[1705/6/135]¹

Ratification in favors of Daniel Steuart, brother german to Sir William Steuart of Castlemilk

Our sovereign lady, with the special advice and consent of the estates of parliament, ratifies, approves and confirms the commission and gift under her majesties' privy seal in favors of Daniel Steuart, brother german to Sir William Steuart of Castlemilk, whereof the tenor follows.

Anne, by the grace of God, queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, forasmuchas we, takeing into our royal consideration the great advantadges which doth accresce unto our ancient kingdom of Scotland by a free coinage therein, and that, by the twenty fourth act of the second session of the first parliament of the late King James the seventh, our royal father, there was granted to his said late majesty and for ever annexed to our imperial croun of our said kingdom, twelve shillings Scots in place of each ounce of bullion formerly imposed by the eight act of the first session of the second parliament of King Charles the second, upon the several commodities therein specified, for defraying the charges of a free coinage, paying the sallaries of the mint and other uses therein mentioned, which imposition and grant is by the collectors, tacksmen, cash keepers or receivers and their deputes to be kept apart by it self from all other customes and revenues in a secure chist, whereof the general or master of the mint is to have one key and the cashkeeper and receiver another, and not to be opened without the general or master of the mint aforesaid be present and to be applyed to the use of the said mint allennarly. And we, graciously considering that the foresaid imposition was promiscuously mixed with others of our revenues by the collectors thereof, and that considerable sums thereof were ordered to be payed for other uses and ends than it was appointed for by the said act, therefore, and for preventing the like misapplication hereafter, we thought not only convenient but necessary to appoint a general receiver, collector and cashkeeper of the said imposition for receiving of the same from the tacksmen, farmers and collectors of the customes and others lyable in payment thereof who should keep the said money in a secure chist and also a key of the said chist, conform to the method prescribed by law. And we, understanding that the said office of receiver-general, collector and cash-keeper of the said imposition is now vacant in our hands and at our gift and disposition through the decease of our royal brother King William, and we being sufficiently informed of the fidelity, loyalty and good qualifications of Daniel Steuart, brother german to Sir William Steuart of Castlemilk, and his fitness for dischargeing the said trust, therefore, wit ye us of our own proper motive and with advice and consent of our right trusty and right well beloved cousins and councillours James, earl of Seafield, lord high chancellour of our said kingdom, James, duke of Queensberry, principal secretary of state for our said kingdom, Archbald, duke of Argyll, Hugh, earl of Loudoun, Alexander, lord Montgomery, Adam Cockburn of Ormistoun, lord thesaurer depute, and Mr Francis Montgomery of Giffin, lords commissioners of our thesaury, comptrollery and thesaury of new augmentations of our said kingdom, and also with advice and consent of the remanent lords and others commissioners of our exchequer within the same, to have nominated and appointed, likeas we, by thir presents, make, nominat and appoint the said Daniel Steuart receiver-generall, collector and cashkeeper of the said imposition dureing our pleasure only, giveing, granting and disponing to the said Daniel Steuart, dureing the space foresaid, the said place and office of receiver-general, collector and cash keeper of the said imposition, with the yearly fee and sallary of fifty pounds sterling money to be payed to him out of the first and readiest of the fund appointed for paying the fees and sallaries of the officers of our said mint, together also with the whole fees, profites, benefites, casualities, [and] priviledges belonging or that shall be known to appertain and belong therto, with all other freedoms, easements, emoluments, accommodations and immunities proportionally which are allowed to the other officers of our said mint, as well not named as named, excepting alwayes what is prohibited and innovated by the standing laws relative to the mint, together also with convenient and suteable lodgeings within the said minthouse for the said Daniel Steuart and his family, to be assigned to him by the general thereof. And we command the said yearly fee and sallary of fifty pounds sterling money to be punctually payed to the said Daniel Steuart out of the foresaid fund yearly, termly and quarterly as is payed to the other officers of our said mint, the first term's payment thereof beginning at the feast and term of Candlemass next to come and so furth to continue yearly, termly, quarterly and continually thereafter dureing the space foresaid, with full power to the said Daniel Steuart, as receiver-general, collector and cashkeeper of the said imposition, and to such as he shall appoint for whom he shall be answerable, to receive, intromet with and uplift the said imposition from the several tacksmen, farmers and collectors of our customes over all our said kingdom, and from all others lyable in payment thereof, who are also hereby required to make payment of the same to the said Daniel Steuart, not only what is due and payable at the term of Martinmass next but also of what is resting unpayed, and not yet put in the said chist, conform to the act of parliament of all years and terms bygone and in time comeing, and to put the samen duly in a secure chist and to keep the key thereof, which was formerly kept by the general of the mint or by the said Daniel Steuart or Mr William Spens, former collectors of the said imposition, and that dureing the whole space and time of this present commission. [Also] requireing hereby the said Daniel Steuart to observe and obey all such orders, directions and instructions which shall be given to him from time to time conform to the tenor of the said act of parliament as to² receiveing, inbringing and uplaying of all sums ariseing from the said imposition, and to make just count and reckoning of all his intromissions therewith to the said lords commissioners of our thesaury, lord high thesaurer and thesaurer depute for the time, being yearly, termly, quarterly and so oft as he shall be thereto required. Commanding, likewayes, the general of our said mint to receive and admit the said Daniel Steuart in the usual manner, and to assigne to him and his family convenient lodgeings within our said mint house. And lastly, we declare that we will ratifie and confirm this present gift in the first session of our parliament to be holden within our said kingdom. Given under our privy seal at our court at Saint James's, the thirty first of December, j^M vij^C and two and of our reigne the first year. Per signaturam, manu S. D. N. Reginae suprascript[am] manibusque commissionariorum thesaurarij et scaccarij subscript[orum].

Written to the privy seal and registrat the first day of June, 1703. Sic subscribitur, Will[iam] Alves, deput. Sealed at Edinburgh, the 30th June, 1703. Sic subscribitur, Pat[trick] Scot, in all and sundry the heads, points, articles and clauses thereof.

And her majesty, with consent foresaid, statutes and ordains the foresaid commission and gift to be, conform to the tenor thereof, a good and sufficient right and title to the said Daniel Steuart for possessing and enjoying dureing the space therein mentioned, the foresaid office of receiver-general, collector and cashkeeper of the abovewritten imposition, with the foresaid yearly fee and sallary of fifty pounds sterling, and all other fees, profites, casualities, freedomes, emoluments and immunities abovementioned, together with the said lodgeings in the mint house, as is above expressed, dispenseing hereby with all defects and imperfections of the said commission and gift and of this present ratification of the same. Extract.