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<DATE>2008-05-03</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080410.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B01894">
<STC T="W">C1030A</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">52211939</BIBNO>
<VID>175507</VID>
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<TEXT>
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<DIV1 TYPE="Parliamentary case">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 4 -->
<HEAD><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>official blazon</FIGDESC>
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<HEAD>The CASE of the City of London, In Reference to DEBT to The ORPHANS, and Others.</HEAD>
<P>_BY the Cu&s;tom of <HI>LONDON,</HI> confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament, the <HI>Lord Mayor</HI> and <HI>Court of Aldermen</HI> are Guardians of the <HI>ORPHANS</HI> of all Freemen of the &s;aid City, and have the Care and Government of Them, their E&s;tates, and Marriages; and have a Cu&s;tomary Juri&s;diction by the Name of <HI>The Court of Orphans.</HI></P>
<P>By that Cu&s;tom the <HI>Executors</HI> of every the &s;aid Citizens are bound, either to find &s;ufficient Sureties to the <HI>Chamberlain</HI> for the <HI>Orphans Portions,</HI> who is a &s;ole Body Corporate for that purpo&s;e: Or otherwi&s;e, to pay the &s;ame into the <HI>Chamber</HI> of <HI>London</HI> as a Depo&s;it, to be kept for them until Security be found, or their re&s;pective Portions become due; and &s;uch Maintenance to be allowed to the <HI>Orphans,</HI> as the Cu&s;tom directed, by the Name of <HI>Finding-Mony.</HI></P>
<P>In regard the E&s;tates of the Citizens were mo&s;tly Per&s;onal, and liable to be wa&s;ted by Widows and Executors, That Court hath been found by the Experience of many Ages, to be a mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary and effectual means to pre&s;erve the E&s;tates and Children of the Citizens; and the Protection and Pre&s;ervation of the Per&s;ons, E&s;tates and Marriages of many Thou&s;ands of <HI>Orphans,</HI> are owing to the Care of that Ancient Court.</P>
<P>The <HI>CHAMBER</HI> of <HI>London</HI> (being the Receipt of all the Cities Revenue, and the Trea&s;ury wherein all the Portions of <HI>Orphans</HI> were to have been depo&s;ited, as in a Sacred Trea&s;ury) had for many Ages a mo&s;t unque&s;tionable Credit, very Great Sums of Mony being continually Receiving in, and Paying out: And the <HI>Chamber</HI> had Sufficient to An&s;wer to every <HI>Orphan,</HI> and all other Debts, until about the beginning of the late Troubles between <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland.</HI></P>
<P>But about the Beginning of tho&s;e Troubles, divers Debts owing to the City, amounting to near <HI>Thirty Thou&s;and Pounds,</HI> became de&s;perate: And about the &s;ame time, the City in compliance with His late Maje&s;ty King <HI>Charles</HI> the Fir&s;t, having Advanced to him, and Expended for him, about <HI>Forty Thou&s;and Pounds</HI> more, the City became Indebted in the Year 1638, in <HI>Seventy Thou&s;and Pounds.</HI></P>
<P>Ever &s;ince the &s;aid Year, the <HI>Chamber</HI> paid <HI>Interest</HI> for the &s;aid Debt, and the then Government of the City very Improvidently allowed the Executors of the Citizens, to bring into the <HI>Chamber</HI> Orphans Portions upon Intere&s;t, which ought to have been only depo&s;ited by &s;uch Executors as could not, or would not give the <HI>Chamber</HI> Security for them: And by that means a great Ca&s;h was kept in the <HI>Chamber,</HI> of which no profit was made; and out of the &s;ame, <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> was con&s;tantly paid for the &s;aid Debt, as al&s;o for the &s;aid Portions: So that by a true Account, Mony being taken in at Intere&s;t to pay Intere&s;t, the &s;aid Debt of <HI>Seventy Thou&s;and Pounds,</HI> in <HI>FIFTY AND FO&V;R YEARS,</HI> hath increa&s;ed to above Five times that Sum: And the Intere&s;t paid al&s;o to <HI>Orphans,</HI> contrary to the Cu&s;tom of the City, hath made up the re&s;t of the pre&s;ent Debt.</P>
<P>The Cities Ancient great Revenues, given by Benefactors for the &s;upport of its Government, might in &s;ome mea&s;ure have prevented the va&s;t Encrea&s;e of its Debt; If the Troubles of the Kingdom had not happen'd, and the Rebellion of <HI>Ireland</HI> fir&s;t broke out, and afterwards a Civil War here en&s;ued, whereby the City was con&s;trained (by the Powers unto which they were Subject) to lay out &s;everal Sums of Mony upon divers Occa&s;ions, as the prevailing Powers Commanded. All which, together wth their great Lo&s;&s;es and Diminution of their Revenue by the <HI>Iri&s;h Rebellion,</HI> Augmented their Debt, and whil&s;t the City laboured under the intollerable Burthen of Intere&s;t for <HI>Orphans Portions,</HI> Unduly and Improvidently (as is before mentioned) brought upon th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">m, the dreadful Fire of <HI>London</HI> happen'd, and con&s;umed mo&s;t part of the Cities Revenue, which con&s;i&s;ted in <HI>Hou&s;es.</HI></P>
<P>Neverthele&s;s the Credit of the Chamber continued, and Payments both of Principal and Intere&s;t were an&s;vered until the <HI>Quo Warranto</HI> brought again&s;t the City, to de&s;troy their Being: Which not only put them to great Charge, but &s;o ruined their Credit, that all Payments into the Chamber cea&s;ed, and the Body Corporate and all its legal Powers (until this pre&s;ent happy Revolution) was taken to be utterly de&s;troyed: Whereby the Duties of Waterbailage and Tronage, or Kings Beam, and many other ancient Duties and Profits belonging to the Corporation, were in a great mea&s;ure lo&s;t, and the Intere&s;t of a va&s;t Debt in the mean time continually growing, the City became di&s;abled to an&s;wer the &s;ame.</P>
<P>Notwith&s;tanding for the Rea&s;ons afore&s;aid, the City hath not received any <HI>Orphans</HI> Mony into the Chamber &s;ince <HI>Chri&s;tmas</HI> 1683; yet &s;ince that time, there has been &s;uch Care to get in Debts owing to the City, and to improve their Revenue, That they have paid to all <HI>Poor Orphans</HI> (who&s;e Portionsin the Chamber of <HI>London</HI> exceeded not <HI>Fifty and Five Pounds</HI>) Their Whole Debt, amounting to <HI>Ten Thou&s;and Six Hundred Seventy Three Pounds, Two Shillings and Eight Pence;</HI> And have further Paid to the <HI>Orphans,</HI> and Others, for Intere&s;t, <HI>One Hundred Thou&s;and, Five Hundred and Fifty Pounds.</HI></P>
<P>But the Pre&s;ent Court of Aldermen (finding it impo&s;&s;ible for the Government of this City to be &s;upported under the burthen of &s;o great a Debt) have thought it their Duty, from time to time, to apply them&s;elves to the Wi&s;dom of the Parliament, for proper Remedies to &s;uch a Grievance: In regard it is the Ca&s;e of the Capital City of the Kingdom, in who&s;e Support and Welfare the whole Nation is much concerned; And this Court of Aldermen humbly hope, that it will be rightly urder&s;tood, that the Debt has not been incurred, nor augmented by their Default, Negligence, or Expence; They &s;erving the City freely at their own Co&s;t, without Eating or Drinking at the Cities Charge, as has been untruly &s;ugge&s;ted.</P>
<P>And they have been and are unce&s;&s;ant in their Cares and Endeavours, to make the utmo&s;t Improvement of all that belongs to the City, only for the Benefit of the <HI>Orphans:</HI> And are now humble Solicitors to the <HI>Parliament,</HI> not for any Intere&s;t or Be|nefit of their own; but for the Relief of the Di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, and the Quiet and Support of the Government.</P>
<P>And they &s;hall humbly crave leave to &s;hew unto the <HI>Parliament</HI> (if they may be admited thereunto) wherein they conceive this City to be wronged and deprived of divers Ancient Rights and Cu&s;toms belonging to it: Which being Re&s;tored and E&s;tabli&s;hed by Act of <HI>Parliament,</HI> will greatly help towards the Payment of the &s;aid Debt, or of a rea&s;onable perpetual Intere&s;t for the &s;ame, as the Wi&s;dom of the <HI>Parliament</HI> &s;hall think mo&s;t convenient.</P>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed by <HI>SAM&V;EL ROYCROFT,</HI> Printer to the Honourable City of <HI>LONDON,</HI> 1692.</P>
</DIV1>
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