••( A.) r8.'] Commiffioners on FEES, G R A T U I T I E S , & c. cxix and equitable and he verily believes according to the receipts and diffiurfements of 1808, detailed in his books, but forming in numerous inftances parts of other fums for preceding years embraces the entire of the profits, and more than the profits of that year, when the Ultimate of it was made out in January laft; but Memorialift humbly ftates, that if time fliall be granted him to feparate and fhew the receipts applicable to 1808, he will be able to effect j 7 advance, or the giving of an extenfive credit, which last he was under the necessity to comply with, occafioned by the late Clerk of the Road having died insolvent, and the objection generally existing in consequence to pay subscriptions 111 advance; that in the aggregate, there is a large sum of money due to him for Newspapers, a material portion of which he defpairs of recovering. That your Lordships Memorialist, in the year 1808, had the misfortune to employ a Clerk named James Stevenson, in whom he had placed an implicit confidence, but who em- bezzled numerous subscriptions received by him for Newspapers and debts due to Memo- rialist; and also when detected on 11th January 1S09, appeared to have fraudulently taken up from the several Printers in the year 1808, at the rate of 48 fheets of Newspapers per week, which are of course included in your Lorclfliips Eftimates. That Memoriahft humbly ftates, no blame attaches to him in having employed the faid James Stevenfon, he having at that period an uncle and a brother, with great value entrufted to them, as Clerks in the Bank of Sir Thomas Newcomen, Baronet, & Co.; and the faid James Stevenfon having abfconded, and his principal security having become insolvent, your Memorialift can have no redrefs, nor is he yet able to ascertain the full amount of the'embezzlement; claims for fums paid to the faid Stephenfon appearing for credit, which Memorialift has uniformly allowed in account to the claimants, although the receipts were nearly all iffueii by him on unftamped paper, and of courfe not recoverable, but from a principle of equity; and what is due to the fituation Memorialift holds under your Lordships, are, without trouble or vexation to the parties, fully and fairly placed to their Account, or their money inftantly returned, fo that no public complaint or murmur has arisen in consequence. Memorialift, in obedience to your Lord ( hips command, annexes the . Statements required; but Memorialift humbly represents, that it is made out ( as directed) at higheft poflible rates, making no allowance for bad debts, which the Supplying of Newspapers as he has been obliged to carry it on in giving much credit, mult he attended with frequent non- payments, and that if he had, in the year 180S, indiscriminately flopped ah Papers 011 credit, a one- third at leaft, for the reafons already afhgned, would not have been fuppiyed by Memorialift, and the more elpeciallv as the Proprietors of the principal Newspapers, without any regard to the interefts of the Clerks of the Roads, receive fubferiptions and pais them free from poftage under the privilege of Members of Parliament, and it has been afcertained of The Correlpondent, at a lower price than that charged by the Clerks of the Roads. Memorialift further represents to your Lordships, that as far as in his power the above is a true and faithful Statement, neither concealing or exaggerating, to the beft of his knowledge and belief, any one circumftance ; and he humbly begs leave to add, that he is the oldeli Officer 011 the Poft Office Establishment, ( only one excepted) upwards of forty- three years, having faithfully dilcharged his duty, and as Clerk of a Road having obtained the general approbation of the Province over which he excrcifes the privilege of circulating News- papers; and your Lordships establishment bears a memorial of his fervices in a grant on . the Incidents ofoc. 30. per annum, made in the year 1804, for his fuccefsful exertions in detect- ing and charging counterfeit franks, thereby to an amount never before experienced, check- jnc in a material degree the frauds practised upon the Revenue of the Poft Office. Memorialift humbly trufts your Lordships will take this Statement into confideration, and October 16th, 1809. Memorialift will pray. ( A.) No. 18. Copy of a Letter from Edward S. Lees, Esq. Secretary to the Right Honourable the Poftmafters General. My Lords, General Poft Office, 13th October 1809. IN obedience to the directions contained in your Lordfhips official Minute, dated the 5th inftant which in reference to the Report that had been fubmitted to you as affecting the conduct of the Clerks of the Roads, inftru< ted me to furnifh each Clerk in writing, as well as the Reprcfentatives of the late Henry Harrison, with the allegations therein contained, and to call upon them feparately to s- ive in their respective anfwers to the fame; I beg leave to inform your Lordfhips, that I addrefled to Messrs. Maturin and Twigg the letter of which I have the honour herewith to enclofe a copy; and I transmitted a communication nearly to the fame effect to the Representative of the late Mr. Harrison, and having been this day favoured with their respective anfwers, I beg to forward them tor your Lordlhips infor- mation. 36O. » k Wit"