The Deplorable Condition of the Assignees of sundry Goldsmiths, Entitled by the Letters-Patents of King Charles the Second, to Annual Sums out of the Hereditary Revenue of Excise.  
WHEREAS his said Majesty being Indebted to Sir Robert Vyner, Edward Backwell, Esq and others, Goldsmiths, near Thirteen hundred thousand Pounds, which he stopped in the Exchequer, in lieu thereof and to Enable them to pay their Debts, in April 1677. by his said Majesty's Letters-Patents were Granted to the said Goldsmiths, respectively, Rents, or Annual Sums, after the Rate of Six Pounds per Cent. per Annum, to be paid Quarterly out of the Hereditary Revenue of Excise for ever, unless Payments should be made of the Principal Money and the Arrears of such Annual Sums.  
The said Letters-Patents were Printed by Order of his said Majesty in Council, for information of the said Goldsmith's Creditors; and by the said Patents were Granted, Directed and Appointed, that Tallies struck for the said Quarterly Payments, should be preserable before any other Warrant, Order, or Direction of any after Date, excepting necessary Sums for Management of the said Revenue, and 12209 l. 15 s. 4 d½. per Anum to the then Queen Consort, also 24000 l. to the then Duke of York.  
The House of Peers were pleased on the 10th of July 1678. to pass a Bill for confirming the said Letters-Patents, but that Session soon ending, the said Bill was not Read in the House of Commons.  
All which Encouraged many of the Creditors of the said Goldsmiths to deliver up their other Securities, and to take Assignments under the said Letters Patents of the said Annual Sums for what was due to them, and for the said Sums Tallies were struck in the said King's Reign, for Five years and a half, and no more; and by reason of slow Payments thereof, some of the Proprietors by Course of Law recovered their Money on the said Tallies. Whereupon the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, by their Letters to the Officers of the Exchequer, did forbid their striking more Tallies, without their particular Directions; which caused one of the Proprietors to bring his Petition before the Barons of the Exchequer; but before their giving Judgement, his said Majesty died, and his said Suit abated.  
In the Reign of K. James II. the said Letters-Patents were so well approved of, that Tallies were struck for three Quarterly Payments of the Arrears remaining in the former Reign, and the Lord Treasurer, and after, the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, by their several Letters also forbidden the Officers striking Tallies without their particular Directions, whereby Payments were made to and for Lady-Day, 1683. and no longer, and the Proprietors durst not then hazard their Title to the Censure of the Judges.  
〈…〉   

[1697]