To
the
Honourable
the
Knights
,
Citizens
and
Burgesses
,
In
Parliament
Assembled
.
May
it
please
your
Honours
;
THE
last
Sessions
of
Parliament
I
presented
the
Honourable
the
Commons
in
Parliament
then
sitting
,
with
Proposals
for
setting
up
a
National
Land-Bank
in
favour
of
the
Freeholders
and
Trading
Part
of
the
Kingdom
,
which
the
Scarcity
and
Badness
of
our
Money
,
together
with
the
necessitous
Condition
of
very
many
Freeholders
of
England
,
who
were
almost
crushed
with
the
Weight
of
high
Interest
and
Taxes
,
did
render
necessary
to
be
done
.
And
in
order
thereunto
a
Bill
was
brought
into
the
Honourable
House
of
Commons
,
and
a
considerable
Progress
was
made
therein
by
the
Committee
,
but
for
want
of
Time
the
same
was
not
reported
.
I
thereupon
fully
determined
not
to
proceed
any
farther
in
what
I
designed
until
I
had
Authority
from
your
Honours
for
my
so
doing
:
but
some
Gentlemen
so
soon
as
the
Parliament
was
prorogued
,
formed
the
Model
of
a
Bank
out
of
my
Book
,
which
I
presented
that
Honourable
House
,
intituled
,
A
Discourse
on
the
late
Funds
,
which
they
christned
by
the
Name
of
the
Land-Bank
,
but
excluded
the
Freeholders
from
the
Benefit
I
intended
them
;
and
proposed
no
less
Profit
than
30
or
40
per
cent
.
per
annum
,
among
a
few
Money-Subscribers
.
I
thereupon
laid
open
my
Books
of
Subscriptions
for
Land
and
Money
for
a
Fund
for
a
National
Land-Bank
;
to
which
several
Noblemen
,
Gentlemen
,
Merchants
and
others
,
have
subscribed
a
considerable
Value
.
And
upon
the
several
Prorogations
I
constantly
attended
that
Honourable
House
,
to
lay
before
them
what
from
time
to
time
was
done
therein
.
As
in
Duty
bound
,
I
come
now
to
lay
the
same
before
this
Honourable
House
,
as
it
is
calculated
not
only
for
the
Advantage
of
Trade
,
but
also
for
the
Benefit
of
the
Freeholders
,
who
have
all
along
been
contributory
to
the
Taxes
for
carrying
on
the
War
,
and
Support
of
the
Government
,
and
who
have
not
met
with
the
promised
Assistance
from
the
Bank
of
England
.
I
humbly
request
your
Honours
Countenance
and
Assistance
therein
,
and
beg
leave
to
subscribe
my self
,
Your
Honours
most
Humble
and
most
Obedient
Servant
,
JOHN
BRISCOE
Decemb
.
2.
1695.
A
short
ACCOUNT
of
the
National
Land-Bank
.
THere
are
Estates
subscribed
by
several
Noblemen
,
Gentlemen
,
and
others
,
to
be
settled
in
the
said
Bank
,
to
the
Value
of
above
200000
l.
per
annum
,
which
Estates
are
to
be
settled
in
order
as
they
were
subscribed
.
Every
Person
who
shall
settle
his
Estate
in
the
said
Bank
,
may
have
Money
upon
such
his
Settlement
to
the
Value
of
three
fourth
Parts
of
such
Estate
,
at
3
l.
10
d
.
per
cent
.
per
annum
Interest
,
and
may
repay
the
same
or
any
part
of
it
whenever
he
pleases
.
No
Gentleman
nor
his
Estate
is
to
be
chargeable
,
or
stand
charged
for
more
Money
than
what
he
himself
shall
take
up
of
the
Bank
,
without
his
Consent
.
Such
Subscribers
of
Land
who
will
subject
their
Estates
to
bear
a
proportionable
Part
of
all
Losses
,
shall
have
a
proportionable
Part
of
the
Profit
of
the
Bank
;
and
the
first
200000
l.
per
annum
settled
upon
those
Terms
is
to
be
the
Fund
of
Land
for
securing
the
Bills
that
shall
be
issued
out
by
the
Bank
.
To
circulate
the
Bills
of
the
Bank
a
Million
of
Money
was
proposed
to
be
raised
by
Subscriptions
,
payable
one
tenth
Part
every
Quarter
,
whereof
650000
l.
is
subscribed
.
The
Subscribers
of
Money
are
to
have
3
l.
per
cent
.
per
annum
paid
them
for
their
whole
Money
subscribed
,
to
commence
from
the
10th
of
October
last
,
and
a
proportionable
Part
of
the
Profits
of
the
Bank
with
the
Land-Subscribers
.
And
in
regard
no
more
than
1500
l.
can
be
lent
upon
2000
l.
Value
in
Land
,
1500
l.
in
Money
is
admitted
equal
in
Profit
and
Loss
with
2000
l.
worth
of
Land
.
There
are
to
be
two
General
Meetings
of
the
Subscribers
or
Persons
interested
yearly
in
the
Months
of
June
and
December
.
The
Management
of
the
Bank
is
proposed
to
be
in
37
Directors
,
36
of
which
are
to
be
annually
chosen
by
the
major
Part
of
all
Persons
interested
in
the
Bank
,
and
are
removable
at
any
time
for
Misdemeanor
.
The
Directors
,
or
any
Number
of
other
Persons
interested
in
The
Bank
to
the
Value
of
50000
l.
in
Land
or
Money
,
may
call
a
General
Meeting
when
they
please
.
The
Accounts
of
the
Bank
are
to
be
made
up
every
half
Year
,
and
laid
before
every
such
General
Meeting
for
their
Perusal
.