ment of the present royal family upon the service, of special service, and to reinthrone, and an open and dangerous rebel-burse expences, were understood to mean lion at home; in short, every event that one and the same thing. can happen to justify extraordinary expences in carrying on the business of government. And it is not easy to express the surprize of your committee, when they found by the account laid before them, that from the 1st day of August, 1707, to the 1st day of August 1717, there was issued under the aforesaid heads, no more than the sum of 337,960l. 4s. 5d. halfpenny. Your Committee, observing that the solicitors of the treasury for the time being, are the only persons to whom any of these sums have been issued that are accountable for the same; and there having been issued to Mr. Paxton, the present solicitor, 68,SCO. in the last ten years, in which the earl of Orford was first commissioner of the treasury, and the sum of 58,516l. 2s. 10d. to Mr. Borret, and Mr. Cratcherode successively solicitors, between the 1st of August, 1707, and the 1st of August, 1717. These sums substracted from their respective totals, the remainder will be 1,384,600l. 6s. 3d. issued for secret services, during the last ten years, and 279,4447. 1s. 7d. half-penny, issued for the like services from the year 1707 to the year 1717; by which it appears, that the sum expended on these services during the last ten years, amounts to near five times as much as what was expended for the same services in the ten years ending the 1st of August, 1717; and your committee cannot see that any exigency of affairs, any diminution of the national debt, or accession of wealth to the nation, has happened to justify such profusion. Christopher Tilson, esq. a clerk in the treasury, and who came into that office in the year 1684, said on his examination, That he looked on all these monies to be of the same nature; that they are all without account except as to what relates to the solicitor of the treasury, nor is there any entry in the treasury of the application of any of these sums of money. John Shepherd, a deputy-messenger of the treasury, who has received very large sums under each of these three heads, being examined, said, That the warrants upon which he received money at the exchequer under any of these three heads, whether in his own name, or in the name of other persons, were all without account, and that he made no distinction, whether the orders were for special, or secret service, or to reimburse expences. But your Committee observe, that all the money issued under the head of secret service, is issued in the name of John Scrope, esq. secretary of the treasury, but the orders for the sums which were issued under the heads of special service or to reimburse expences, are payable to Mr. Lowther, Mr. Richards, and Mr. Shepherd, messengers of the exchequer, and to a great variety of other names, for which sums no receipts appear to have been given; but none of those to whose names these orders are payable, under either of these three heads, appear to have any interest in the sums thus issued. And your Committee have the greatest reason to believe that many of the orders for this money were issued unknown to the persons to whom they were made And though your Committee very well payable; for Mr. George Campbell, apprehend, that no form of government banker, in the Strand, did, on his examican subsist, without a power of employ-nation before the committee declare, That ing public money for services, which are in their nature, secret, and ought always to remain so; yet when such exorbitant sums are issued for those services, as by passing through the hands of a minister may become dangerous to the liberties of the people, your committee thought themselves indispensably obliged to lay it before you in all the lights which the very imperfect evidence they have been able to procure, can throw upon this nice and dangerous branch of service. Your Committee now proceed to lay before you the proofs that the money issued under the three heads of secret he was desired by the earl of Ilay, to go to the treasury, and take up an order which he would there find issued in his own name, and to carry it to the earl of Orford; that he accordingly went to the treasury, where he received from one of the clerks an order for the sum of 2,2317. 4s. 6d. for special service; that he carried this order to the earl of Orford, and indorsed it; and then the said earl desired the examinant to leave it for him at the treasury; that he accordingly did leave it at the treasury with Mr. Lowe, one of the clerks; that being at the treasury about some other affairs, in February last, he acci they were thus sent away, it was generally to the earl of Orford. dentally saw an order that was made out in his name for a sum of money, which he believes had been signed two or three days before, but that he had no notice from the earl of Ilay, or any other person that such an order would be made out in his name. And Mr. Abraham Farley being examined in relation to an order in his name for 1,2001. said, That about the month of January, 1736, Mr. Lawton told him that there was an order made out in his name, and bid him go and receive it; that he did receive it, but not for his own use, for he paid it over immediately to Mr. Lawton, and that he did not know what Lawton did with it, nor did he (Farley) know that any such order was made out, till Mr. Lawton told him of it, and sent him receive it. And Mr. Edward Bryant, formerly under door-keeper to the treasury, now messenger, being examined before the committee, in relation to two orders, one for 3,9611. 6s. 8d. and the other for 2,700l. which were issued in his name, said, That Mr. Tilson called him to indorse those orders, which he accordingly did, and then gave them to Mr. Tilson; and that this is all that he knew about it, for he never did receive the money for those, or for any other orders at the exchequer, nor does he know who did. And your Committee also observe, that there have been a great number of other orders, which do not appear to have been communicated to the persons whose names were made use of therein (if any such persons there were) although their names were indorsed on the back of the respective orders, as having received the amount of the sums therein specified; for a list of persons in whose names money was issued during the term of the enquiry, lying before the committee, many of these names were read over to Mr. Tilson, Mr. Fane, and Mr. Shepherd, and they all declared they knew no such persons, though Mr. Shepherd in particular had received money on many of those orders, and said he has wondered he never saw the persons who endorsed for large sums. And though neither Mr. Tilson, Mr. Fane, nor Mr. Shepherd knew who these orders were indorsed by, yet Mr. Fane said, That such orders where the persons were not known, have been sometimes taken away by the earl of Orford, and other lords of the treasury, to be indorsed; and that they have often been sent away to be indorsed, and when In the next place your Committee lay before you, That though they have the greatest reason to believe, that the whole sum of 1,384,600l. 6s. 3d. (excepting the ar.nual allowance to the secretaries of state for secret service) was under the sole di rection and disposition of the earl of Or ford; yet in order to proceed with the utmost care and caution, they think it becomes them to distinguish to the House those sums which they can trace into the hands of particular persons, from those which were evidently lodged with the said earl, or with Mr. Scrope, secretary to the treasury, and which your committee have the strongest reason to believe, from col lateral proofs, (having not been able to obtain the direct ones) were delivered over by Mr. Scrope to the said earl. And they begin with Mr. Lowther, to whom the sum of 177,610. 11s. 6d. has been issued within the term of the enquiry, which has been disposed of by him, from time to time, pursuant to minutes of the treasury, and he has paid in that interval no less a sum than 50,0777. 18s. to authors and printers of news-papers, such as "Free-Briton, Daily-Courants, Persuasives to Candour and Impartiality, Corn cutter's-Journal, Gazetteers," and other political papers. And your committee leave it to the judgment of the House, whether this particular sum was less under the direction of the earl of Orford than if it had passed through his own hands. The next sum to be ranged under this head is a sum of 30,119/. 4s. which has been paid to Mr. Middleton, banker in the Strand, on the earl of Ilay's account, being 27,7691. 4s. issued in his own name, and 2,350l. paid him by Shepherd. Mr. Middleton being examined, said, that all the sums issued in his own name, and what was paid him by Shepherd, was received by him on the earl of Ilay's account, out of which about 1,500l. was paid for fees: that the earl of Ilay has kept cash_with him for several years; and that he keeps no account of these sums of money distinct from his general cash account with the earl of Ilay, and that these sums were drawn out of his hands in the same manner with the rest of the earl of Ilay's private money. That perhaps 5 or 6,000l. per annum of the earl of Ilay's money may have passed through this examinant's hands; that this examinant cannot charge his memory that any large sums were drawn out at any time, except for purchases and buying of India bonds; nor has this examinant remitted any money into Scotland for lord Ilay, nor does he remember that lord Ilay has drawn on him from Scotland, for more than one sum, which was about 400l. payable to a merchant; nor did any persons come to him for money, according to the best of his memory, but servants and tradesmen. In the next place, your Committee lay before you an account of a sum issued for his majesty's service, which though in itself not considerable enough to deserve the attention of the House, yet is accompanied with such circumstances as make it their indispensible duty to take particular notice of it. For Mr. John Lever, high bailiff of the city of Westminster, having incurred the displeasure of this House, by acting at the general election in an illegal and arbitrary inanner, in prejudice of the rights and liberty of the electors of the said city, and in manifest violation of the freedom of elections; and being in custody of the serjeant at arms attending this House for the said offence, your committee find that 1,500l. issued under the head of money to reimburse expences for his majesty's service, was (during his being in custody) applied to the use of the said Lever; for John Shepherd said, that Mr. Scrope sent for him and pulled out of his pocket an order for 1,500l. which was in his (Shepherd's) name, and told him he must carry it to sir Charles Wager and endorse it, and leave it with sir Charles; that he went accordingly to sir Charles, took the order of him again, passed it as usual, and received the money, and delivered the 1,500l. nettmoney, into sir Charles's own hand. And Francis Gashry, esq. a member of this House, being examined, said, that sir Charles Wager told him, that he was in expectation of getting some money for Mr. Lever, the high-bailiff of Westminster. And when he (Gashry) one day returned from the navy-board, sír Charles told him, that in his absence 1,500l. had been brought him by one of the treasury, and sir Charles desired him to take the money and pay it to Mr. Lever; and that he received the 1,500l. from sir Charles the 2d of January last, and has since paid it to the use of the said Lever. Besides these sums there are two other sums of 4287. 12s. and 2,110/. 13s. to be added to this account, issued to Mr. Le Heup, which he said were to answer bills drawn from abroad. These sums already mentioned, together with the money issued to the secretaries of state for secret service, are all the money which your committee has been able to trace into the hands of particular persons, and amount in the whole to the sum of 271,769%. Os. 6d. and this being taken from the sum of 1,384,600l. 6s. 3d. the whole issued under the three heads for secret service, there remains the sum of 1,112,831l. 5s. 9d. which sum your committee conceive they have traced more immediately into the hands of the earl of Orford or Mr. Scrope, and do now proceed to lay the proofs thereof before you, as also the circumstances which induced them to believe that whatever sums were paid into the hands of Mr. Scrope, were by him paid over to the earl of Orford. They first observe that this last sum of 1,112,8317. 53. 9d. hath either been issued under the head of secret service in the name of Mr. Scrope, or under the heads of special service, and to reimburse expences in the names of Richards, Shepherd, and others, the greatest part of which hath been | received at the exchequer by Shepherd or his predecessor Richards. For John Shepherd being examined said, That he has received at the exchequer several sums of money by orders made out in his own name, and other sums by orders made out in the name of persons unknown to him; and that he has generally received the secret service money which is in Mr. Scrope's name : that the orders for these sums were generally given to him by Mr. Fane, or Mr. Scrope, and sometimes by Mr. Tilson, or an under clerk, but chiefly by Mr. Fane; and that he usually repaid the money when he had received it, to those from whom he received the order, unless they particularly directed him to pay it to other persons; and that all his warrants were without account; and he made no distinction whether the orders were in his own name or Mr. Scrope's, or in unknown names; nor whether for special or secret service, or to reimburse expences: that he has sometimes paid money which he has thus received to the earl of Orford; and this has sometimes been the secret service money which is in Mr. Scrope's name, amounting to 5, 6, 7, or 8,000l. at a time; and that he has paid him likewise money that was issued in his (Shepherd's) name, but that he has not made these payments often; and that what he had been employed in had been formerly done by Mr. Richards, but when Mr. Richards died it was put on him (Shepherd.) Mr. Tilson being examined said, That he has had secret service-money brought to him, but that he never did receive any money at the exchequer himself, Shepherd always brought it to him; but that he has always delivered all monies he has received, whether for secret service, special service, or to reimburse expences, to Mr. Fane, Mr. Scrope, or the earl of Orford: that he has, to be sure, paid very considerable sums of secret service-money to the earl of Orford, but has no way of ascertaining by book what he has paid, the transition was so quick. Henry Fane, esq. a clerk of the treasury, said, That he has received verbal orders from the earl of Orford to prepare warrants for the king to sign, and to bring to him, the said earl, the money. That sums of money for secret service have been frequently put into his hands, which were sometimes brought him by a messenger; and that he delivered this money either to the earl of Orford himself, or to Mr. Scrope, to carry it to the said earl. That when he gave it to Mr. Scrope it was for him to carry to the earl of Orford, and he believes all such sums came into the said earl's hands, excepting some trifling sums of 40 or 50l. which he has paid to others. That he has paid many sums to the said earl, but kept no account; nor could he recollect the particular sums he has thus paid. That what he has received and paid, and what he has acted in these affairs was by the said earl of Orford's directions, either from himself or signified to him by Mr. Scrope; and he does not know that any other lord of the treasury has ever given him directions for either receiving or paying any secret servicemoney. And he farther said, That the orders he has received to prepare warrants upon the three heads of secret service, special service, or to reimburse expences for his majesty's service, have been either directly from lord Orford himself, or from other persons who signified to him that those orders were from lord Orford. Your Committee next observe, that the sum issued in Mr. Scrope's name for seoret service, during the time of the enquiry, amounts to 815,8191. 5s. 2d. And there has been issued in the name of Shepherd, within the same time, exclusive of what he paid to Mr. Middleton, and sir [VOL. XII.] Charles Wager, the sum of 78,633. 14s. 2d. and in the name of Richards, 45,5461. 18s. 6d. and out of 32 orders in various names, which the committee called for, 26 of them, amounting to the sum of 119,211. 8s. 4d. appear to have been received by Shepherd; for he said he always signed them on the back, as a witness, when they were not in his own name. These sums, thus issued in the names of Mr. Scrope, Shepherd, Richards, and of other persons received by Shepherd, amount in the whole to 1,059,2117. 6s. 2d. And this sum your committee think they have traced into the hands of the earl of Orford, or Mr. Scrope, who, Mr. Fane believes, carried all he received to the said earl. There is still wanting to make the sum of 1,112,831l. 5s. Gd. the sum of 53,619. 19s. 7d. And this last sum hath been issued by orders, six of which, amounting to 23,650l. were in names not known, and witnessed by persons belonging to the treasury, though not by Shepherd; and the remainder were generally for such small sums, that your committee did not think it necessary to enter into a more minute examination about them. up It farther appears to your committee, that besides the sum of 1,453,400/. 6s. 3d. already mentioned, there has been paid in the ten years preceding the 10th of February last, the sum of 45,675l. without account to the society of the post-office for the time being, by virtue of a warrant from the treasury; and this for a service formerly inconsiderable. Your committee find, by papers laid before them, that the first payment of this kind was in the year 1718, and amounted to 4461. 2s. Od. and the succeeding payments for some years were about 750l. per annum, from whence it has gradually increased to 4,700l. the present annual allowance; and the present secretary, John David Barbutt, esq. being examined as to this allowance, said, That the greatest part of this money is for defraying the expence of a private office for the inspecting foreign correspondence; that he cannot say as to the first establishment of this office, having been but three years and an half in the post-office; but he apprehends there was always an office of this kind, and that it was defrayed formerly by the secretaries of the state. establishment in this office seemed so extraordinary to your committee, that they have added the particulars, as contained in the examination of Mr. Barbutt, hereunto annexed. Your committee can[3 G] The not but observe, that this method of giving | order is taken that payment shall be made; warrants for money, without account, on this order is sent to the treasury, and the offices, where any part of the civil list signed by the lords, and then one of the revenue is received, is highly irregular, as secretaries of the treasury signs a letter to it tends to disguise the sums issued for the auditor, directing the money to be secret service, and may conceal the amount issued when the before-mentioned sign of the revenue itself; for if the sums paid manual, warrant, and order, are produced; by such warrants are deducted from the that these instruments, together with the receipt of the revenue before it is ac- letter, are carried to the auditor, who dicounted for, and the balance only paid into rects the payment of the order to one of the exchequer, the revenue must appear the tellers, and then sends it to the clerk to be less by so much as the deductions of the pells, in order to its being recorded, but keeps the sign manual and the warrant till the next morning, when upon applying to him he delivers them up to the person who is to receive the money, who carries them to the clerk of the pells, where they are compared with the order, and then the clerk of the pells writes them upon the order, under the auditor's direction, Recorded such a day: then the order being carried to the tellers, the money is paid. amount to. Your Committee now proceed to lay before you the last transactions of the earl of Orford, as first commissioner of the treasury; by which it will appear that besides the vast sums they have already mentioned, he not only exhausted the remains of the public treasure, which his former profusion had left in the exchequer, but even presumed to anticipate the revenues of his majesty's civil-list for a considerable sum, and by altering the regular course of exchequer-payments, did avail himself of that anticipation, and got a large sum of money into his own hands, disguised under three different orders. For on the 9th of February last, which was but two days before he quitted his employments, orders were signed by him for the payment of 23,6411. 7s. 6d. for secret service, and to reimburse expences, besides two other orders payable out of the civil-list revenues, which he signed on the same day, for 5,0471. 16s. 3d., there being then other orders in the said revenue, standing out and uncomplied with; for the sum of 1,5621. 9s. 8d. amounting in the whole to the sum of 30,2571. 12s. 11d., notwithstanding, that on that day there was but 14,2847. 17s. Od. in the exchequer, applicable to the uses of his majesty's civil government, as appeared to your committee, by a state laid before them of the cash of the civil-list revenues, on that day; and in order to shew the irregularity which the said earl was guilty of in the course of this affair, it is necessary to lay before the House an account of the regular course of payment at the exchequer. John Shepherd being examined, said, that the course of receiving money in the exchequer, is thus: The king issues his sign manual for a certain sum, which is countersigned by the lords of the treasury, and thereon the lords of the treasury direct a warrant, signed by them to the auditor of the exchequer, who on the receipt of it makes out an order, signifying that By this it appears that according to the regular course of the exchequer, there must be many steps through the different offices between the issuing of the warrant and the receipt of the money from the tellers, which were not observed in the case of the sum, which the earl of Orford did, on the 9th of February, get into his own hands; for it appears, that this sum was received in consequence of two warrants, issued in the name of Mr. Scrope, for secret services, one for 8,4421. and the other for 5,9691. and one other warrant, issued in the name of Shepherd for special service, for 3,050l. and was paid to the earl of Orford on the very day the warrants were signed by him the said earl. This was effected by depositing the orders with the bank-officer at the exchequer, before they were properly directed by the auditor, for Mr. Matthew Collet, the principal bank-clerk, who attends at the exchequer, being examined, said, that he paid the money for those orders to Mr. Fane, on Tuesday the 9th of February last, that the orders were not directed by the auditor, till the 11th of February following, and he did not receive the sums for those orders at the exchequer, till the 17th; and Mr. Fane being examined, said, that he received on the 9th of February last the three sums of 8,4421. of 5,9691. and 3,050%. as secret service money. That it was from the bank-officer that he received this money, and left the orders with him, and that the same day between the hours of 11 and 1, he paid them altogether in one payment to the earl of Orford in his closet |