the Commissioners fhould ftill perfevere and take upon them the Juftification of fach grofs Abufes, and give a Second Sanction to fuch Corrupt Practices, which carry along with them very strong Sufpicions of great and unreafonable Advantages made at the Expence of the Publick, and by the Abufe of a neceflary and very laudable Charity.

But befides the Conclufions that neceflarily follow. from what has been faid already, feveral Perfons gave Evidence and Information upon Oath, tending to the fame effect; And by what has Occurred during this Examination, there feems to be no Difcipline or Regularity in any part of the Management of the Hofpital; but in this Useful and Advantageous part of admitting Out Penfioners, there are Recruiting Officers that Beat up for, and Levy Invalids to Claim the Penfion; there are Officers that prepare Certificates of the Men's Qualifications, Furlows Signed by the Governor are always ready for them, immediately upon their Admiffion; and there are Perfons ready to take upon them the Trouble of Receiving their Penfions by Letter of Attorney, and to Advance to them as the Stock rifes or falls in or about Chelsea, and another Advantage these Perfons feem to have, á Man is no fooner Admitted an Invalid but he becomes Immortal, there not having One Man Died out of 9109. from the time of their firft Admiffion.

After fo full a Detection of these grofs Abuses, Committed and Suffered in the Chief Branch of Expence relating to the Hofpital, it was not reasonable to expect any Care or good Management in the expence of the Houfe, and it feems very needless to trouble Your Majefty long upon this Head; but only to obferve with Mr. Hom, that the expence of the Hofpital in the Articles of Provifions and Contingencies is within a few Years Increased a Third;

That

Vol. IX. That of Provifions feems very unaccountable, it being all along for the fame Number of Men, and it does not appear that the Nature of the Payments to the Undertakers, either in time or Specie, has occafioned any Discount in proportion to the Advance in the Prices of the Provisions. However the Commiffion ers have in this part been equally Remifs, for it does not appear that any Regular Contracts at all have been made for fome late Years, but the Undertakers have been told by Mr. Crifp, That they must go on at the former Prices, and the only Authority they have had has been a Verbal Signification of the Commissioners Pleasure by Mr. Crifp; fome Contracts have been Signed for Candles in particular, above a Twelve Month after the Money was paid, and greater Allowances made to Contractors by Mr. Crifp, than by the Minutes of the Board he was Authorized to do: And fuch Alterations have been made by Mr. Crifp at his own Houfe, without taking or asking any Directions from the Commissioners.

And the better to Cover these Frauds and Abuses, the Ancient Rules and Methods Established for the better Regulating the Management of the Affairs of the College, have, of late Years, been Difpenfed with and laid afide; And Mr. Englis, who is Comptroller. of the College, and had ufually been prefent at the making of Contracts, or at least Attefted them, Depofed upon Oath, That for late Years he had never feen any of the Contracts; and all the Knowledge he had of them, was, Mr. Crifp had given him Abstracts and short Minutes, which were all the Rules he had to Govern himself by, in the Receiving and Delivering out of the Stores and Provifions; and by this means all the Checques and Comptrols that were Established for the Security of the Publick, were ren dred useless,

H

15 Majefty in Council taking the fame Vol. IX: into Coufideration, is Pleafed to Order, U That the faid Report be made Publick; And it is hereby accordingly Ordered, That it be Printed and Publifhed, to the end, that all Perfons Concerned, may take Notice thereof, and ufe their utmost Endeavours to Prevent the like Abufes and Evil Practices for the fu

ture.

Mr. Howe's MEMORIAL relating to
the State of Chelsea Hofpital and Out-
Pensioners, in purfuance of a Direction
from the Lords Commiffioners of the
Treasury to that purpose, which was
by their Lordships judged of Confe-
quence to be laid before his Majefty,
and was by him referred to a Commit-
tee of Council &c. in order to a parti-
cular Examination of that Affair, as
appears by their Report printed by Au-
thority.

To the Right Honourable the Lords Commif-
fioners of His Majefty's Treasury.
May it please Your Lordships.

Having been acquainted with

your

Lord

fhips Directions to the Commiffioners of the Royal Hofpital at Chelsea, to lay before your Lordships a State of the faid Hofpital, with Refpect to the Charges of the prefent Efta blifhment, and the Out-Penfioners, and how far the refpective Parts of the faid Charge have been fatisfied, and by what Warrants and Authorities, &c.

I do herewith tranfmit to your Lordships the most perfect State which I believe can at

prefent

Vol. IX. prefent be made of the Charge of the faid Hofpital and Out Penfioners, with the Funds for their Support, from the 24th of December 1712. (to which time they are fully cleared) to the 24th of December next, diftinguished under the proper Heads in two Annual Accompts, with an Abstract of them in one View, to which is added the feveral Sums I have received and paid for this Service.

By thefe Accompts your Lordships will see, that befides the Sum of 5000 1. which is to be received from the Earl of Carnarvon, for the Day's Pay of the Forces who served abroad, when they are cleared, there remains to be if fued of the Funds voted by Parliament, and "agreed to by a Select Committee, for this Expence, the Sum of 37,629 1. 8 s. 5 d. for the Tear 1713. and 63, 381 1. 5 s. 7 d. for the Service of the prefent Year 1714. making together 106,0101. 14 S. and admitting thefe Sums were iffued and applied, there will be still a Deficiency of 35,536 1. 10 s. 6 d. 2. to clear the Hofpital and Out-Penfioners to the 24th of December next.

As this will, I believe, appear furprizing to your Lordships, I think it neceffary to acquaint your Lordships with the Grounds and Authorities upon which the particular Articles in thefe Accompts are founded.

The first is the Annual Sum of 3008 1. 9 s. for the Sallaries of the Officers of the Houfe, pursuant to an Establishment figned by her late Majesty foon after her Acceffion to the Throne; upon which Head it is proper I should take notice to your Lordships, that above two Years fince Directions were given for making a new Eftablishment with fome Alterations, and one

was accordingly prepared and figned by her late Vol. IX. Majesty, but upon an Application from the Commiffioners, of the Hofpital, a Stop was put to the Counter-Signing it; and a Report of the Commiffioners, with one of mine in Kelation thereto, were referred by the Earl of Oxford to the Confideration of Mr. Gwyn then Secretary at War, whofe Report thereupon, with the Establishment, and all the other Papers lying before your Lordships, I shall not trouble your Lordships with any particulars therein, but must obferve to your Lordships, that by reason this Affair has remained fo long undetermined, I have undergone fome Cenfure, the Officers of the Houfe being uneasy they were not paid, though I had no proper Authority to pay them by; her Majefy's Signing a new Establishment having cancelled the former, and the Differences of fome Allowances in the latter, made the Perfons concerned, unwilling to be paid, and concluded by the other, which was not perfected, in which Condition it continuing at her Majefty's Death, I was so moved with the HardShip it was to many of the Officers who had no other Support, that I paid all (but one or two who are truck off by the new Establishment) as much on Accompt as their new Sallaries did amount to at Christmas laft, and pray your Lordships will now pleafe to give Directions for the perfecting fuch an Establishment as I must be governed by in concluding my Accompts of the Hofpital.

The Second Article is the Annual Allowance of 1249 1.8 s. to the Military Officers and private Men in the Hofpital, to fupply them with Tobacco, &c. and is by Establishment also.

F

The