the City's
revenues towards payment of interest due to orphans, (2) that the City
should be permitted to raise a sum not exceeding L2,000 per annum upon
personal estates in the city to satisfy the orphans' debts, (3) that the
patentees of a new kind of glass light known as convex lights(1793) should
contribute an annual sum of L600, (4) that an additional duty of 4_d._ per
chaldron should be imposed upon coal entering the port of London and 6_d._
per chaldron on coals imported into the city for a term of fifty years
commencing from the determination of the duty already existing in respect
of re-building St. Paul's, (5) that an additional duty of 4_s._ should be
laid on every tun of wine entering the port of London, (6) that the
improvements about to be made in the water supply of the city(1794) should
also contribute, and lastly (7) that every person bound apprentice in the
city should contribute 2_s._6_d._, and every person made free of the city
5_s._ towards the same object.

(M904)

A Bill(1795) was subsequently introduced embodying these resolutions, but
with an additional proviso that when the tax of 6_d._ per chaldron on
coals, to be imposed for a term of fifty years, should cease the City's
lands should be charged with an annual sum of L6,000 over and above the
rent-charge of L8,000 previously mentioned. The Bill was read the first
and second time on the 22nd February, and the third time on the 12th
March. A few days later (21 March) it passed the Lords without amendment,
and on the 23rd received the royal assent.(1796)

(M905)

On the 6th March (1694) the lord keeper came to the Guildhall, accompanied
by the lords of the treasury, to ask the Common Council for a loan of
L200,000, upon security of the land tax, for naval and military purposes.
The court at once assented, and before the end of the month the whole
amount had been paid into the exchequer.(1797) The money was raised in the
usual way from the inhabitants of each ward and from the livery companies.
The Corporation itself was by no means well off, and encouragement was
given to anyone who could suggest a means whereby the City's revenues
could be increased.(1798) Recourse was had, among other things, to
nominating for sheriff the least suitable men for the office, and such as
would prefer paying the fine to serving. In no other way can one
reasonably account for the fact that the fines for refusing to undertake
the office of sheriff amounted for thi