upon Pretence of preventing the Clergy's taking Advantage of demanding Tythe for Lands which are exempted, when the Deeds or Writings proving such Exemption happen to be lost or destroy'd, utterly deprives them after a Discontinuance of Payment for a certain time, of claiming their Right, tho' they should be able to prove it by undoubted Authority: And yet it lays the Proprietors of Lands under no Obligation to declare in a legal manner that such Writings are really lost.
A Proposal at this time the more discouraging to the Order, when People of several persuasions either wholly refuse, or are not over conscientious in paying of Tythes.
One great Pretence of this Bill is, the loss of Evidence, viz. of Original. Grants, &c. which are generally very carefully preserved; but if not, may be probably found in Chancery; and in many Cases sufficient Evidence, whether Lands be exempt or not exempt, may be had from the Office of Augmentation, which is open to every Subject.
The other Pretence is, the preventing Law-suits and Differences; a Freedom from which is a very desirable Blessing; and the greater is their Guilt who will not suffer their Nighbours to enjoy Peace on any Terms but the giving up their just Rights, and the necessary Substance of themselves and Families. But on which Side the Breach of Peace, as occasion'd by Suits for Tythes, does chiefly lie, may be gather'd from the Number of Suits that have prevailed, above what have failed on that account: However, many of these Suits appear to be commenced by Lay-Impropriators, and not Parochial Incumbents. So that 'tis remarked, that the Clergy, generally speaking, are not chargeable with a Multitude of Prosecutions, or bringing such as are deemed vexatious and frivolous; on the other hand, the Truth is, the Rights of some Churches have been lost, by an unwillingness or inability to engage in expensive Law-suits, and many more may be lost, when made irrecoverable after a short Time.
A short Rule to determine the Value of Bar-Silver.
MUltiply the Grots of the Price of a Mark Fine, by 28.—Divide what comes out, by the Pence sterling, of the Price of an Ounce of Standard Silver, and you'll have the Grots Banco, that one Pound sterling produces on Standard Silver in Bars so bought and fold.
EXAMPLES.
Given Standard Silver in Bars at 62 Pence per Ounce: Fine Silver at 24 Guilders 2 Stivers Banco per Mark fine. Quere how much Banco Money does one Pound Sterling produce?
The Grots of 24 Guilders 2 Stivers are 964. These multiply'd by 28, make 26992, these divided by 62 Pence, bring out 435 Grots, or 36 Schellings 3 Grots 1⁄4 Bank Money for one Pound Sterling. Again—Given Standard Silver in Bars at 65 Pence per Ounce: Fine Silver at 25 Guilders 11 Stivers Banco per Mark fine, Quere, how much Banco Money does 1 Pound Sterling produce? The Grots of 25 Guilders 11 Stivers are 1022. These multiply'd by 28, make 28616. These divided by 65 Pence, bring out 440 Grots 10⁄66, or 36 Schellings 8 Grots 1⁄4 Bank Money for 1 Pound Sterling.
Suppose the Exchange betw. Amsterdam and London at 34, 11, what Profit does there arise on Standard Silver at the given Prices in this Example?—To find which, 1761 (the quarter Grots of 36, 81⁄4) being multiply'd by 100, are 176100. These divided by 1676, (the quarter Grots of 34, 11) bring out L. 105:91:05 that is L. 5:01:5 per Cent. Profit, at the Prices above, viz. Bought at 65 Pence—Sold at 25 Guilders 11 Stivess Banco—Return'd by Exchange at 34, 11 per L. Sterling.
