'Tis the Lord Almoner who pays the Penfion to fuch of his Servants below Stairs, as, thro' Age, or otherwife, are unfit for Service. Alfo to fuch Widows and Children of his Majesty's Houfhold-Servants as are left unprovided for. And he alfo on Maunday Thursday (being the Thurfday in the Paffion Week) performs the Ceremony of Washing the Feet of a certain Number of Poor; which has been often done by the King himself, in imitation of our Saviour's Pattern of Humility. The Charity beftow'd upon this Occafion to each Lazar admitted to this Ceremony, is Woollen Cloth for one Suit, Linnen for two Shifts, fix Penny Loaves of Bread, Fish in wooden Platters, a Quart Bottle of Wine, and two Red Leather Purfes, one with as many fingle Pence as the King is Years old, the other with as many Shillings as Years of the King's Reign.

Under the Lord Almoner, there is a Sub-Almoner, a Yeoman, and two Grooms of the Almonry.

CHA P. XXXIII.

Of the KING's Revenue, and the Officers belonging to it.

THE Charge of the Government in Times of Peace, is com- King's Reve

puted to be Six Hundred Thousand Pounds per Annum, befides extraordinary Expences: Which Sum was fettled upon his late Majefty during his Life, in the firft Year of his Reign, for the better Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown: And the Revenues appropriated for it, are as follow, viz.

The Excise of 2s. 6d. per Barrel on Beer, Ale, &c. excluding 3700l. a Week appropriated thereout for publick Ufes; and including fo much of the Charges of the Management as is paid by the Cashier; which, by a Medium of three Years, amounts

to

The farther Subfidies of Tannage and Poundage, and
other Duties upon Wines, Goods and Merchan-
dizes imported, exclufive of Drawbacks, by De- 256841
bentures and Allowances for damaged Goods, by

a like Medium, is

The Revenue of the General Poft-Office, by a like
Medium, including Charges of Management paid 101101
by the Receiver, is

The

The Produce of the Fines arifing in the Alienation-
Office, including all neceflary Expences of the
Court of Chancery, and other Charges born thereat,
is by a Medium,

The paft Fines, by a referved Rent on a Grant thereof
in being,

The Produce of the Revenue arifing by Wine Li-
cenfes, including Charges of Management by a Me-
dium,

Sheriffs Proffers, communibus Annis, about
Compofitions in the Exchequer, by a Medium of three
Years,

three}

Seizures of Uncuftom'd and Prohibited Goods,
The Revenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall, confifting of
the Cuftom, Coinage, Duty of Tin, Rents of Lands,
Fines of Leafes, and other Revenues certain and
cafual, about

The Revenue of the Principality of Wales, about
Other Revenues arifing by Rents of Lands and Fines
of Leafes, &c. by a Medium of what was paid in-
to the Exchequer in three Years,

So the Total of the Revenues appropriated, as is afore

1. 4804

2276

6314

1040

13

13005

9869

6857

2906

faid, reckoning upon a Medium, and including the >691204 Charges of raifing the fame, is about

The Revenues also of the First Fruits and Tenths, by an A& made in the first Year of the Reign of Queen Anne, were granted for the Support of the Civil Government; but are not computed here, because they have been fince given in Perpe tuity for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy.

The Land-Tax, &c. is afcertain'd at near two Millions, the Cuftoms at above Thirteen Hundred Thoufand Pounds, and the Excife at near One Million.

Among the feveral Taxes which have been enacted by publick Authority, I fhall take particular Notice of the yearly Produce of thefe following:

Duties on Coals, Culm, and Cinders

Duties on Low Wines, and Spirits of the first Extrac

tion,

On Beer and Ale, at 9 d. per Barrel,

On Malt, Mum and Cyder,

On Salt, at 12 d, per Bufhel

113688

C- 25267

155000

650000

Rent of Hackney-Coaches, being 4 1. per Annum each, }

for 700

Licences to Hawkers and Pedlars,

Stamp Duties on Vellum, Barchment, and Paper,
Duties or Windows.

54621

2800

6460 891 10 112069

For

For managing the Cuftom Revenue, there are in the first place, Officers of the Seven Commiffioners, having the Charge and Overfight of all his Cafems. Majefty's Customs in all Ports of England. They hold their Places by Patent, and fit Day by Day in the Cuftom-Houfe, London. Many Officers and Servants are employ'd under them, amounting to about 600; fome Officers holding their Places by Patent from the King, and others by Warrant from the Lord High Treasurer. And their due Perquifites are so confiderable, as to exceed fometimes the Salary.

The Excife upon Malt, Beer, Ale, and other Excisable Liquors, Officers of the is alfo manag'd by Seven Commiffioners, whofe Office is kept in Excife. the Old Jury, near Cheapfide. These have likewise several Officers and Servants under them. In the Country there are 50 Collectors, and 140 Supervisors; befides a vaft Number of inferior Officers, commonly called Excifemen of Gaugers, whose Salary is 20. each per Week: So that the whole Number of Officers concern'd in the Excife, may amount to near 2000.

From the faid Commiffioners there lies an Appeal to five others, called Commiffioners of Appeals.

For the Salt Duty, Wine-Licences, Stamp'd Paper and VelJum, Prizes and Hackney Coaches, there are five Commiffioners to each; and for the Duty arifing from Hawkers, Pedlars, and petty Chapman, Three Commiffioners.

Of His Majesty's Treafury, or that Part of the Exchequer, which is for Receiving and Difburfing the Royal Revenue.

WE have feen the Commiffioners, and other Officers, ap

pointed for collecting the King's Revenue, we come now to thofe who receive the fame in his Majefty's Exchequer or Treasury, and disburse it according to his Order.

Among which the principal are, the Lord High Treasurer of England, and the Chancellor (or Under-Treasurer) of the Exche

quer.

hancellor

The Chancellor is the next Officer to him in the Treafury. He Lord Treahas the Cuftody of the Exchequer Seal, and a Superintendencyrer, and over the Lord Treafurer's Rolls. The Offices of Comptroller of the Pipe, Clerk of the Pleas, and Clerk of the Nichils, are in his Gift. quer. As Under-Treasurer, he has the Gift of the two Praisers of the

Court.

Next to the Chancellor are the two Chamberlains, the Auditor of the Receipts, the four Tellers, and Clerk of the Pells.

the

The Chamberlains have in their Cuftody many antient Re-Chamber cords, the Standards of Monies, Weights and Measures, and thelains. Black Book of the Exchequer, first called Rotulus Wintonia, and afterwards Doomsday-Book.

Doomsday Book

This Book, which is two Volumes, was the Tax Book of all England, except Cumberland, Weftmoreland, Durham, and Nor thumberland, that might be in a Volume by it felf, now loft. This Book was fix Years a making, in the Reign of William the Conqueror, containing an exact Account, not only of all the Ci ties, Towns, and Villages, but alfo of Families, and what every one poffeffed, either in Land or Money. And when any Difference arose about thofe Things, or Taxes, &c. the Book cleared the Point, and the King could not be cheated. Therefore it got the Name of Doomsday-Book; it is now kept under 3 Locks and Keys, not to be look'd into under 6 s. 8 d. nor any Part of it transcribed under 4 d. a Line.

Anditor of The Auditor of the Receipts files the Bills of the Tellers, by the Receipts, which they charge themselves with all the Monies received. And by Warrant from the Lord Treafurer, he draws all Orders to be figned by his Lordfhip, for iffuing forth all Monies, by Virtue of Privy Seals, which are recorded in the Clerk of the Pells Office, entred and lodg'd in the Auditor's Office. He alfo by Warrant of the Lord Treasurer, makes Debentures to fuch as have Fees, Annuities, or Penfions by Letters Patent from the King, out of the Exchequer, and directs them for Payment to the Tellers. He daily receives the State of the Account of each Teller, and weekly certifies the whole to the Lord Treasurer. At Michael. mas and Lady-day, he makes a Declaration, that is, an Abstract of all Accompts and Payments made in the preceeding half Year, one for the Lord Treafurer, and the other for the Chancellor. He keeps the Registers appointed for Payments in Courfe, upon feveral Branches of the King's Revenue, and has 5 Clerks

Tellers.

Clerk of the
Fells.

under him.

The four Tellers receive all Monies due to the King, therefore each of them muft give 20000 /. Security. Each Teller has two Clerks, who conftantly attend his Office.

The Clerk of the Pells is in Nature of a Comptroller. He is called the Clerk of the Pells, from the Latin word Pellis a Skin, his Office being to enter the Teller's Bill into a Parchment Skin, and all Receipts and Payments for the King, for what Caufe, and by whomfoever. He has 4 Clerks, one of them for Incomes, and the other for Iffues.

Ule of Tallies 'Tis obfervable, that no Acquittances are us'd in the Exchequer upon paying any Monies to the King, but only Tallics, as being the most certain Way of avoiding all Impofition. A Tally is a Stick with Words written on it on both Sides, expreffing what the Money receiv'd is for. Which Tally being cloven afunder by the Deputy-Chamberlains, the Stock is deliver'd to the Party who paid the Money, and the Counter-flock (or Counter-foil) remains with them, who afterwards deliver it over to the other Deputies, to be kept till it be called for, and joined with the Stock. After which they fend it by an Officer of their own to the Pipe, to be apply'd to the Diícharge of the Accomptant.

The

The Deputy-Chamberlain, whofe Office is to cleave the Tallies, Deputyand examine each Piece a-part, fits in the Tally-Court, where the Chamberlain. Tally-cutter attends. The Tellers, upon the Receipt of Monies

j due to the King, throw down a Bill thro' a Pipe into the Tally. the Court, where it is received by a Clerk attending there, to write the Words of the Bill upon a Tally. This done, he delivers it to be entred by the Clerk of the Pells, or one of his Under Clerks, who attends there to enter it in his Book. Then the Tally is cloven by the Deputy-Chamberlain, having their Seals; while the Senior-Deputy reads one Part, the Junior examines the other, with the other two Clerks.

Agents for Taxes are appointed as Affiftants to the Lord Trea- Agents for farer, for the Accompts relating to the Taxes are remitted to Tanes. them from all Parts for their Examination, and to make their Report of it to the Lord Treafurer. They fit three times a Week in their Office at Westminster, viz. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from Nine in the Morning till Twelve or One.

CHA P. XXXIV.

Of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council, and particularly of the Secretaries of State.

WE

7E have feen hitherto the vaft Dominions of the King of Great-Britain, His Majesty's Power, the Splendor of his Court, and the Extent of his Revenues: I am now come to fpeak of his Privy-Council, as bearing Part of that great Weight in the Government, which otherwife would lie too heavy upon him.

The Privy-Council is compofed of eminent Perfons, fit to advife his Majefty upon all Emergencies; and upon whofe Wifdom, Vigilance and Integrity, depends, in a great Measure, the Honour and Welfare of his Majesty's Dominions in all Parts of the World. They are bound by Oath to advise the King, to the beft of their Judgment, with all the Fidelity and Secrecy that becomes their Station. They are generally chofen from among the Nobility.

The Number of them is at the Sovereign's Pleafure, fometimes more, fometimes lefs: But it is rare to fee one Half meet in Council.

Tho' there are ftated Days appointed for their Affembling, yet upon any fudden Emergency the Members are fummon'd at any time, and a Council is feldom or never held, without one of the Principal Secretaries of State.

The King is often prefent to hear their Debates, the lowest Counsellor delivering his Opinion firft, and his Majefty at laft declaring his Judgment, which terminates the Matter debated.

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