224 ADDRESS TO THE [lect. 



come into full effect till 1826, on the death of the last 

 of the Chamberlains. 



The tally was a willow stick, not exceeding five feet 

 in length, about one inch in depth and thickness, with 

 the four sides roughly squared. On one of the four sides 

 the amount was expressed in notches. On each of the 

 two sides next to the notched side the description of the 

 payment was written. The stick was split in half through 

 the notches. One half, constituting the tally, was given 

 to the person making the payment into the Exchequer, 

 the other half, the counter tally, or counterfoil, was 

 kept at the Exchequer as a cheque. 



There was no single notch for a larger sum than 

 £1,000 ; a notch of the gauged width of 1^ inch de- 

 noted £1,000; 1 inch £100; finch £10; and half a 

 notch of this last size £1 ; of ^ inch Is. ; and the 

 smallest notch Id. ; one halfpenny was denoted by a 

 small pounded hole. 



In the Eeturn on Public Income and Expenditure, 

 July 29, 1869, the following account is given of the 

 mode in which these tallies were actually issued. 



The slip of parchment, or Teller's bill, as it was called, 

 was thrown down a pipe into the Tally court, a large 

 room under the tellers' offices, notice being given to the 

 Tally officer by a clerk calling out " down " through the 

 pipe. The Teller's bill fell upon the large table in the 

 Tally court, which was covered with a chequered cloth. 

 In the Tally court sat officers of the Clerk of the Pells, 

 and of the Auditor as performing the duties of the 

 Chamberlain of the Exchequer. The Teller's bill was 

 first recorded by the officer of the Clerk of the Pells, in 

 his book of introitus or receipt, and then passed over to 



