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Appropriation, etc. Act, 1785
(25 Geo 3 c.60, 1785)

An Act for granting to his Majesty a certain Sum of Money out of the Sinking Fund; and for applying, certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the Year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five; and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament; and for providing a Compensation to the Clerks in the Offices of the Principal Secretaries of State, for the Advantages such Clerks enjoyed before the Commencement of an Act, made in the twenty fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty,for establishing certain Regulations concerning the Portage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets by the Post, between Great Britain and Ireland.

Note: this is a lengthy Act describing payments to be made from a variety of funding sources. It also includes a provision granting compensation to the Clerks in the Offices of the Principal Secretaries of State for the loss of their perquisite of franking various items as far as Ireland was concerned. Only the latter clause is quoted in full here.

'2,297,460 l. 3 s. 10 d. 2q. granted out of the Sinking Fund, for the Service of the current Year; to be issued by the Treasury accordingly. Treasury impowered to raise the Sum of 2,297,460 l. 3 s. 10 d. 2q. or any Part thereof, by Loans or Exchequer Bills, on the Credit of the Sinking Fund. If it shall be judged more advisable, the Treasury may raise the said Sum by Exchequer Bills instead of Loans; and the Bills in such Case to be made in the Manner prescribed by the Malt Act of this Session. All Advantages and Penalties in the said Act of this Session, relating to Loans or Exchequer Bills thereby authorised to be made forth, extended to this Act. The said Exchequer Bills, Interest, and Charges, are to be paid out of the Sinking Fund. Bank authorised to lend to his Majesty the Sum of 2,297,460 l. 3 s. 10 d. 2q. notwithstanding an Act of 5 and 6Gul. & Mari . The Sum of 702,539 l. 16 s. 1 d. 2q. remaining in the Exchequer on April 5, 1785; 66,161 l. 3 s. 5 d. 2q. Overplus of Grants for 1784; and 238,928 l. 16 s. 3 d. now remaining in the Exchequer, shall be applied towards making good the Supply. 231,578 l. 18 s. 2 d. remaining in the Hands of the Paymaster General, shall be applied towards defraying extraordinary Expences of Land Forces, &c. from December 25, 1783, to December 24, 1784. The Monies arising by the Malt Act, Land Tax, Loans (1,500,000 l. ), further Loans (1,000,000 l. ), further Bills (1,000,000 l. ), Lottery Act; 702,539 l. 16 s. 1 d. 2q. remaining in the Exchequer, April 5, 1785; 62,161 l. 3 s. 5 d. 2q. Overplus of Grants in 1784; 238,928 l. 16 s. 3 d. remaining in the Exchequer; and 2,297,460 l. 3 s. 10 s. 2q. by this Act granted out of the Surplusses of the Sinking Fund; shall be applied (with the Residue of the Monies arising from the Sale of French Prizes, &c.) to the Uses following: 2,551,307 l. 17 s. 2 d. towards Naval Services; 42,035 l. 13 s. 8 d. for the Charges of the Office of Ordnance, not provided for in 1784; 350,820 l. 1 s. 9 d. for the Charges of the Office of Ordnance, for 1785; 2,054,684 l. 10 s. 10 d. and five-eighth Parts of a Penny, towards maintaining the Land Forces, &c.; of which 655,963 l. 4 s. 3 d. for defraying the Charge of 18,053 effective Men, including 2,030 Invalids, and also Officers, Agency, &c.; 222,021 l. 4 s. 4 d. for Forces in Plantations, &c. for 1785; 6,355 l. 15 s. 8 d. for defraying the Difference between the British and Irish Establishment of fix Battalions of Foot, &c.; 6,968 l. 9 s. 9 d. advanced to a Regiment of Light Dragoons, &c. for 1785; 25,784 l. 8 s. 9 d. 2q. for Supernumerary Officers, &c. for 1785; 6,236 l. 10 s. 6 d. for General Staff Officers, for 1785; 74,221 l. 14 s. 5 d. for Allowance to the Paymaster General, &c. for Exchequer Fees, &c. for 1785; 8,904 l. 6 s. 6 d. for five Battalions of Hanoverian Infantry; 191,226 l. 0 s. 6 d. for Chelsea Pensioners, 1785; 69,291 l. 9 s. 6 d. for Subsidies to the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, &c. for 1785; 50,989 l. 2 s. 7 d. to make good a Deficiency to the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel; 13,027 l. 7 s. 6 d. for Pensions to Officers Widows; 7,737 l. 18 s. 1 d. 3q. for several Battalions of Foot; 197,703 l. 7 s. 10 d. for reduced Officers; 335 l. 15 s. 4 d. for Officers and Private Gentlemen of Horse Guards reduced, &c.; 57,800 l. 1 s. 11 d. for Commissioned Officers of British American Forces; 736 l. 11 s. 6 d. for British American Forces, in 1783; 4,308 l. 11 s. 3 d. for ditto, in 1784; 3,535 l. 0 s. 6 d. for Officers late in the Service of the States General; 451,537 l. 10 s. 1 d. for Extraordinaries, &c. from December 25, 1783, to December 25, 1784; 1,500,000 l. for paying off the Exchequer Bills made out by virtue of an Act 24 Geo. III,; 1,000,000 l. for paying off Bills made out by virtue of another Act of the same Year; 7,066 l. 18 s. 3 d. issued in pursuance of Addresses of the House of Commons; 25,000 l. towards carrying on the Buildings at Somerset House; 2,950 l. for East Florida; 3,976 l. 17 s. 6 d. for Nova Scotia, for 1785; 1,900 l. for the Island of St. John; 2,550 l. for Cape Breton; 2,370 l. for the Bahama Islands; 1,592 l. 1 s. 10 d. for the Chief Justice of Somers Islands, &c.; 6,356 l. 17 s. for New Brunswick in America; 13,000 l. for maintaining Forts on the Coast of Africa; 9,000 l. for the Commissioners of Publick Accounts; 3,200 l. to make good the like Sum paid to the Secretaries of the said Commissioners, &c. 3,000 l. for assisting the Levant Company; 800 l. for completing a Road in North Britain; 5,489 l. 17 s. for General Murray, late Governor of Minorca; 8,395 l. 2 s. 5 d. issued to discharge Bills drawn on the Treasury by the Governor of Nova Scotia; 36,819 l. 19 s. issued for Relief of American Civil Officers, &c. 56,113 l. 13 s. 6 d. 3q. to make good a Deficiency in the 41-half per Centum Duties; 150,000 l. upon Account, to such Persons who have proved their Losses in America to the Commissioners appointed by 23 Geo. III. c. 80; 3,000 l. to be paid to Mr. Cunninghame, for compiling an Index to the Journals, &c. 13,578 l. 14 s. 4 d. issued to Duncan Campbell, for maintaining Convicts, &c.; 12,087 l. 7 s. 8 d. 2q. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 31 Geo. II.; 159,620 l. 1 s. 9 d. 1q. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 18 Geo. III.; 122,730 l. 4 s. 8 d. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 19 Geo. III; 158,551 l. 4 s. 11 d. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 20 Geo. III.; 114,214 l. 4 s. 3 d. 2q. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 22Geo. III.; 617,466 l. 10 s. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 23 Geo. III.; 24,044 l. to make good the Deficiency of a Fund for paying Annuities granted by an Act 24 Geo. III. The said Aids to be applied only to the Uses before mentioned. Rules to be observed in the Application of the Half-pay. By an Act 24 Geo. III. a Sum not exceeding 75,116 l. 18 s. 6 d. and a Sum not exceeding 130,300 l. were appropriated to be paid to reduced Officers. Overplus Monies, above satisfying said Officers, to be disposed of to Officers who were maimed, &c. in the late Wars, or to Officers Widows and Children, as his Majesty shall direct.'

'XXVIII. AND whereas, by an Act passed in the fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, (intituled, An Act for preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Postage), it was enacted, That it should be lawful for the Clerks in the Offices of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State to frank printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, to be sent by the Post in such Manner as they had theretofore been accustomed: And whereas by an Act of Parliament, passed in the twenty-fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty (intituled, An Act for establishing certain Regulations concerning the Portage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets by the Post between Great Britain and Ireland), the said recited Clause is repealed, whereby the Privilege enjoyed by such Clerks of franking printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, into Ireland is wholly taken away;' as a Recompence therefore for the Loss of such Privileges, and as a Compensation for the Advantages heretofore arising therefrom, be it further enacted, That there shall be, and is hereby charged upon the Revenues arising in the General Letter-office or Post-office, or Office of Postmaster General, the Sum of one thousand Pounds per Annum, which shall be payable thereout to his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State for the Time being, in equal Proportions, to be distributed by such respective Secretaries of State among the Clerks in their Offices; which said annual Sum shall be made in quarterly Payments, to be computed from the fifth Day of July one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four; and that the Receiver General of the Revenues of the Post-office for the Time being shall, upon any Warrant or Warrants under his Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, countersigned by any three or more of the Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury, or by the Lord High Treasurer for the Time, make such quarterly Payments to such Person or Persons as shall be appointed by such Secretaries of State for the Time being to receive their respective Proportions of the said annual Sum; such Person or Persons producing and delivering to such Receiver a Receipt or Receipts under the Hands of such Secretaries of State, and which Receipt or Receipts shall be a full Acquittance and Discharge to such Receiver for the Payment of the Sum or Sums mentioned therein.