Treasury Committee investigated the Affairs of the Hospitals;
and, for similar Reasons, they have generally in other
respects confined a great Part of their Attention to the
Transactions since that Period.

MUCH of the Time of the Committee hath been spent in
extracting the several Items stated in the Appendix from the
Court Books and Cash Books of the different Officers for
many Years; partly, because no regular and compleat Col-
lection of the Rules and Orders was to be found, no such
Book having been lately kept; and partly because the Pub-
lic Accompts of the Hospitals are extremely obscure and de-
fective.

HAVING already trespassed upon the Patience of the Court,
it would be too much to recite and comment upon the va-
rious Subjects, as well considerable as minute, which have
come under the the Notice of the Committee, and co-operated
more of less with weightier Reasons in determining their
Opinions. They have therefore contented themselves with
stating (they hope with sufficient Fullness) in the Appendix
the most important Particulars relative to the Accompts, the
Revenues, and Expenditure; and their Sentiments respecting

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Reforms and Improvements in the Management will be
found classed under the several Heads to which they respec-
tively refer.

IT is sufficient here to observe, that, by one of those
Statements, it appears that £5957. 11s. hath been expended
on the Apprentices, and £7493. 16s. 4d. in maintaining the
Vagrants (the only two supposed Objects of the Charity of
Bridewell); whereas it has cost within the same Period
£19,254. Os.4d. in Salaries, Etc. of the Officers employed in
the Management; besides £6341.6s.1½d. for their Taxes,
Views of Estates, Etc. and £3234. 9s. 1d. in Feasts; toge-
ther £28,329.15s.6½d; and, what seems equally extraor-
dinary, the further enormous Sum of £17,332.19s.7d. for
Repairs at the Hospital of Bridewell alone.

FACTS, which clearly demonstrate that there must be some
effential Defect in that System of Management, wherein
there is such a Disproportion of Expence; and for which a
radical Cure should be provided.

YOUR Committee therefore proceed to offer a few shore
Observations on each respective Head of Reference.

REVENUE

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REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE;

RELYING chiefly upon the Abstracts No. I to VI. in the
Appendix for the Explanation of Particulars, your
Committee observe generally;

THAT No. I, contains a Summary of the present Re-
venues of both Hospitals: distinguishing the Part due to the
Incurables, and the Periods when the said Revenues are re-
ceivable.

No. II, shews the Average Annual Income of Bridewell,
taken for the last 16 Years (deducting £361.7s.1½d. for Quit
Rents, Etc.) to be £3954.0s.6¾d.; which your Committee
believe may increased.

No. III, states the Average Annual Expenditure at that
Hospital, taken for the same Period (deducting also the Quit
Rents above-mentioned) to be £3725.17s.8¾d.; and, after
what your Committee have already hinted as to the Extrava-
gance of some of the Articles of Expence, and their Dispro-

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portion to others, it is not too much to say, that the Dif-
bursements are capable of great Reductions, and that the
Savings may be more usefully and properly applied.

No. IV, shews the nett Average Annual Income of Bethlem
for the same Period, deducting as before, to have been
£6608.15s.9d.; and Part of the Estates of that Hospital ha-
ving been recently let at advanced Rents, which only com-
menced at Lady-day last, the Committee would have been
justified in adding the same to that Average Income; but, as
they strongly recommend a Reduction of the Admission and
some other Fees in Favour of the poor Patients who are not sent
by Parishes, which they trust will be adopted, a Diminution
of that Branch of the Income will be thereby occasioned,
which may be equal to the increased Rents alluded to. There
is, however, Reason to expect that this Revenue also may
be improved in other respects.

No. V, states the nett Average Annual Expenditure of Beth-
lem, taken for the like Period of 16 Years, to be £6532.7s.3d.;
which perhaps in not capable of any material Reduction, nor
do your Committee think it liable to an Increate, except from
the Article of Repairs, or a new Building; either of which
may render a strong Appeal to the Feelings and the Charity
of