USA > New York > The documentary history of the state of New York, Vol. I pt 1 > Part 13
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At last when his accts came I shewed them to the council who were mightily surprised that for eighteen @ upwards the Revenue should amount but to £3000 @ odd pounds upon which I had them audited and thereby it was found that a great many frauds had been done to the King as your Lops may see by the said audit @ the charge brought in @ proved against Mr Santon
Then I desired him to put John Smith from the office of surveyor
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and out of the custom house having the charity for mr Santon to believe that that man has cheated him as well as the King (I having had while in England this ill character of him from S' Benje Bathurst that for his misbehavior he had been turned out of a good employment) But hee never wod comply with it not- withstanding several orders of councill to that affect until I put in on Thomas Coker to bee surveyor, upon which Smith being concerned at losing his surveyors place, grew very insolent and put Mr Santon upon worse measures as is believed, for which @ other misdemeanors as yr Lops may pceave by the Minutes of Council sent over by Mr Sprag he was turned wholly out of the Custom House
In Hatlow (Servt to Mr Santon) that was waiter and searcher he sent into England as I am informed to the commissioners of thee custom house for a commission to be collector for the enu- merated comoditys here, @ would force so much for his going @ coming as yr Lops may see charged in his acct brought in to the audit @ likewise has brought in a note of his for four and twenty pounds odd money for going to the east end of Long Is- land in which he did not spend fourteen days time
The Auditor finding noe cheque upon the collector his book- keeper being Surveyor called upon this Hatlow for his warrants who answered that hee had none or that if ever hee had any hee had left them in England
Upon which I put in one Larken in his stead who upon an or- der in Council set up in the Custom House commanding noe goods to goe off without a warrant refusing to lett some goods bee ex- ported on the verbal order of Mr Santon only was by him turned out of that place as your Lops will see by the aforementioned charge @ the proofs thereto
After the audit of his first accts the others were demanded and with the same difficulty as the former obtained as yr Lops may perceive by the said minutes of Council particularly the order for payment every Saturday which was occasioned thus The Council considering how dilatory Mr Santon was @ with what difficulty he would be brought to account being satisfied that Mr Santon was then behindhand in his paymts @ that in process of time he
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might bee yet more soe for the preventing of further embezle- ment of his Matys revenue they ordered him that every Saturday hee should acct with @ pay into mee what he had received the preceeding week which was a method taken in the time of Sr Ed- mond Andros with Capt Dyer the then Collector upon the like occasion tho' this had not the like effect thro Mr Santens disobe- dience, for as hee did with all other orders hee did with this hee took noe notice of it
As alsoe there were several orders of Council requiring him to have all his accts from the 25th of March to the 6th of October ready for Mr Sprag to carry over audited with him who had agreed for his passage in a ship @ kept her here on that purpose these two months past. But with all this he made noe complyance pre- tending that by a letter from my Lord Treasurer hee was satisfied his accomps were not to be audited here that hee was only obliged to leave a duplicate with mee upon which the Council upon sight of the letter agreed that it was reasonable for him to send his ac- compts home but that nevertheless it was my duty to have them audited according to former instruction @ soe to continue to doe until I should have orders to the contrary from Mr Blathwayt to whom my Lord Treasurer in his letter refers it being otherwise impossible for me to answer this query
Seeing soe many abuses done to his Maty @ finding fair means to be wholly ineffectual to the making Mr Santen discharge his duty @ hee continuing still refractory @ disobedient to the seve- ral orders of Council to him directed, the charge which yr Lops have herewith was drawn up against him to which hee answered in such manner as your Lops will see on perusal of the copy thereof herewith sent. Upon hearing of which charge and an- swer @ ye proofs thereto herewith likewise sent, thee council made their report to mee under their hands, in manner as your Lops sees by the copy thereof which you have likewise herewith wherein altho' they positively say that hee has been an unfaithful servt to his Maty in thee management of his Revenue, yet I sent for him @ advised him to give in security for the ballance of the acct that by the audit he was found behind hand. And for his better carriage for the future which if hee did I promised to pass
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by all former faults @ make noe complaint against him. I not only told him this myself but from time to time sent messages to him to this effect sometimes by such of the council as were his particular friends sometimes by the ministers @ often by the Se- cratary but all to noe purpose hee still continued obstinate
And what returns hee made mee to these several instances of my kindness I shall not now trouble your LoPs with
Nevertheless I forbare doing any thing further against him till the expiration of the second audit proposing that then when I could know the whole amount of his debt I would at once doe my best to secure the Kings concerns from sustaining any loss by him
At last hee brought in a book without being signed and said he could not lieve them neither, they being to bee sent over to Mr Blathwayt Whereupon we were forct to give him 3 weeks longer to get them copied @ then with great adoe he signed them @ brought in with them an acct called a general acct, an acct so ex- travagant that your Lops have hardly seen thee like
Then I pressing the auditors to make an end they desired that they might have his papers to compare with those books @ ac- . comps he had delivered in, which by order of council hee was required to deliver to them. But hee refusing as appears by the testimony of 3 of the auditors herewith sent, It was ordered that his said papers should bee seized @ he suspended from the sd of- fice of collector @ receiver till his Matys pleasure should be known thereon @ hee taken into the Sheriffs custody and there remain till hee should give in such security as in the said orders is expressed as relation to the said orders had, may more at large appear
Upon search of the Pap's relating to his Matys revenue I found a charge drawn against myself with letters to his Maty Lord T'sear Lord Chancelor @ several other gentlemen stuft with com- plaints against me and other p'sons which are wholly false
Indeed its true the poor gentleman since his coming here has been troubled with 3 or 4 hypocondriack fitts, hee was in one of them when his Matys nomination of the Council came over upon which they all thought it not convenient to have him swoin at
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least at that time as your Lopps will see by the minutes of coun- cill
And my Lords to bee short I must say this of him hes a man wholly unfit for business especially this wherein hee has noe more skill than a child, Soe that for the executing of it hee must have his whole dependance on another. I am sure if I had not taken more care of the Revenue than hee did since I found his failure it had been more embezled than it is for though hee received the money I was obliged to continual watching to guard against his carelessness @ neglects
And truly what hee takes very ill what there is neither presi- dent nor establishment for
In his commission hee has allowed him £200 pr annum the same allowance that Dyer had in the time of Sr Edmond Andros of which £100 was for the Surveyor Comptroller @ Waiter there- fore I finding no new establishment allow him no more than Dyer had for him @ his officers Salary it being the sentiment of the Council that I could not alter the former practice with which they were well acquainted But he gives himself a far larger allow- ance hee will have it that his salary is sterling; @ to make it so of this country money he charges three @ thirty Pr cent advance @ one hundred pound more for his two under officers, Besides this Mr Smith being his Deputy-Surveyor @ Book-keeper, hee would have allowance to him of £50 pr ann as his deputy £40 Pr ann as his accomptant £30 Pr ann for his transcribing his books £20 Pr annum Pr his diet besides his salary for Surveyor, For John Harlow hee would have allowed £30 Pr ann as waiter, £48 Pr ann as being employed by him in the Kings service where or how noe man Knows £20 pr ann for his Diet and £162 and two voyages made into England with despatches for his Maty all this @ a great deal more such for his officers in the country, @ the like your Lops will see in his last general acct a copy whereof is herewith sent,
Notwithstanding hee charges the King soe largely for his offi- cers salaries, to some of them hee has paid nothing at all inso- much as they are making very great clamor for their money, @ not getting it from him expect it from the King
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Of his own head hee bought a little rotten tool of a sloop on pretence for his Matys service, which as your Lops may see by their audit, has stood the King in near £700 @ now cannot be sold for thirty soe must either bee laid up or burnt
In his instructions @ by several orders from me @ the council he was expressly forbid to trust out his Mat" revenue notwith- standing I was forc't to take notes from him to the value of £800. besides a great many more which hee pretends still to bee stand- ing out as your LoPs will perceive by the audit
Hee has likewise been negligent in taking the bonds required by the laws of the Goverment from the masters of ships one ill consequence whereof has been the New York Pink has carried off several Elephants teeth without entry, @ the bond being inquired for there was none taken, How hee has behaved himself touching an Interloper that came in hither I have already given Sr Benj. Bathurst an account, and as for the debts for him pretended to too the auditors upon enquiry the most of them are found to bee received by him. and I beleive of thee rest, the twentieth part will never be had, they are soe ill
And besides notwithstanding his confused way of accounting @ being without a cheque upon him as aforesaid, he is found by his own accounts brought into the audit to bee £1758. 15 shil- lings threepence and §ths of a penny in debt to the King as your Lops may see by the said audit which (as is to bee feared) is all gone besides his salary and pquisits, on which he might have lived very handsomely
Hee (as hee hath all along done) does to all persons he con- verseth with speak scurrilously @ abusively of me @ ye Council which considering his circumstances we let pass without taking any notice of
Hee is likewise very troublesome to the present management of his Matys customs
I desire that as soon as may bee I may know what his Maty. pleasure is should bee done with him, what acct I have here given yr LOPPs of him is as moderate as may bee farr short of what I might have represented @ yet have spoken nothing but the truth. What I have done has not been out of malice, for I beare none
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to him rather pitty, but purely with an intent to doe his Maty service @ to secure his interest, as I doubt not will appear to y' Lopps and if I bee to bee blamed for any thing in the Series of this affair its for too much forbearance
Thus my Lords I have given you as good an account of the Revenue received, @ by whom as I can, as alsoe how the same in a great part of it has been mismanaged and by what meanes I shall therefore now proceed to give your Lopps an estimate of what charge the maintenance of this Govermt has been hitherto to mee @ what will bee requisite for its further support
Its a very hard thing upon mee that coming over hither in trouble- some times, finding noe revenue established @ yet having three garrisons to look after @ the forts in the condition before men- tioned, @ finding such contest between the Governmt of Canada @ this about the Beaver Trade the Inland Country @ the Indians, to purchase, as I was obliged by my instructions, sixty odd miles, upon Hudsons River 17 or 18 into the land in one place from the Indians. In another place up the River 16 miles And on the south side of Long-Island twelve miles to give a great deal to the Indians for Susquehanna River to bee at great expences on the Assembly at their first sitting when they gave the revenue @ on the Lord Howard of Effingham when here with his train Governor Pen, commisioners from Boston @ other colonies, the Govr of Connecticut East @ West Jersey, the running the line between this @ East Jersey and the like between Connecticut and this, tho' that last not yet finished besides the establishinent as will appear by my books when audited @ sent over, which shall be by the very first conveniency, @ had been long ere now, had I got Mr Santens sooner done
In the meantime yr Lops may bee capable of making an esti- mate of the constant charge of the Govermt by the calculation thereof herewith sent in which you see that there is set down yearly for the Council Judges @ Attorney General which tho' not at present allowed in my opinion with submission to your Lops there is a necessity there should. The Councilors being persons obliged to a constant attendance from their own business @ the judges such as devote themselves wholly to that service @
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whose present salary is soe small to support them @ their familys in that station as is set forth in their petition which I have herewith sent to his Maty for his consideration, neither can the Attorney-generals small perquisites bee able to maintain him in going thro his Matys concerns, which takes up his whole time, without the addition of such salary as his Maty shall think fitt to allow
Your Lop taking all this into yr consideration, cannot but think his Maty must be in debt, which however would not have been very much had Mr Santen done his duty
What revenue there is is with the ease @ satisfaction of the people @ paid without grumbling, tho' as much as modesty can bee put upon them
Soe that if Connecticut bee not added to the Govermt it can be hardly able to support itself. But if it bee added, thee reve- nue will bee sufficient to keep the King wholly out of debt
Mr Santen taxes me with covetousness in not allowing suffi- ciently to the officers employed. Niggardly I have not been, but the revenue being soe small @ having soe great a charge, I en- deavored to bee as good a husband for the King as I could I'm sure better than I ever was for myself. And truly I have been put soe to it to make things doe that what small pquisits I got, I have disburst, @ not only soe, but have been forc't to engage my credit soe far as t'would goe @ that not sparing to pawn my plate for money to carry on the Kings affairs @ now I have sent some of it home by Mr Sprag to reimburse Sr Ben Bathurst what hee has paid for mee, @ to provide clothes for the soldiers @ some things for my own use
Answer to Now My Lords before I proceed to answer the rest Capt Santer's of your queries I will take occasion here to give your charges a-
gainst me LoPs satisfaction as to those articles Mr Santer has been pleased to draw up against mee, a copie whereof I herewith send for yr Lopps perusal the scope of which being to charge me with mismanagement of his Matys affairs, I thought noe place more proper for my making appear the falsity of his accusation than here, wherein I have been soe long treating of the mismanage- ment of the revenue in which this man himself had soe large a
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share, which answers follow distinctly with relation to such proofs as are herewith sent necessary for my vindication
As to the FIRST Article -- concerning a copartnership in a Trade to France &c
For my justification @ making appear the falsehood of this ar- ticle is the testimony of Mr John Sprag @ Mr Gabriel Minvielle taken before Mr Swinton clerk of the Council hereunto annexed
To the SECOND concerning a partnership in trade to Newfoundland
This is noe less true than the other as appears by Major Brok- helles testimony &c @ truly had I any such design I had not communicated with the Kings collector especially to a man of his disposition @ subject to soe many follies @ infirmitys that he was never capable of concealing his own secrets from the very rabble of the town, @ always made the debates of the Council (while he was a member of it) the subject matter of his Tavern dis- course
To the THIRD concerning my going sharer with the Privateers
Wherein hee does mee the honor to join mee in partnership with privateers I dont believe that Frederick Flipson ever went sharer with any body in a ship @ I am sure Beekman never had a vessel ( or a share in a vessel in his life Had I had 2 or 3 men's shares of what was got upon the wreck I think it had been noe breach of Law or my instructions it being customary in such cases for the Govrs of plantations to have it. But Mr Santen too was mis- taken in this they did not clear for the wreck @ least they should make incursion upon the Spaniards I took security from them that they should not, in short for my justification on this point I refer myself to the testimonies of Frederic Flipson @ Beakman @ the obligation aforesaid herewith sent
To the FOURTH Copartnership with Mr Antill for Jamaica.
Hee does me wrong I never was concerned with Mr Antill in copartnership One Vaughton half brother to Mr Sprag that had been a volunteer 2 or three years on board Capta Temple, @ hap- ning to bee in London when I came away offered his service to come along with mee, whom finding a pretty ingenious young man @ out of employment I promised to help him with ?
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little mony when hee stood in need of it for to put him into some way. Whereupon not long after this Antill purposed if he could get money from his brother or any other to purchase the half of a little ship then to bee sold hee would purchase the other @ that Vaughton should goe master of her upon which hee came to mee into the country where I then was @ acquainted mee with ye pro- posal @ desired my assistance to enable him to comply with it. I demanded what security hee could give mee, hee proposed to make over his share in the vessel for it. Upon which in kind- ness to him I let him have the money @ took the vessel in secu- rity for it @ by him sent as a venture ten Barils of Oyle of a drift Whale that came to my share, @ thirteen half Barils of Flower, to purchase Sugar Molasses Sweetmeats Oranges and other necessar- ries for use in my family. And this (as Mr. Santen knows as well as I @ most of the town) was all the concerns I ever had with Antil
To the FIFTH concerning the Dogger
This Mr Beekman having a Sloop went from this place to Nevis @ Sr William Stapleton hearing of a Dutch privateer gave him a commission to goe after him, which hee did @ took a great ugly vessel ye dutch have for fishing with one deck @ went back with her to Nevis. Whereupon Sr Wm in reward of his good service gave him the Kings @ his own share in her soe hee brought her hither where shee being a Dutch built @ and the man having a mind to sell her, had her condemned at a Court of Admiralty. Upon which I forgave him the Kings share which by apprizement amounted to as doth appear by Mr Beekman's testimony To the SIXTH concerning Heathcot's Sloop.
Mr. Santen does me wrong in this for upon the word of a Christian, I know not at this minute who were the apprizers they having been appointed by the Court where the sloop @ goods were condemned, @ they too upon their oaths. Neither had I any advantage by that vessel as Mr Santen knows tho' hee had by making George Heathcot pay him ninty pound @ charges which was more than the third part of the condemnation came too soe that I hope. this is not the voyage hee charges the King with soe much for, tho' it is the only remarkable one hee ever made @ yet but ten miles distant from this place
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To the SEVENTH concerning my Lord Neill Campbells goods
My Lord Neill Campbell its true desired my bill of store for the 10 Pr cent which I did grant, but Mr Santen does mee wrong to say that I ordered they should bee entered without examination to the best of my remembrance there was noe such thing : but here hee forgets what hee has done himself what goods hee has admitted to entry without examination contrary to Act of Assem- bly @ my order as appears by his own books to the great dimi- nution of his Matys revenue in this Province : neither does he re- member what bills of store hee has granted notwithstanding seve- ral orders to the contrary
To the EIGHTH concerning one Riddell
Mr Santen does mee wrong in this, One Mr Riddell a poor Gentleman that brought into this city without entry (as a great many others have done without Mr Santen or his officers taking notice thereof ) a small parcel of linen afterwards appraised to be of the value of 3 or 5 pounds, And after that this Riddell @ one of the officers of the Custom House drinking drunk together, fell a quarrelling, on which the Officer went out @ meeting with Vaughton about one or two in the morning, compelled him to goe along with him to seize uncostomed goods at Riddell's lodging, where when they came they broke open the door upon this Rid- dell who being still drunk endeavoured to keep them out @ in the struggling stabbed Mr Vaughton. Whereupon he was secured in prison where hee lay a long time till Vaughton recovered. Afterwards the poor man being in a starving condition on the ap- plication of Mr Vaughton @ himself @ Mr Sprag @ several others hee was set at liberty, and on a petition of his to the Coun- cil his goods were ordered to bee released, hee paying all charges which being more than the value of the goods Mr Sprag in cha- rity to Riddell paid the Surgeons their demands which was ten pounds without taking any thing from him
To the NINTH concerning Capt Santen's warrants to the Sheriff's &c
Mr Santen knows himself that from time to time by order of Council, all the Sheriffs have been obliged to account with him for all rents, Quit rents @ arrearages of rent &c yet this would not doe to make himself seem great, hee would needs issue forth
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his own warrants, which poor man was done in one of his fitts @ indeed they met with such reception as they deserved, the she- rifs took noe other notice of them than to send them to mee Whereupon I being somewhat surprised at his manner of procee- dure called him before the Council where (being asked how he came to issue forth such warrants) his answer was that to his knouledge the Lord Treasurer did soe in England, But here I would ask Capt Santen why he hath not given a better account of Such Quit rents &c as have passed through his hands
To the TENTH concerning my covetousness as he is pleased to term it
Here (if Mr Santen speaks true in saying I have been covetous) it was in the management of this small revenue to the best advan- tage, @ had Mr Santen been as just as I have been careful, the King had not been in debt, as I had more in my pocket than now I have
It may be true when I called for the King's money @ accompts from Mr Santen @ I met with unbecoming returns I might use some passionat expressions
And as for my pinching Officers if hee means himself it was because he took it very ill that I would not allow him 7 or 800 pounds extravagant expenses, As for Fran. Barber I never spoke a word to him of salary in my life @ and leave it to the audit what acct hee gives of the Revenue of that County for three years @ on half
To the ELEVENTH concerning the excise of Long Island &c
What Mr. Santen says concerning the offer of £52 for the ex- cise pr a year may bee true I thought it very unreasonable that the excise of three Countys should be farmed for soe little, therefore I fixed upon Mr. Vaughton @ Mr. Nicolls looking upon them to bee honest men @ agreed with them for £20 P Ps @ what they could make over @ above they should deliver to Mr. Santen That Dan. Whitehead offered mee three pounds for my license it is false, or that I had £10, from Nicolls @ Vaughton is likewise false as doth appear by Mr Nicolls testimony @ would by that of Mr Vaughton were hee here Neither had I even any mony for licenses since I came into this Government except from Albany @ this place £24, but on the contrary gave it all to the collectors of the respective countys for their encouragement
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To the TWELFE concerning Mr Pretty &c
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