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public, by our councils and mediation, in a manner both equitable and impartial. We have given inftructions to the comte de Goertz to lay all this before your high mightineffes, and, if circumftances require it, before the states of each particular province, in a moft explicit manner, to affure on our part all that is neceffary, and, if it be thought proper, to enter into negociations on the fubject.

We defire your high mightineffes in confequence to place entire confidence in the comte de Goertz in this weighty affair, and to negociate and finish with him whatever may be thought agreeable to both parties, according to circumstances. We hope and truft that no fufpicions can arife in the minds of your high mightinefies, or those of the states of any of the provinces, on account of our interefting onrfelves fo ferioutly for the prince ftadtholder. On the one hand, we are fuch near relations, that the lot of that prince, his confort, our beloved and worthy tifter (of whofe fentiments entirely devoted to the republic, your high mightineffes can have no doubt,) and their children and posterity, cannot be indifferent to

us.

On the other hand, because we know in the most certain manner, and can infure, that the fladtholder and all his family are most affectionately attached to the republic of the United Provinces, and that certainly they will never do any thing against the intereft and fyftem of the ftates, bot, on the contrary, will always endeavour to preferve them, and contribute to their well-being; to which we must add, that being the nearest neighbour of the United Provinces, and in confequence of the tics which have never been broken between

the two parties, we have great intereft that the government of the republic, conformable to the ancient conftitution, fhould not be changed in any effential point, but always preferved untouched; and that the ineftine divifions and differences, which certainly were caufed merely by mistrust, may be fettled as foon as poffible, by an equitable, juft, and fincere reconciliation, and by a durable good understanding between all the parties concerned.

We recommend this important affair, together with all that we have mentioned, to your high mightinefles in the mofi fincere nd amicable manner; and as we hope not to fail herein, we reciprocally affure your high mightineffes, that we have, and always thall bear, a neighbourly friendhip and affection towards the republic in general, and each province in particular.

Of your high mightineffes the good frienrd and neighbour, (Signed) FREDERICK WILLIAM. (Counterfigned) FINKENSTEIN V. HERTSBERG.

Berlin, Sept. 2, 1786.

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His Royal Highness Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, by A&t 7 Geo. III.

The Reprefentatives of Arthur Onflow, eiq. by Act 2 Geo. III.

The Earl of Chatham, by Act 18 Geo. 111.

George Lord Rodney, by Act 23 Geo. III.

Sir George Auguftus

Elliot, by ditto.

The right hon. Lewis lord Sondes, by A&t 25 Geo, III.

The right hon. lord Viscount Mountiuart, by ditto

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8,coo o o

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9,000 0 ⚫

Sir John Dick, bart.
and William Mollefon,
efq. auditors of the ar-
my accounts, ditto.
For the clerks, fta-

8,000 o o tionary, and other
charges incurred in the
office of the commif-
fioners for auditing the
public accounts of this
kingdom, by ditto.

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ABSTRACT of the feveral Articles of Public Receipt and Expenditure; from the Report of the Select Committee.

RECEIPT.

1. Total net Payments into the Exchequer, from Mich. 1784 to Mich. 1785

From Mich. 1784 to Mich. 1785.

From 5th Jan. 1785 to 5th Jan. 1786.

£. 12,321,520

Deduc therefrom

The refpited Duties paid by the Faft India Company Excels beyond the future Amount of the Window Duties

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£. 11,874,213

1. Total net Payments into the Exchequer, from 5th Jan. 1785 to 5th Jan. 1786

12,499,916

Deduct therefrom

The refpited Duties paid by the Eaft India Company Excefs beyond the future Amount of the Window Duties

£. 401,118 56,101

457,219

2. Further Produce of the Window Duty impofed by the 24th George III.

380,056

3. Farther Produce of the Duty ou Two Wheel and Four Wheel Carriages 4. To complete the former Duty on Male Servants

59,281

26,803

5. Further Produce of the Duties on Horfes, Waggons, and Carts

56,829

6. Further Produce of Taxes imposed in 1784

7. Further Produce of Taxes impofed in 1785, including the Improvement of the Medicine Duty

103,000 265,000

8. Paid at the Excifc and Alienation Office, in Part of Civil Lift

14,000

9. Produce of the Land and Mait

2,600,000

EXPENDITURE.

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The Tenth Report of the Commiffioners appointed to examine, take, and fate, the Public Accounts of the Kingdam. See Public Papers, Vol. VI. p. (214)•

THE examination into the manner of paffing the accounts of the paymaller-general of his majesty's fores, in the office of the auditor of the impreft, led us, neceffarily, to enquire into the mode in ufe of paying the army, and of keeping the army-accounts in the pay-office. Several obfervations occurred to us in the progrefs of that inquiry, and many regulations, which, in our judgment, appeared fit and expedient to be established: fome of them we have inferted in our last report, and fubmitted to the wisdom of the legiflature: there are other fubjects connected with both these offices, as well as other matter of obfervation and regulation, that demand our attention.

The paymaster-general iffues money to two perfons who are public annual accountants-the paymaster of the widows penfions, and the agent for the out-penfioners of Chelfea hofpital.-To the former in his official capacity of paymaftergeneral of the forces, to the latter as treasurer of the hofpiral: he iffues likewife to regimental agents, and to various perfons employed in the army expenditures, fums for which they became accountable: all these furnished matter of inquiry.

obtained, likewife, from the fecretary at war a copy of his majetty's orders and inftructions to be obferv. ed in the payment of that bounty.

The return to us from the audiditor's office, in confequence of this requifition, was the account of the honourable Henry Edward Fox, receiver and pay matter of the penfions to widows, for two years, ending the 24th of December 1779, and paffed the 29th of April 1782, with a book of account, and an eftablishment for each year, and with the certificates, affidavits, and receipts of the perfons receiving.

We applied ourselves firft to the office of the paymafter of the widows pentious, and required from te auditors of the impreft. the last declared account of the receiver and paymaster of his majefty's royal bounty, to the widows of officers who were killed or died in the fervice, with the materials from which that account was made out. Wie

The book of account confitts of all the receipts and payments of the year: the establishment contains the names of, and the fums payable to the objects of this bounty, with the king's warrant prefixed, direct ing the payment.

The examination of John Powell, efq. late deputy paymaster of thefe penfions; of John Lloyd, efq. laté deputy auditor of the impreft, who paffed this account; and of Mr. John Davies, and Mr. Keen Stables, the clerks employed in the payments, fupplied us with knowledge of the manner in which the bufimess of this office is conducted, and the accounts are paffed.

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The office of receiver and paymater of the widows pentions, is held by letters patent for life, to be executed by himfelf or deputy. Upon infpection of those by which the office is now holden, we find inis granted to Henry Edward Fox for his life; and from and after the death, furrender, forfe.ture, or other determination of that eflate, to John Powell, efq. his executors, adminiftrators, and affigns during the life of Charles James Fox. This office is executed entirely by the deputy and clerks; the princi pal never interfering in any part of

the

the business. The whole office is merely ministerial; paying certain fums to certain perfons, upon production of proper formal affidavits and certificates: it confifts of four perfons, the paymatter, the deputy, and two clerks; it is executed at the war office by the two clerks; one a clerk in the war office, ap. pointed by the fecretary at war; the other a clerk in the pay office, appointed by the deputy paymaster of the penfions.

The fund appropriated for this fervice, is compounded of fums ta ken from the pay of the feveral regiments and corps upon the eitablishment, and of the marines. The deputy paymaster of the penfions applies for money out of this fund from time to time, to the pay master-general of the forces, and to the paymaster of the marines he fupplies, occafionally, the clerk he employs to make the payments, with fuch portions of it as he thinks may be wanted. The payments are made every four months; and the pay clerk attends for an entire week at the beginning of a payment, and on every Wednesday afterwards, and pays the widows purfuant to the establishment. To intitle herself to receive, each widow muft, if she receives in perfon, produce an affidavit of her widowhood, and that he has not any other penfion or allowance from government; if the receives by attorney, he must produce the like affidavit, and a certificate of her being alive and a widow.

Hence it appears that the manner of paffing this account, by the auditor of the impreft, is very fimple. The change in the official account confifts of the balance re. maining on the laft account, and the fums received from the paymafter-general of the forces, and

from the paymaster of the marines, during the period of the account : these fums are verified by the certificate of the proper officer in each office. The difcharge contains the payments, for the allowance of which, the establishment, the affi davit, the certificate, and the acquittance of each perfon, or her affignee or attorney, are the vouchers. After the account is examined, and the balance agreed, the official book of account is figned, and the truth of the account attefted upon oath by the deputy paymatter of the penfions, before the deputy auditor of the imprett. All the fums being received, and the payments made by the deputy, the deputy, and not the principal, is the perfon who paffes and fwears to the account. That account, which is drawn up by the auditor, is neither figned nor fworn to by the accoun tant; nor is it declared, or p ffed through any of the exchequer offices; one part of it is delivered to the accountant; and is declared, by his majefty's inftructions, to be, without any other formality, his final difcharge and quietus; the duplicate remains in the auditor's

office.

The number of widows upon the establishment of the year 1778, was 594, and upon that of the year 1779, 611. The charge for thefe two years, including the balance of 15,841.cs.

d. remaining on the laft account, a nounted to 53,9241. 28. 3d. the difcharge to 28,9671 os. 2d. including the fum of 1,7271. os. id. allowed for the expences attending the execution of the office, and paffing the accounts; which left in the hands of the accountant a balance of 24,9571. 38. id.

The account before us is of the years-1778 and 1779; but the fumis the accountant charges himfelt with,

are

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