Act, 28 December 1693, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Fourteinth of March J^aj vj^c nyntie three years

A1693/3/61

A1693/3/61¹

Letter: from the council

Letter from the Councill to the secretarie anent corne and straw

The draught of a letter from the Councill to the secretary’s of state to be Comunicat to his majesty anent the pryce of corne and straw to the horses in there majestyes service being read approven and ordered to be recorded And being marked by the Lord Chancellour appoyntes the same to be transcrybed And recomends to the Lord Chancellour to signe the Letter to bear that the same is signed In presence of the Councill: Followes the tenor of the Letter
Right Honourable […] By a petitione Given in to us the seventh instant Sir Thomas Livingstoun and the other officers of there Majestyes forces Complean that Barntoun and Wrae appoynted to be generall Comissaries for provydeing forrage and grass for the horse and dragoons in his majesties service Refuse to furnish them for four pence straw and oats and tuo pence grass in the tuenty four houres Albeit that others are content to furnish them at that rate pretending that by a Contract they have entered into with the Lords of theasury They are not only to have the fourtyeth penny for being generall pay maisters and Commissaries generall conforme to the King’s Letter of the thretty one of Januarij last But also fyve pence for forrage and three pence for grass in the tuenty four hours which the officers conceaved to be very unreasonable Considering that the King in his forsaid Letter ordaines them to serve in both the saids offices for the fourtyeth penny without any other Sallery And that the King in a former Letter named fyve pence It wes certainly Because he Judged it the Lowest rate But now the King sieng there are severall persones as sufficient as Barntoun and his Cautioners that are content to performe all contained in his contract for four pence Instead of his fyve pence And that there can be no reasone aither in respect of the Countrey or In respect of the forces That Barntoun and Wrae should have of them a penny a night amounting to Eighteen Hundreth pound sterling per annum above the Fyfteen Hundreth pound which the King allowes him while others as good as they are content to performe all the bargain for the Kings allowance of the fourtieth penny They cannot think that the forsaid fyve pence should be exacted off them only to gratifie Wrae and Barntoun Specially when they represented the matter to the Lords of the theasury befor ever the Contract with Wrae and Barntoun wes signed And that the King wes pleased to declare to Sir Thomas Livingstoun when he took Leave of his majesty That it wes not his Mynd that his troops should pay more then the Just rates And therefore they again pressed that they might not be Compelled to pay fyve for what they could as easily and well in every respect have for four pence be vertue of a Contract wherein they were nothing concerned But on the contrary hade from the first hearing of it reclaimed againest it Wpon this petition wee first referred them to the Commissioners of the theasury And then were Informed by the Commissioners that conforme to the Kings letter of the fourteinth of Jullij and thretty one of Januarij They hade entered in a contract with Wrae and Barntoun in the termes abovementioned And that befor the contract wes subscribed They hade heard all that wes offered And considered what wes most expedient both for the sure provision of the forces and the security of the countrey from all exactiones And hade deliberatly closed the said bargain first with Wrae And then after they hade acquanted the King and obtained his approbation with Barntoun which being Subscryved by both pairtyes And the Contract also registrat They Judged it wes not in there power to retract nether would Barntoun depairt from it which being the state of this effair as Laid befor us And not only the officers But others also at the Councill board persones above execptione offering to performe all Barntouns contract for the fourtyeth penny and Four pence And so ease the souldiers of a pennie a night which will amount as they say to no Less then Eightein Hundreth pound sterling per annum wee Thought it our duety to represent the Case to His majesty which wee desyre yow will doe That his majesties pleasure may be knowen which wee desyre yow will doe That his majesties pleasure may be knowen which wee hope will be acquesced in as satisffactorie by all Concerned Signed In presence and in name and at Command of the privie Councill By […] Your Humble servant Sic subscribitur Tweeddale Cancel: JPd