Sir,
The Receivers of the Duties arising to the Royal Hospital at Greenwich in the several Ports in America, being instructed to make returns to me of their Hospital Accounts, and to remit the Ball[ance]s. thereof before they apply for payments of their Salaries, and the correspondence with most parts of America being for some time past interrupted, so that the Accounts and ballances cannot have been remitted; and as it may be supposed, that little or no Duties have been received, since the Period that the Commerce with the other Ports of the British Dominions have been suspended, I have endeavoured to draw an Average of the Annual Sums that may be supposed to have been received in the several Ports, and from thence to make an Estimate of what may be supposed to have been received by the several Collectors from the time their Accounts are due to Michaelmas last, and inclosed is a Copy of a State of what may be supposed to be due on such Calculation.
If those Officers, or their Agents apply to you for payment of their Salaries, you will please to acquaint them, that by the Established Rules of Office, you are desired not to pay the Salaries of those Persons, 'til I have received their Accounts, but that as all communication is now interrupted, upon their payment to me of the respective Sums as hereto annexed, I shall pass the same to their Credit, take off the restraint on their Salaries, and wait the settlement, till they can make returns of the Accounts &c And if you as Agent to any of those Receivers, will pay me the Sums here set down, I will give you a Receipt for so much received for Account of such respective Receivers for their Receipt of Duties arising to the Royal Hospital at Greenwich Yours &c.
