APPENDIX tothe CHRONICLE. 439 



They state, that they were 

 charged with the investigation of 

 numerous claims to British and 

 neutral property found in the de- 

 tained and captured vessels, and, in 

 many cases acted in a judicial cha- 

 racter, in this respect, that they re- 

 ceived a separate and special com- 

 mission to take the management 

 of sundry Dutch vessels brought 

 into Ireland ; that they had to 

 make arrangements with the East 

 India company, respecting cargoes 

 directed to be sold by the Company 

 at their own sales; that they had to 

 adjust many complicated accounts 

 with their agents at the out ports, and 

 to settle the wagesof theofficersand 

 crews, both of the vessels of which 

 the cargoes were sold by the East 

 India company, and of those which 

 were intrusted altogether to their 

 own management, and that they 

 found the duties of their office, to 

 be for some time extremely difficult 

 and laborious. They observe, how- 

 ever, that their sales ceased, and 

 their transactions were, nearly 

 brought to a close in July, 1799, 

 but that the final adjustment of 

 them had been protracted partly by 

 " small sales of remnants not com- 

 pleted till November, 1801," partly 

 by some " property claimed in the 

 court of Admiralty, not adjudged 

 till July, 1803," partly by «' un- 

 settled accounts with the executor 

 of the late king's proctor, of which 

 the balance was not paid till 

 January last," but chiefly by an 

 important law suit commenced in 

 1797, which brought into question 

 property to the amount of about 

 180,000/. The suit has within these 

 few months terminated in their fa- 

 vour, and the commissioners now 

 expect that in the course of the 

 ensuing summer they shall close 



their transactions, and deliver in 

 their accounts to government. 



It appears by a paper dated 29th 

 April, 1808, that the gross amount^ 

 of the produce of the ships and of 

 the shipsand cargoes sold (of which 

 cargoes your committee perceive 

 that much the larger part was sold 

 by the East India company) was 



£.1,937,064 

 The charges were £.631,239 

 Commission charged 88,164 

 Restitutions to claim- 

 ants 69,988 



Grants to captors ... 117,746 



907,137 



Leaving a nett amount of... 1,029,927 

 From which was farther to be 

 deducted on accovmt of loss 

 on ships in debt (that is, 

 on ships, the charges on 

 which exceeded the pro- 

 ceeds) 52,657 



Leaving at that time the es- • • 



timated nett sum of £.977,269 



The chief part of the balance 

 now in hand is invested in govern- 

 ment or other securities, which run 

 at interest. The sum of 900,000/. 

 has been paid at sundry periods to 

 government, and having been car- 

 ried to the account of the consoli- 

 dated fund, has been applied to 

 the purposes prescribed by parlia- 

 ment. 



Your committee now proceed to 

 offer some observations on a variety 

 of points to which their attention 

 has been called, referring to the 

 Appendix for a more detailed ac- 

 count of some of the circumstances 

 which they shall notice. It has 

 been already mentioned, that no 

 agreement in respect to the mode or 

 amount of remuneration was made 

 at the time when the commissioners 

 were appointed. The difficulty of 

 ascertaining before hand tiie degree 

 of trouble to be incurred, and the 

 nature of the duties to be perform- 

 ed, 



