APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 447 



applied by them to the payment of 

 the expences of their establisliment 

 (amounting to about 15,000^.) from 

 the burthen of supporting which 

 they now claimed a right to be 

 exempt, althougli, in their original 

 return, they had professed to charge 

 themselves with it. Another sum, 

 which they take credit for having 

 relinquished, consists of some com- 

 mission which they forbore to 

 charge to captors, but the reason 

 assigned for this renunciation is one 

 which your committee cannot 

 countenance or approve. 



Annexed is a paper transmitted 

 by one of the commissioners, in 

 explanation of the meaning of the 

 expressions used in their first re- 

 turn ; but, in the judgment of 

 your committee, it has not removed 

 the ground of any of the preceding 

 observations. 



Your committee now proceed to 

 the last point on whicli :t is neces- 

 sary to dwell, namely, the amount 

 and mode of remuneration which, 

 under all circumstances of the pre- 

 sent case, seem the most proper to 

 be adopted. 



The following is the amount of 

 the profits which were stated on the 

 10 Feb. 1809, to have been received 

 by the commissioners : 



Commission at five per-cent on 

 the gross proceeds of theirsales, 

 after paying charges of their 

 establishment of.74,137 



Brokerage 4-,34f3 



Interest ?SA5ii 



Making together ...Xl I4-,941 



It was then also stated, that a 

 further sum had been received, or 

 was receivable, for interest, which 

 would make the profits of the com- 

 missioners 12i,785 



Subject to a deduction 

 of 1,587 



Making. 123,198 



They have expected 

 for commission a 

 further sum of 

 about 10,000 



Making the total 

 profits received, 

 and expected, 

 about 133,198 



Much the larger part of" their 

 commission has been charged on 

 property sold for them by the East 

 India company, who, by a clause 

 in 37 Geo. 3, c. 80, were allowed 

 five per cent for their expence in 

 effecting such sales. 



The commissioners, in their first 

 return, have termed a commission 

 of five per cent on the gross pro- 

 ceeds of their sales, •' the usual 

 commission;" but two and a half 

 per cent on the gross proceeds is 

 the highest rate common among 

 merchants, and is the rate charged 

 by them in the case of goods sold 

 through the medium of the East 

 India compan}^ The interest 

 which the commissioners have de- 

 rived from the great balance of 

 casli in their hands is not warranted 

 by mercantile practice, an exact 

 interest account being generally 

 kept between merchants selling on 

 commission and their employers, to 

 whom indeed they frequently make 

 large advances; and a commission 

 of two and a half per cent is, there- 

 fore to be considered as in some 

 measure a recompence for that ac- 

 commodation. It may be further 

 remarked, that the extraordinary 

 magnitude of the sales of the com- 

 missioners form a reasonable ground 



for 



