[A1704/7/57]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To his grace John [Hay], marquis of Tweeddale, her majesty's high commissioner, and the right honourable the estates of parliament, the petition of James Maxwell and John Drummond, late general receivers.
Humbly shows,
That your petitioners, having commissions under the great seal to uplift his majesty's whole revenues within this kingdom, did continue in the exercise of their office until the year 1688, at which time it pleased the convention of estates to nominate James Oswald of Fingalton to succeed to the said John Drummond in receiving the supply and inland excise and paying of the army, and at the same time ordered the said John Drummond to give in a list of the whole supply and inland excise resting at that time, which accordingly was done, the sum thereof (as the said James Oswald has accounted for) amounting to £468,483 18s Scots, whereby your petitioners, without clearing their accounts, were debarred from uplifting any more money.
In 1692 there being commission granted to audit the public accounts, your petitioners fitted and instructed their accounts before the lords auditors, by balance of which there is due to them £8,430 1s Scots money. And seeing your petitioner did advance this money to the army in 1688, besides far greater sums from time to time, for which an acknowledgement of £1,500 sterling was promised, the king having allowed £3,500 sterling yearly for interest of their advances, who paid the army formerly,
May it therefore please your grace and honourable estates of parliament to consider the premises and order effectual payment to be made to your petitioners of the aforesaid balance of £8,430 1s Scots, and of the annualrent thereof since 1688, and such a sum as your grace and honourable estates shall think fit for their other advances to the army, seeing by their good management there was £3,500 sterling saved yearly to the treasury.
And your petitioners shall ever pray.
†Edinburgh, 23 August 1704
Her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard and considered this petition, remit to the commission to consider the petitioners' case.
[James Ogilvy, earl of] Seafield, chancellor, in the presence of the lords of parliament