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| Feb. 6. |
The Commissioners of the Customs in Barbados to
the Customs Commissioners, London. Your letters,
commissions, instructions etc. of Nov. 7 [last] by
several ships only reached us in January and some
only last week through want of care in Capt. Crofts.
We are not [yet] entered on the actual execution
of our trust as Commissioners of the Four and a
Half per cent. duty in Barbados and of the Plantation
duty under 25 Car. II, c. 7; for at the expiration of
the last farm [of said Four and a Half per cent. duty]
which was Dec. 25 last, the Governor appointed
Mr. Cowley and Mr. Trant to continue commissioners till the King's pleasure should be known;
and our commissions, as above, arrived in the time
of Grand Sessions and other public business so that
we had not time to give our securities and be sworn
and the box of despatches from [brought by] Capt.
Crofts could only be found yesterday. But we
hope to be in execution of our trust in two or three
days. "Most of those that are to be employed under
us being the same that are now in, and little goods
being yet ready to be shipped off we hope his
Majesty's affairs cannot suffer, it not being in our
power sooner to come into the employ." As John
Mills is appointed Comptroller of the Four and a
Half per cent. and the Plantation Duty he is taken
off from being accomptant of the Four and a
Half per cent. He is a most fit and able man and
we have thought fit to continue him as accomptant
also. An addition of 25l. per an. to his salary will
suffice for this if he be permitted to take such fees
on the Plantation Duty as by law is allowed to the
Customs officers in England, but as yet neither
Edwin, Stede, the former collector, nor Mr.
Carmichael, the Surveyor and afterwards Comptroller,
did ever venture to take those fees; for all persons
here are ready to complain against all officers that
take even what is their right and severely punish
the taking what is not so, and in the Act of 25 Car. II,
c. 7, it is not distinctly stated that the officers shall
take the like fees etc. [on the Plantation Duty] as
in like cases in England. We pray your directions
herein. Nothing in this nature [of fees etc.] will
accrue to us by the Four and a Half per cent. duty.
The Governor will give all assistance as the enforcing
your directions touching the giving of bonds and
the preventing abuses in the Plantation trade; and
in our presence he ordered his nephew who is clerk
of the Naval Office to join with us in giving certicates for ships. The only difficulty we believe
we shall meet with in executing all your commands will
be in bringing the merchants and planters to unlade
their European goods etc. (which by law they may
bring hither) by entering their goods with us and taking
permits from us, to land their goods by, in presence of
a Custom House officer, a thing never yet there [here]
done nor enjoyned by any law with penalty for not
doing it, as we are advised. Where we cannot
punish for not complying with your commands we
fear little obedience will be yielded to them, though
we will do our best to bring them to it by gentle
and fair means. By the first opportunity we will
send you our account of the many bonds in the
Naval Office, with our observations thereon. The
former Managers of the Four and a Half per cent.
have given orders for delivering to us all the weights
[beams, scales] etc. but do not join in appraising
them and receiving money for them, having no
orders as they say from the late Farmers so to do. |
Out Letters (Plantations Auditor) I, pp. 163–6. |
| Feb. 7. |
Constitution and appointment by the King of Sir
Robert Sawyer, kt., as Attorney General to the
King in all the Courts of Record in England: during
pleasure. |
King's Warrant Book X, p. 162. |
|
The like of Heneage Finch, esq., as Solicitor
General: with the fees etc. as enjoyed by Sir
Francis Winnington, kt., or any other. |
|
| Feb. 20. |
Lord [Howard of] Effingham to Lord Godolphin et al.,
the [late] Treasury Lords. (See supra, p. 221.) I
have received the King's letter of 1684, July 25 (supra,
Calendar of Treasury Books, Vol. VII, p. 1251)
declaring how the fines, forfeitures, escheats and
quit rents of this his Majesty's dominion of
Virginia, which his Majesty has now bought of
Lord Colepeper, shall be collected. That northern
part of Virginia which is not included in his Majesty's
agreement with Lord Colepeper is very much
dejected that his Majesty has not extended his
bounty and favour to them as he hath to the
southern but that they are still under Lord Colepeper's dispose and proprietorship as to the quit
rents, fines, forfeitures and escheats arising from
that tract. Should not the King take this into
his consideration and reduce that part to the same
method the other is? You may easily judge how
improper and inconvenient it will be that there
should be a proprietor in the midst of his Majesty's
dominion and render that part in some measure
distinct from the government [of Virginia]; only
his Majesty hath the worst part of it the trouble,
the proprietor the advantage. And how strange it
will likewise appear when any fine is laid by the
Governor on any offender in those parts [if] a proprietor should claim the benefit. "Besides those
of the Southern Tract will think it very hard that his
Majesty's bounty bestowed on them for the benefit
of the colony should any part be applied to them
[in the Northern parts] when the profits arising
from thence are converting into private hands:
and the great charge of the country and care of
the government is chiefly to secure that part, being
most in danger from the northern Indians." We
beg this to be represented to the King with our humble
supplication in behalf of the inhabitants of that part. |
Out Letters (Plantations Auditor) I, pp. 185–6. |
