for the licences they difpofe of; a monthly journal of which Appendix, they usually send up to the office; and in the month of June, every year, they generally come to London, to fettle their year's accounts, return the licences undifpofed of, and pay in the balance due from them: they are directed never to keep more money in their hands than is fufficient to pay their falaries. The money received at the office, and from bills, is paid. by the cafhier, in confequence of a general order of the board, every Wednesday into the exchequer, pursuant to the 9th and 10th of William the Third, provided it amounts to more than two hundred pounds, referving fuch a fum as may be fufficient for the payment of falaries, incidents, and current expences of the office; and the cafhier brings to the board the tallies for the fums paid in. The commiffioners make up their accounts yearly, fwear to them before the barons of the exchequer, and then they are fent to the office of the auditors of the impreft, to be examined and paffed. The commiffioners are three in number; they ufually meet on a Thursday, if they have any bufinefs. At the time of granting licences, about Midfummer, they attend eight or ten days together; at other times they frequently do not meet for a month together, unless business requires it. Guy Carleton, J. TURNER, T. Anguish, Geo. Drummond. No. 11. The Examination of Mr. Jofeph Marshall, Clerk to the Receiver Jofeph General of the Duties on Hackney Coaches and Chairs; taken Marshall. upon Oath, the 13th of December, 1780. THIS examinant faith, that the duties arifing from the rents of hackney coaches and chairs, are all paid to the receiver general, at the hackney coach office in London, in the name of the refpective proprietors of the licences or figures. The payment for each coach ought to be twenty fhillings every twenty-eight days, or fourteen days after; and for each chair two fhillings and fixpence every quarter day, or fourteen days after; and the full payment is ufually made within two or three months after it becomes due. The number of coaches are one thousand, and of the chairs four hundred. Of thefe duties thirteen payments are always Appendix. made by the receiver general, every year, into the exchequer. In three of the quarters, the payments are generally two of one thousand pounds each, and one of five hundred pounds; in the other quarter, three of one thousand pounds. cach, and one of five hundred pounds. In those months when the five hundred pounds only is paid, a fúm is referved for the payment of the quarterly falaries of the officers, and the incidental expences of the office. These payments into the exchequer are made according to the ufual courfe of the receiver's office, without the intervention of the commiffioners; the tallies for the payments are brought to the office, and the receiver general makes out a certificate of the receipts, payments, and remains for the month, which he figns, and carries to the board; the regifter copies the account, which the commiffioners fign, and certify to the treasury. The accounts of the office are ufually made up to the 5th of July, about the Christmas following; and the whole balance is then paid into the exchequer. After the commiffioners have examined the accounts, they are carried to the office of the auditor of the impreft to be paffed, and the receiver general fwears to them, before the barons of the exchequer. There are five commiffioners in this office, and they meet once or twice a week, as the bufinefs requires. Guy Carleton, J. MARSHALL. No. 12. No. 12. General Poft Office, London. An Account of Receipts and Payments by Robert Trevor, Efquire, Receiver General there, from the 29th of August to the 5th of September, 1780. Paid by incidents, fince July 5, 1780, 7,568 18 11 Balance in hand 9,358 2 O Appendix. vor. No. 13 Robert Tre- The Examination of Robert Trevor, Efquire, Receiver General of the Revenue of the Poft Office; taken upon Oath, the 12th of December, 1780. THIS examinant faith, that he is receiver general of the revenues of the poft office, and appointed by patent under the great feal. The revenue of the poft office is received by the receiver general, either in London, or in the country: in London, from the clerks who receive the postage of letters paid at the office; from the collector of the bye and cross roads letter office; from the collector of the penny poft office, and the forter at the chief penny poft office; from the inland and foreign letter carriers; and exprefs money from a clerk in the fecretary's office: in the country, from the poft mafters only. Those clerks who receive the poftage of inland letters paid at the office, and the inland letter carriers, pay their receipt to the receiver general every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, according to a charge made upon them by their comp troller; except the poftage to America, which is paid once a quarter. The collector of the bye and crofs road office pays him, about the end of each quarter, to the amount of twelve or fifteen thousand pounds, upon an average; and the collector of the penny poft office pays him, at the fame time, about one thousand pounds, upon an average. The clerks who receive the poftage of foreign letters paid at the office, and the foreign letter carriers, pay in their receipt every Wednesday, according to a charge made upon them by their comptroller. The oft mafters in the country remit their receipt by bills to the fecretary of the poft office, who delivers them to the accountant general, and he brings them to the receiver general, who depofites them, after acceptance, in the bank, to he received when due. He pays into the exchequer every Tuesday feven hundred pounds, pursuant to the act of the 9th of Queen Anne, and at the fame time fends thither a certificate of the balance in his hands; and at the end of every quarter he pays in the balance of his receipt, referving about five thousand pounds to anfwer the incidental warrants from the board, which are coming to him continually, to pay falaries, allowances to officers, clerks, and tradef men; which payments he does not take credit for until the end of the quarter; because the bill of incidents cannot cannot be closed until that time. He makes up his accounts Appendixa annually, and fends them to the office of the auditor of the impreft, to be passed. Guy Carleton, T. Anguish, R. TREVOR. A. Piggott, Richard Neave, The Examination of William Fauquier, Efquire, Accountant W. Fau General of the Poft Office; taken upon Oath, the 15th of De- quier. cember, 1780. THIS examinant faith, that it is one branch of his office to keep the accounts of the poft mafters in the country; the charge upon them is made out by the fix inland clerks of the roads, and generally fent by them every other day to the accountant general's office. The account of each poft mafter is fent to him quarterly, examined and figned by the accountant general. The receiver's bill book is fent to the accountant general's office every day, by which it appears what bills have been remitted by each poft mafter. The accountant general fends to each poft mafter, every quarter, an account of the balances due to or from him. These accounts cannot be made up from the feveral books until near fix weeks after quarter day, therefore, until that time, they do not know how much the quarter's charge amounts to. The office expects they fhall clear this balance before the expiration of the next quarter; if they are above two quarters in arrear, the folicitor has orders to proceed against them. The poft mafters of moft of the great towns keep conftantly remitting; and they all give fecurity for their offices. There are but few defaulters, and those not to any confiderable amount. Guy Carleton, T. Anguifh, A. Piggott, Richard Neave, VOL. XVIII, W. FAUQUIER, Junior. |