Queen, prevented the Re-examination; it feems unintelligible how the appearing of 1200 Men upon a proper and useful Occafion, which was indeed a Review of fo many, fhould obftruct or retard the Examination of the reft; befides, as Mr. How ob ferves, these Books with fuch ample Certificates, were fent to him not till November following, after all the Draughts were Difmiffed; and inftead of any Notice to top Payment in Expectation of this Re-examination, Mr. Crifp in his Letter to Mr. How, preffes, that the Payment might not meet with any Delay. Many more Obfervations might be drawn from the Memorial, the Commiffioners Anfwer, and the Reply; but they being all annexed, we beg leave to refer to them, and to proceed in giving Your Majefty an Account of what further occurr❜d to us, during this Examination. Thefe Pay-Books being made up in fo loose and unwarrantable a Manner, and it appearing by the Queen's Inftructions to the Commiffioners, that no Penfioners were to be admitted, but by Warrant Signed by the Commiffioners upon proper Certificates, and a due Examination by the Commissioners in Perfon, and that by the Sixth Article of the faid Inftructions (Copies of the faid Warrants, expreffing the Particulars of the Examination, and Reafon of fuch Invalids Admiffion, are to be entred in a Book to be kept for that purpose) Mr. Crifp was Ordered to lay before the Lords the Orginal Books from whence the Pay-Books were fuppofed to be Transcribed: In Compliance with this Order, Mr. Crifp prefented to the Lords of the Committee Six Books, Three Signed joyntly by Mr. Inglis the Surgeon General, and Mr. Nodes his Mate; and Three Signed by Mr. Nodes only; and a Seventh Paper Signed by No Body. Thefe Thefe Books, figned only in this Manner, which were Delivered as the Foundation and Vouchers for the Pay-Books and the Original Books of the College, appear at first View to be Defective in the most material Part, and cannot be allowed to be of any Authority, not being Signed by any One Commiffioner, whereas by the Commiffion under the Great Seal, and the Inftructions thereto annexed, they ought to have been Signed by Five Commiffioners. It is neceffary to obferve here, That upon Conftituting the prefent Commiffioners, and Forming these Inftructions, a great Reformation of fuppofed Abuses in the College was fet on Foot, and the Number of Out Penfioners, which was then betwixt 3 and 4000 was thought fo Exceffive, that a General Examination of all the Out-Penfioners was ordered to be taken by thefe Commiffioners, who difmiffed 1882, as being Admitted without due Qualifications; and there remained then upon the Penfion only 1719: And this Reduction was made about June 1713, fince which Time they are now encreafed to above 9000. The Commiffioners in their answer to Mr. How's Memorial, undertake to Account for this great Encreafe by a General Eftimate in this manner; Men, Left upon the Penfion upon the General 1719 Examination in 1713 Re-admitted upon a Second Examination by 1882 300 1000 Men Men Discharged from the Service of Portugal and Spain, who, upon account of the Hardfhips they fuffered, were to remain upon the Penfion; till their Wounds, &c. were Cured, between 3 and 4000 It is now worth Enquiry how the Original Books, as they are called, agree with this Account, and upon what Authorities they are Founded. The First Book, Signed by Mr. Englis and Mr. Nodes, is the Lift of Men Re-admitted upon the Reexamination, and though the whole Number difmiffed was but 1882, this Book contains 2130, which exceeds the Number dismissed by 248. The Second Book, which is likewife Signed both by Mr. Englis and Mr. Nodes, contains a Lift of 905 Men, which were New Men; and being Examined by the Surgeon and his Mate, without any Report to the Commiffioners, or any Warrant from them, are Admitted and Entred the Penfion; and this Examination is faid to Commence in June 1713, and to be continued to February following. The Third Book, Signed by Mr. Nodes the Surgeon's Mate only, contains a List of 1643 Men, which Mr. Nodes upon Oath Delivered as a Lift of Men, who were permitted to remain upon the Penfion, without undergoing the First General Examination; but the Commiffioners in their Answer having called these about 1000 Men, Mr. Nodes was Examined more particularly, and did acknowledge upon Oath, That about 600 of thofe Names were added and inferted in that Book fince this prefent Enquiry began. The Fourth Book contains a List of 620 Men, Certified for by Mr. Nodes fingly, which he calls a Con tinuation 35 tinuation of the former Examination, that ended in February, 1713-14; and Mr. Nodes confeffeth, that about 100 of thefe Men were Added to this Book fince the prefeut Enquiry The Fifth Book is a Lift of 253, Signed by Mr. Englis and Mr. Nodes, which were Men reduced from the 12 Invalid Companies; and it must be observed, that the Commiffioners in their Anfwer reckoned thefe 300 Men. These Five Books together contain 5551 Men, and are all that are pretended to have been Admitted fince the Number was Reduced to 1719, which together make but 7270, and is fhort of the Number Entred upon the Pay Book by 1839. To fupply this Defect, there is a Book Signed by Mr. Nodes, containing 1772 Men, which leave ftill 67 Men upon the Pay-Book, for which there is not the leaft pretence of any fort of Admiffion. But as to this last Number of 1772 Men, there is fomething very unintelligible in this part of the Account, and that requires farther Explanation; Mr. Nodes who Signed this Book, did upon his Oath Declare, that it did contain the Lift of the Men, who upon the first General Examination were allowed to remain as duly Qualified; and in a Paper which he delivered in the Day after he was Sworn, upon Recollection, for his own Juftification, he afferts to the fame effect. If this be true, thefe Men, or so many of them at least, are the fame as the 1719, so often mentioned, and are not to be reckoned again; which leaves the Deficiency ftill of the Number entred upon the Pay-Book of above 1800 Men. But it must not be forgot that Mr. Crifp at the fame time delivered a List of Names amounting to 1715. at the end of which are thefe Words, "The feveral Men aforementioned, "whofe Regiments are affixed against their Names, "were continued on the Penfion upon the Examina"tion E 2 Vol. IX. "tion of all the Out- Penfioners in the beginning of "the Year 1713." Which must be understood of the fame Men that Mr. Nodes Swears are contained in his Book; but upon Examination and Comparison of the Lifts, few or none of the Names are found to be the fame. How this is to be reconciled is hard to determine, but 'tis certain if they had been the fame, they were not to be twice reckon'd; as they are not the fame, One of the Lifts can be nothing but a Number of Fictitious Names, fet down upon this occafion, to make up a Number as near as they could in this Surprize, equal to the Numbers which the Commiffioners had certified to be alive, and duly Qualified, and had accordingly Directed fhould be Paid. And that this was most probably the Cafe, may be reafonably concluded, becaufe Mr. Nodes did upon his Oath confefs, that this whole Book of 1772 Men, was Tranfcribed from loofe Papers fince this Enquiry, and Sign'd by him, but the fame Day that it was delivered into this Committee; and Mr. Nodes being asked, where thofe loofe Papers were from whence he Transcribed thefe Names, he said, he thought they were now of no further ufe, and that he had Cancelled and Destroyed several of them during this prefent Examination. By thefe Obfervations it fufficiently appears, that thefe Books which were produced as Vouchers to the Pay-Books, were in a great measure made and prepared after the Pay-Books were Tranfmitted to the Paymafter; that the Number of Out-Penfioners was encreased from 1719. to 9109. without any One Legal or Warrantable Step pursuant to the Queen's Inftructions; and that if any of the Commiffioners who Signed the firft Warrant, did in Compliance with others, and through Inadvertency fet their Hands to the Pay-Books, it is furprizing to find that Three of the |