this but the Sickness of my nearest Relations and my long continuance at Tunbridge-Wells this Summer hindred me from applying my self sooner to what I resolved upon Besides I could not till now obtain Certificates from such places as were to be the sure Proofs of what I should assert being careful to set down nothing but what I had Vouched from the Office or Records to which it related not desiring to meddle with Politique Disputes nor to endeavour to support Reason or Matter of Fact with undecent Expressions You must not therefore Sir expect any thing of Argument nor any thing in a digested Method but as I meet the Particulars to my best knowledge I will set down the Matter of Fact The first thing that occurs is about the 2707 l. 5 s. 11 d. short upon the Lord Danby's Accompt when he was Treasurer of the Navy Page 2. the Sum is mistaken 40 l. perhaps false Printed The Matter of Fact is His Lordship left the Treasurer of the Navy's Place in 73. and the Sum of 2747 l. 5 s. 11 d. was forgiven him by a Privy-Seal bearing date the 21. of February 1676. as the Examiner says but whether 't was used by my Lord or kept in Money by him for so long a time his Lordship best knows The next thing is about the 18 Months Tax which was payable in six Quarterly Payments The Matter of Fact is thus The first Quarter of that Tax was charged by the Lord Clifford with the Sum of 200000 l. The Second Quarter was charged with 199336 l. And Signed Clifford The Third Quarter was charged with 201000 l. And Signed Osborne And are so entred in the Receipt of the Exchequer I had then the Honour to be Secretary to Sir Thomas Osborne who was then Lord Treasurer as it must needs follow when he Signed this List of the Third Quarter all which Original Lists are now in my hands The next thing is in the Sum which the last Three Quarters of this Tax brought clear into the Exchequer all Charges deducted which his Lordship affirms to be but 565498 l. 13 s. 10 d. ½ The Matter of Fact is thus By the Records of the Exchequer there appears to have been paid upon those Three Quarters to the day that my Lord Danby resigned the Treasurers Staff the Sum of 584718 l. 7. s. 5 d. so that the mistake herein is 19219 l. 13 s. 6 d. ½ Besides there was paid in the Name of Arrears 7378 l. 3 s. 5 d. the one half of which may be presum'd to be apply'd to this part of the Tax and then the mistake will appear to be 22908 l. 15 s. 3 d. and this falls but little short of the Computation of the last Three Quarters in the Printed Copy by the Examiner of the Condition of the Revenue how it was left by my Lord Clifford in which Paper 't is said not expresly but about 600000 l. And for the Sum of 21163 l. 6 s. 8 d. which my Lord Danby says was charg'd on the Fourth Quarter of that Tax by my Lord Clifford I know nothing of it nor is it probable it should be so since the disposition of the Third Quarter was Signed by him as I have shewed before The next thing is about the Customs and the Examiners words quoted where he saies it will appear The Customes never yielded so much as in this Lords days The Matter of Fact is true and I believe the Customs at that time were Managed by most Excellent Commissioners and that which did yet contribute more to it was occasioned by the Wars abroad insomuch that the English were then the Carriers to most parts of the World The next thing that occurs is That my Lord Danby says Page 2. the Examiner charges him With hindring Money from coming into the Exchequer which was lent on the Fifth part of the Excise and diverting it to other uses which my Lord says is Notoriously False In this place it seems that rather than my Lord Danby would loose the advantage of so decent an Expression of calling something notoriously false he would Transpose some words leave out others and slip over all the matter of Fact to make it like the Expression I find the words in the Examiner are these Page 7. line 30. For when Money was lent on the Credit of the Fifth part of Excise he hindred it from coming in which was often complained of publickly at the Exchequer by the Lenders of the Money and diverted it to other uses The words of the Examiner that are here Transpos'd is perhaps to try to make it imply that the Examiner does charge my Lord of Danby with hindring Money to be lent on the Fifth part of Excise whereas 't is plain enough it was for hindring the Money which was lent to be repaid according to the Act of Parliament The words left out are a whole Parenthesis viz. which was often complain'd of publickly at the Exchequer by the Lenders of the Money If this had been in it would have seem'd strange that the Lenders of the Money should complain they were hindred to Lend and Money not Lent could not be diverted to other uses The Matter of Fact that is slipt over is set down by the Examiner Page 6 line 29. where speaking of the Fifth part of the Excise his words are these and can hardly be plainer express'd For the full 200000 l. was lent in his time and at his going out on the 25 th of March 1679 83400 l. was left to pay which since was paid by these present Lords Commissioners This 200000 l. was Lent in his time by Richard Kent and Charles Duncombe Esquires and there was left to pay at the time when he resigned the Treasurers Staff
as appears by the Records of the Exchequer 83400 l. which was since repaid by these present Lords Commissioners and is discharg'd in the Exchequer This Sum was part of the Charge left on the Revenue which the Examiner did not include for the Accompt as it is set down by him was onely of the Anticipations on the Revenue by Tally and re-payment of Advance-Money but I shall take notice of this together with other more considerable Sums in another place when I come to consider of the Deductions my Lord Danby makes from the Charge 'T is likewise very true that Mr. Charles Duncombe did often complain to me at the Exchequer That my Lord Danby did hinder and divert the Money from being paid into the Exchequer according as the Act of Parliament did direct and lest Sir you may doubt whether if the Fifth part of the Excise had been duely paid in it would have been sufficient to have repaid the 200000 l. the Matter of Fact stands thus Compute the Excise at 580000 l. per Annum which it certainly yielded a fifth part of which from the 24th of June 1677 at which time the Act commenced to the 25th of March 79. being one year and three quarters amounts to 203000 l. which is 3000 l. more than the Principal money towards payment of Interest which in the whole was but 11920 l. 10 s. 4 d. and would yet have been much less had the fifth part been duely paid into the Exchequer to have discharg'd the Loans As for the Moneys said to be paid by private Letters and Vouchers pag. 2. the matter of fact is thus There must either be a Great Seal or a Privie Seal for the issuing of any Money in the Exchequer tho' notwithstanding this General Discharge there many considerable Sums so issued particularly those in the name of Secret Service are afterwards distributed to particular persons oft-times by Private Letters or Directions and it yet more clearly appears by what hath been said in the foregoing Paragraph that the 83400 l. of the fifth part of Excise so diverted from coming in was applied by this Lord to other Vses in the assistance of his Management c. by his particular Directions and was allowed to the Commissioners of Excise upon their Accompts For it cannot be made appear that any Great Seal or Privie Seal ever directed specially any of this Money from the use it was appropriated to by Act of Parliament And as for Talleys of Anticipation at what time the Sums so Charg'd are paid or when the Interest is to Commence the Exchequer has no Cognizance of it and although the Accompt is made up by a Sworn Auditor yet his Computation of Interest must arise from Private Vouchers and the Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer must allow the Accompt upon the Credit of Private Vouchers for they can have no Publike ones from the Exchequer there being no Record of any Real Issue to vouch there and perhaps these present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury having search'd into the nature of Talleys of Anticipation and finding that by that way of disposing of Money they never can have any Accompt but what must be made up by Private Credit they endeavour to bring all things to be Govern'd by the Records of the Exchequer for what Moneys they are forced to borrow they borrow upon Loans made in the Exchequer and Mr. Richard Kent and Mr. Charles Duncombe who have lent divers great Sums have paid it into the Receipt of the Exchequer where the Record will not only vouch the Receipt but the Issue and of all Moneys so lent the Accompt of Interest is made up by the Records and no Combination of Private persons in this Method can defraud the King The next thing is about the Poll-Bill and the Eastland-Merchants pag. 3. where my Lord Danby says That Bill brought into the Exchequer but 256223 l. 2 s. 4 d. The Matter of Fact as appears by the Records of the Exchequer is thus There was paid upon that Bill to the 25th of March 79. the Sum of 249404 l. 4 s. 8 d. and no more but the Loans made upon the Credit of that Act amounted to 252900 l. which Sum my Lord Danby had the whole disposition of and is what the Examiner charges him with The Eastland-Merchants were promised ready Money for their Goods yet were wholly left unsatisfied and these present Lords of the Treasury have upon their Accompts since stated made them Assignments upon the Hearth-Duty to the Sum of 186585 l. 18 s. 9 d. and have actually performed what this Lord can onely say for his best excuse that he intended to have done And this is yet a farther Charge left on the Revenue which the Examiner did not include By what has been said in the foregoing Paragraph it appears the Weekly Certificates in the Exchequer cannot be Proofs for Moneys dispos'd by Talleys of Anticipation but my Lord Danby has been pleased to say the Cause is That he has had out of the Exchequer some of those Certificates which have not been true and that to the Mistake of Ten or Twelve thousand pounds in one week I cannot imagine what my Lord means by this for I suppose had it been really so I have not had so great a share in his Lordships favour but that he would have made it appear in a more proper place if he could have made good any such thing as is pretended The next thing is about the Argument concerning an Accompt of the Pells from Easter 73. to March 79. amounting to Eight Millions c. which my Lord Danby pag. 4. has made to be Ten Millions and more The repetition of the former Sum I imagine is false Printed in the Examiner I shall not meddle with their Arguments but agree with my Lord of Danby that the 200000 l. on the fifth part of the Excise is twice reckon'd it being included in the Act for disbanding the Army And I do also believe some part of that Tax was not paid in his time but not finding any Inferences to be drawn from it I have not given my self the trouble to Examine it Since if the Ordinary Revenue together with the Accidental Taxes have not amounted to above Ten Millions as this Lord alleadges has been Publickly Accompted for at the Pells in that time it will necessarily follow that the Remainder must be an Anticipation upon the Revenue which will be best determined by the Charge he left upon it Lady day 79. in the Matter of Fact of which much depends and I will be as Clear as I can when I come to it The next thing is about Secret Service My Lord Danby is pleased to say pag. 5. The just Sum paid in three years Compleat was 252467 l. But by the Records of the Exchequer I finde paid in three years viz. from Lady day 76. to Lady day 79. the Sum of 294916 l. 11 s. 4 d. whereof in Mr. Berty's name indeed
252467 l. 10 s. 5 d. besides the further Sum of 14640 l. as should be privately directed to be distributed in New-years-gifts by Mr. Berty's hands which Sum in the half years Accompt of the Exchequer is placed under the Head of Secret Service there being no other proper Head for it according to the Methods of the Exchequer This Sum being then added to the former will make the Total of Secret Service for those Three years to amount to 309556 l. 11 s. 4 d. As to the payment of my Lord Treasurers Pension of 8000 l. per annum 't was never included in the Accompts of Secret Service for those Three years which I suppose the Examiner must mean for it was alter'd by a Privie Seal bearing date the 19th of July 1676. to express the particular Service of that Sum the first Payment to commence from Christmas 75. But neither when the Service was expressed as well as before did my Lord Treasurer ever pay Fees for his Salary or the Chancellor of the Exchequer pay any for his as the Examiner rightly affirms The next thing is in the State of the Revenue left by my Lord Clifford The Matter of Fact is thus My Lord Clifford made a State of the Revenue the 10th day of June 1673. as follows viz. The Customs were Charg'd with about 153000 l. for the Navie Ordnance c. and I hope this last Fleet will go neer to clear it Almost two thirds of the Rents of the Excise for the Quarter due at Michaelmas next is charg'd for the Forces Cofferer c. All the Forces are provided for until the 25 of July and the last new additional Levies till Michaelmas next The Houshold is provided for until Lady day last The Treasurer of the Chamber until Christmas last except the Old Arrear in the late Lord Treasurers time The Office of the Works until Lady day last The Great Wardrobe hath been supply'd from time to time as their most pressing Occasions have required Tanger is Weekly provided for on the Customs The Ordnance hath had as much yearly in proportion as in the former Dutch War but by reason that that Office hath not kept the Accompts I cannot justly say how that Office stands The Victualler is paid within a small matter except the last Agreement for the Land-men The first three Quarters of the Tax given by Parliament are assigned the three last are untouch'd which amount to about 600000 l. There will be in October and November for payment of the Fleet and Yards in ready money these three following Sums From the Advance of the Excise 150000 l. From the French Money 112500 l. Upon the three Quarters of the Subsidy 080000 l. The Chimney-money and Law-Bill are left free to be charg'd as there shall be occasion The Original of this Paper was drawn by Sir Philip Lloyd by my Lord Clifford's directions of which I have had a Copie by me ever since that time I cannot say whose Hand it is directly but I can affirm this to be a true Copie of it and it was so acknowledg'd by Sir Philip Lloyd to a Gentleman that I sent to shew it him but denied that Paper to be his hand I did after this about the 21 of June make some further Examinations for the Service of my Lord Danby then Lord Treasurer and did presume the increase of Charge on the Customes by that time was 92905 l. 17 s. 8 d. which if reckon'd together with the former Charge makes up the sum of 245905 l. 17 s. 8 d. But in the same Exanation I gave my Lord the Excise agreed very neer with the sum in the Copie before recited I did also present the Hearth-duty to be Charg'd with 22318 l. 11 s. 0 d. but withal explain'd it in these words This Charge may be paid by the Arrears of Hearth-money due at Lady day last and at Michaelmas there will be half a year due to the King which amounts to 67500 l. which at Michaelmas will begin to be paid by about 2500 l. per week so that the Variation herein will amount but to about 93000 l. in case my Lord Danby is pleased to give my Calculation the greatest Credit I do further acknowledge in that Paper I presented my Opinion that the Customes would not have paid its Charge at the Christmas following probably by 40000 l. but it seems the good management of the Customs and the fulness of Trade gave Mr. Mounteney occasion to write this Letter to me which I have now by me SIR I Have a List sign'd by the late Lord Treasurer Clifford and confirm'd by the present Lord Treasurer the said List being wholly paid onely 8400 l. payable to the Treasurer of the Navie I do hear there are several Talleys struck on the Customs but I know not of what value nor to whom payable I understand the persons have made their applications to my Lord Treasurer and that my Lord intends to make a new List which is all I can say to this affair Sir Your very humble servant Ri Mounteney Custom-house Lond. 10 Novemb. 73. And it is very true I was then Auditor of the Receipt and not Secretary to his Lordship at that time In the same Paper before mentioned I likewise acknowledge to have given a short State of the Revenue and the Expences for that Year wherein at a General Guess I calculated by way of Debtor and Creditor that the Expences would exceed the Ordinary Income by One million one hundred sixty three thousand four hundred pounds I could not but admire at the ingenious use my Lord Danby makes of what I then presented for I believe no unprejudic'd man could imagine that I should give such a State as that so great a Revenue as the King then had should not supply the Ordinary Charges of the Government by above a Million in one year But my Lord Danby was pleas'd to pick out of the Paper onely such words as he thought might be useful to his purpose for had he exprest the true Cause I gave of such a State which was the time of the War the matter had been explain'd the Expence of the War being stated by the Commissioners of the Navie to amount in one year to the sum of 1400000 l. And in the same Paper I also added in the very next words another Calculation for the Ensuing year 74. where my Lord Danby might have likewise found if he had pleased these words The State for the ensuing year 74 if iâ— peace will be Debtor by Expence Creditor by Income 1167400. 1386500. To Balance 219100. Â 1386500. Â So that by a like Calculation in times of Peace the yearly Income would exceed the Expence by Two hundred and nineteen thousand one hundred pounds I will not make any further Reflections on these things but keep onely to my Rule of Matter of Fact The last thing that occurs is the State of the Revenue how it was left Charg'd by my Lord of
Cha Duncombe Esq and Comp. for Commission for selling and managing the Tynne 711 7 Â Â 13. To Money paid to the present Lords of the Treasury 4395 3 6 Â Â 36327 7 6 1679. Tynne-Accompt Cr. l. s. d. May 13. By Talleys on the Customs 10000 Â Â Aug. 13. By the product of the sale of the Tynne 26327 7 6 Â Â 36327 7 6 By which Accompt it appears that in stead of 15000 l. claim'd by my Lord of Danby there is but 4395 l. 3 s. 6 d. to be allowed as a Deduction which I shall likewise substract when I come to sum up the whole The next and last Deduction is for Talleys on the Customs accounted by the Examiner to be unpaid amounting to 2342 l. which were paid as my Lord says in his time I sent to Mr. Kent the Cashier of the Customs concerning this Particular who sent me word he could not finde any such Talleys however by reason I have no direct Certificate I will rather admit it as a Deduction than dispute it The Deductions then to be allowed are 1. The Talleys to pay the Forces forwards to the first of July 59588 l. 2. The Balance of the Tynne-Accompt 4395 l. 3 s. 6 d. 3. Mr. Montague ' s Talleys 2342 l. 66325 l. 3 s. 6 d. The true state of all I conceive then to be thus The Examiners Charge was 1485570 l. From which substracting the Deductions which are 66325 l. 3 s. 6 d. The Remaining Charge will be 1419244 l. 16 s. 6 d. And that the Matter of Fact may yet more clearly appear how the Kings Revenue stood Charged when my Lord Danby left it I must also add three other Particulars amounting to 655634 l. 19 s. 6 d. of which Sum the present Lords of the Treasury have paid and satisfied Four hundred seventy eight thousand six hundred forty six pounds eighteen shillings six pence viz. 1. The Monies left unpaid on the Fifth part of the Excise which was 83400 2. The Debt to the Eastland Merchants paid by Talley on the Hearth-money which was 186585 l. 19 s. 9 d. 3. Vpon the return of Sir John Norborough ' s Fleet which had been a long time at Sea there became a great debt upon the Navie which being computed to Lady day 79. amounted to 385648 l. 1 s. 0 d. The particular Accompt I had in two Certificates from the Navie-Office of which sum these present Lords of the Treasury have satisfied the sum of 208660 l. 18 s. 9 d. Ships yet unpaid in the List amounting to 60273 l. 15 s. 0 d. and the remaining sum to compleat the debt above mentioned being 268934 l. 13 s. 9 d. 116714 l. 6 s. 0 d. 385648 19 9 is supposed either to be paid by Tickets before the 25 of March 79. or is still unpaid The total of those three particulars 655634 19 6 To which adding the Charge on the Revenue before computed amounting to 1419244 16 6 2074879 16 The total of the whole Charge left on the Revenue at Lady day 79. by this Accompt appears to be Two Millions seventy four thousand eight hundred seventy nine pounds sixteen shillings And as to the Proof of all these three Particulars The first concerning the fifth part of the Excise The second concerning the Eastland Merchants The Records of the Exchequer will be the Evidence and for The third Particular concerning the Navie and Fleet under the Command of Sir John Norborough The Charge is according to the two Certificates before mentioned which I have now by me together with the others and am ready to shew them to any that doubts the truth of the Particulars And these present Lords of the Treasury will be the truest Judges whether these Charges are justly Computed to whom I submit it and shall gladly acknowledge my Errour if they do not feel the Matter of fact to be too true There is nothing more remains as I see that concerns Me or Matter of fact but a Paper delivered by Me to his Majestie the 5th of March 75. which was almost three years after this Lords having the Staff I have not the Copy by me but I remember I delivered such a Paper to the King and did it out of a sense of Duty to offer to him whether He in his great Prudence would think fit to make some Suspensions and upon that declare payment of the Residue which the Revenue would not bear I do believe that as near as I could then guess the Income would be short of the proportion'd Expence by the Sum mentioned by my Lord Danby Pag. 13. of 519143 l. 1 s. 6 d. which only shews the Matter of Fact how much the Revenue was impair'd from June 73. to March 75. And the State of it as it is here now represented shews as well how much it was impair'd from March 75. to Lady-day 79. And His Majesty I doubt not but remembers that I gave him often notice of my apprehensions how much the Revenue was like to suffer by the way of Management and therefore my Proposition to the King to find a Weekly Credit was to help to pay off all Tallies and to bring the Government of the Kings Revenue by Specie into the Exchequer in which those Frauds that had been committed would infallibly have been avoided Which is quite contrary to what my Lord Danby mentions p. 12. of putting the Three great Branches into the hands of Vndertakers and a thing I never thought of But the Propositions I presented to the King I offered to prove and could have made good if he had thought it for His Service which I can make appear by Men of the greatest Quality if required of me and to evidence that 't was my constant judgment that Tallies of Anticipation would be the ruine of the Revenue I presented to my Lord Danby at Windsor not long after he received the Staff my thoughts of it and how it was at that time in his Lordships power to place it in the right way of Management upon which he commanded me to put it in Writing which accordingly I did and in that Paper there appeared no difficulty but upon the Debt due to Sir Stephen Fox by Tallies on the Excise to whom I was commanded by his Lordship to impart the Scheme who seeing it for the Kings Service freely consented to receive his Debt by the week by which means the Revenue might have been reduc'd to that way of Management as would have hindred many disadvantages to the King which since that has hapned I only give this short Account to shew what my judgment ever was concerning Tallies of Anticipation and am at last extreamly satisfied to see my constantly declared Opinion approved by the proceedings of these present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury who use their endeavours to bring the Kings Revenue as fast as they can to be Govern'd by Record according to the Rules and Methods of the Exchequer which is the Common Law of England Thus Sir I have endeavour'd to be so clear in what I have done that it may admit no Contradiction at least I am not Conscious to my self that I have not in every thing acknowledged Truth where it appeared nor have denied or asserted any thing but what I had proofs to justifie me in and hope it may give that satisfaction which is desired by you and intended by Octob. 13. 1680. SIR Your most Humble and Obedient Servant RO. HOWARD FINIS ERRATA PAge 5. line 34. read vouch it there p. 9. l. 24. r. examination p. 11. l. 7. r. if in peace l. 25. r. advance l. 34 35. r. the first of July p. 12. l. 21. r. debt p. 20. l. 21. should be a stroak being the summing up a Sum thus