REASONS Why Sir John Champante's two last accounts, between him and the late Undertakers of the Irish Revenue, Stated by Mr. Roberts, should not be opened. Drawn out of the Proofs of the Cause.  

Mr. Roberts authorised to state accounts.  MR. Roberts, who was the Representative of Mr. George Dashwood, one of the Undertakers, with the Assistance of the Secretary, and two Clerks of the Undertaking, made up, and closed the said accounts, by Virtue of an Authority from Sir James hays, John Stepney, and John Hays, Esquires, the only Persons then acting for the Undertaking, and who declared, when they gave Roberts the said Authority, that they had full Power from the rest of the Partners and Undertakers, to transact and finish all the concerns thereof. And so my Lord Ranelagh, by his Letter of 22d of May, 1677. owns that their Signing would bind all the rest; which he confesses also in his Answer to Sir John Champante's Bill in Ireland, as by the Decree in Ireland may appear.  

His Method, Care and Industy in the same.  In the making up, and stating these accounts, made up in the Method the Authority prescribes, Mr. Roberts, with the Assistance of the said Secretary and Clerks, spent above two Months examining, and comparing them with Sir John Champante's Day-books of Receipts and Payments, and with his Leidgers, and the other Books of the Treasury Office, and with the Weekly and Quarterly accounts, which Sir John Champante constantly gave the Undertakers, and with the Entries of the Cheque and control, which Officers appointed by the Undertakers, made of his daily Receipts and Payments; and likewise, with the Entries of the Clerk of the bells, of the Auditor-General, and of the Chamberlains of the Exchequer, and with the accounts of the Collectors of the Undertaking, and of the General Farmers, and with all the other Books and Papers, that might detect the least Error in the said accounts, or Surcharge Sir John with any Sums omitted, which the said Mr. Roberts very industriously endeavoured. And also with the Warrants, 
Vouchers delivered up.  Orders, and Debentures, and other Vouchers maintaining the said accounts which Sir John then delivered up, which have been since made use of by the Undertakers, to justify their accounts with the King, and accordingly lodged with the Auditor General, except those which relate to the Charges attending the management of the Undertaking, which were lately in the Custody of John Hays, Brother to Sir James Hays.  

Roberts made up the former accounts.  The said Mr. Roberts was the Person relied on by the Undertakers, to make up the two former accounts, which are signed, and passed by the Undertakers; and his Care and Industry in the Service of the Undertakers was so well known, and approved of, that long after the close of the said two last accounts, in the year 1678. the Lord Ranelagh, Sir James hays, George Dashwood, and John Bence, Esq; did by several Letters desire Mr. Roberts to take upon him the Management of the concerns of their late Undertaking; and particularly by a Letter of the 16th of July, 1678. writ to Sir John Champante, to engage him the said Mr. Roberts thereunto.  
At the Rehearing of Sir John Champante's Cause in the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, the council of the Earl of Ranelagh, and Mr. Stepney, 
The accounts examined by the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, and Decreed conclusive.  with Two able accountants, appeared against the said accounts, and were Armed with all Sir John Champante's Books and Papers, which by Order of the said Court were put into their Hands for several Months, and had access to all the Offices of Cheque in the said Kingdom, but were not able in the least to falsify the said accounts, all their objections being fully answered to the satisfaction of that Court, who after Six Days spent in the examination of the said accounts, and hearing the Proofs, Decreed the said Two accounts final and conclusive; Declaring, That they were accounts, not only stated by Mr. Roberts, but also by the Court of Exchequer. At which re-hearing, it appeared fully in the Depositions taken, and was also proved, Viva voice, in Court, That Sir John Champante had delivered up all his Vouchers, and that they were in the possession of the Undertakers.  

Decretal Order in the Exchequer here.  At the hearing of the Cause in the Court of Exchequer in England, in June 1688. which took up Eight days, the Court, by the Proofs, therein received full satisfaction as to the method, care and industry of the said Mr. Roberts, in stating of the said accounts, and of the justness and exactness of them; and that Sir John Champante's Vouchers were all delivered up in Ireland when Roberts stated his accounts, and that he was under an utter Impossibility to come to a new account; however out of tenderness to the now Appellants, and the other Defendants, it was referred to the Two Auditors of the impressed, in Case the Defendants had any material Objections to offer against any of the particulars in the said accounts, to inspect and examine the same, and whether the said accounts were made up and stated in the method of the Two former, and wherein they did agree or differ from the same; and Sir John Champante was decreed to be examined on Interrogatories. It is now above Eleven Months since the said Decree was made, and yet the Appellants have not made any Objections, nor Exhibited any Interrogatories.  

Both Courts satisfied as to the Memorandum of 12295 l.  And as to the Entry of the Memorandum relating to 12295 l. which occasioned the transcribing of some Leaves therein, without the least alteration of any Article or Figure, it fully appeared to the Courts of Exchequer, both of England and Ireland, That it was a just and fair thing, and solely to the advantage of the Undertakers, tho they did endeavour to charge Sir John Champante with the contrary.  

Above 12. years since accounts, stated and no Error detected.  It's more than Twelve years since the said accounts were first stated, and the Undertakers have ever since been in Possession of all the Books and Papers that could any ways assist them in the said accounts, which they have been never able, notwithstanding their utmost endeavours, in the least, to do: So that in the consideration of the matters aforesaid, it is humbly hoped that the said accounts may be taken and remain as stated and conclusive, and that Sir John Champante may not be put upon the Impossibility of coming to a new account, his Vouchers being delivered up, and his now accounts having passed such strict examination.