[1705/6/185]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The article of the report of the commission relating to John Campbell of Knockrioch and partners their collection of the poll of 1695, read, and the petition for the said John Campbell and partners also read, and he recommended to the lords of treasury as contained in the deliverance of parliament on his petition, in manner following.
Her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard that article of the report of the commission of parliament appointed for stating and examining the public accounts relating to John Campbell of Knockrioch and partners, their collection of the poll of 1695, bearing that by the minutes of parliament dated 23 August 1704, the account of the poll-money of 1695 being remitted to the commission as to the three articles not determined by the parliament, namely the article of the embezzlements of collectors extending to £16,596 Scots, the article of the quadruples of the army extending to £17,760 Scots and the article of £6,000 Scots as the poll of the episcopal clergy, they the said commission did find by the tacksman John Campbell of Knockrioch's oath, and by other instructions, that these embezzlements cannot be further extended than to £14,842 Scots. As to the second article, they found by considering the establishment of the forces for that year, that the quadruples of the army could amount to no more than £13,456 Scots, and that the third article, namely the poll of episcopal clergy, could not exceed £3,000 Scots, the half of what is stated. Upon the whole matter, the commission did represent to the parliament that, since by the minutes of the last session of parliament, they were pleased to allow these articles to the tacksman John Campbell when instructed before the said commission, therefore, it follows, that by what the commission did represent to the parliament in their last year's report, and by what they have now represented, the public will be debtor to the tacksman in the sum of £4,922 Scots, as the said report bears. And having also heard the petition of the said John Campbell and his partners, tacksmen of the poll of 1695, humbly showing to her majesty's said commissioner and the estates of parliament that by the report from the commission of parliament to whom the enquiring into the said poll was remitted, it is clear that the petitioners have paid the full tack duty and that the public are debtor to them in £4,922 Scots, wherefore the petitioner and partners ought not only to be discharged, but the sum due to them ought to be stated as a public debt and their tack to be delivered up to them, and therefore, craving his grace and honourable estates of parliament to recommend to the lords of her majesty's treasury and exchequer to grant the petitioner and partners a sufficient discharge of the said tack, and deliver up the same to them and to state the foresaid sum as a debt due to the petitioner and his partners by the public, as the said petition also bears. And her majesty's said commissioner and the said estates of parliament, having fully considered the said petition with the foresaid report of the commission for public accounts, and being therewith well and ripely advised, they found and hereby find that the petitioners have paid the full tack duty of the poll of 1695, and that the public are debtors to them in £4,922 Scots and, therefore, recommended and hereby recommend the petitioners to the lords of her majesty's treasury to grant the petitioner and partners a sufficient discharge of the said tack and deliver up the same to them, and to state the foresaid sum of £4,922 as a debt due to the petitioners by the public. Extract.