[1706/10/301]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
At Edinburgh, 12 February 1707, her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard the petition of George, earl of Melville, showing to them that the petitioner, being made secretary of state upon their majesties King William's and Queen Mary's accession to the crown, which was in the year 1689, the commissions to the regiments which were then levied were countersigned by him, but for expediting of your majesties' service, and in consideration of the circumstances of many of the officers whom it would very much have straitened to make equipage and pay the dues of the commissions at once, the funds being at the the time disproportioned to the forces unraised and kept on foot, that it was hard to advance subsistence, the petitioner did therefore allow the signet keeper, and such as did for him in Scotland, to give out the commissions of the several regiments without paying ready money, upon obligements in writing given for the dues signed by the officers to whom the commissions were delivered, whereby the said officers were bound that the same should be paid out of the first pay or arrears due or to be due to the several regiments and companies. In the like manner, in the year 1690, whilst he had the honour to represent their then majesties as commissioner to the parliament, he did advance out of his own money £260 sterling for subsisting some of the troops, for which he took bond from the commanding officers payable out of the first pay or arrears due or to be due to these forces. The great deficiency of the funds and the distress which the officers, for want of the pay, fell under, have been the cause why the petitioner has not insisted for recovering what was so justly due to him, and has suffered the said officers to intromit with some part of the arrears and pay when it might easily be presumed that he might have obtained justice for himself. But now that there was probability for paying up all or a considerable part at least of the arrears due to the army, he hoped all men would think it most reasonable that the fees for the commissions, which are the very titles the officers have for the pay and arrears and the money advanced to the forces so seasonably and out of tenderness delayed, should now be paid and that out of the first and the readiest. Therefore, craving his grace and their lordships to declare and ordain that the obligements granted in writing, in manner foresaid, payable out of the first and readiest of the pay and arrears due to them or to be due to the several regiments, troops and companies be accordingly preferred and paid to him, his heirs and assignees, out of the first of the sums to be paid to the said regiments, troops and companies, as the said petition bears. And for her majesty's high commissioner, and the said estates of parliament, having this day fully considered the said petition, and being therewith well and ripely advised, they granted and hereby grant the desire thereof. Extracted furth of the records of parliament by me, Sir James Murray of Philiphaugh, one of the senators of the college of justice, clerk to her majesty's councils, registers and rolls. Signed, Murray, clerk register.