2dly. "The exchange of money between England and Jamaica, at that time was 40 per cent. and money enough to be had at that exchange for the payment of the Army; nevertheless the Officers and Private Men on that expedition were obliged to receive their pay at 20 per cent. for some time: indeed, upon a general murmur made by the army upon that occasion, there was 5 per cent. more added; so here was still a deduction of 15 per cent. A noted instance of this severity at the end.
3dly. "The Agents now deny making up their accounts with the Captains of Marines, in the same manner that other Captains are accounted with; and in short deny giving any accounts at all. By this means a good deal of that martial dependence a Soldier ought to have on his Officer is withdrawn, as he finds the Agent is his factotum in affairs of money, and his executor in case he dies. The Agents, in order to support these their unjust proceedings, endeavour to screen themselves under some wrested paragraphs in the Mutiny Act; for (as we apprehend), from the Legislatures designed intent, and quite contrary to the King's Order in his Articles of War, which must always be consequent to the above act, as by the said act it is, that his Majesty is empowered to make such orders or articles.
4thly. "The Officers of Marines are by the same terms of chicanery kept from receiving their arrears, there being five years and a half due the 24th of June of the present year (1746), notwithstanding the other parts of the Army receive them punctually, though in no part of the service ought the arrears to be quicker paid than in the Marines, where Officers are put to certain and immediate necessary expences on every embarkation.
5thly. "It is plainly evident that no Officer in the Marine service (whilst dealt and accounted with in this manner), enjoys the same privileges with the other Officers of the Army, which must of consequence create heart-burnings, to the detriment of the service. Seeing, therefore, that these Officers have (notwithstanding their cruel usage) on all occasions and at all times been most ready with their lives and abilities to devote themselves to the service of their King and Country, we humbly beg that this their situation may be inquired into."
The instance which was referred to from the 2d article is as follow:
"A Pay-Master, while the Marines were employed in the Island of Cuba, by order of his Commanding Officer, did receive between 3 and £400 of the deceased Officers money, for which he gave bills upon the Agent of the Regiment in London, and issued out this money to the Officers, on account of their subsistence at the full exchange, which they were in great need of.
"When this Pay-Master was in the course of passing his accounts with the Agent of the Regiment, he was told that the Pay-Master General would not allow him this money, because all money on account of the Regiment (a scheme of which the Pay-Master knew nothing) was to be drawn from the Contractors, that is, the Marines were to receive their subsistence at 15 per cent. less than the currency of the country; though God knows, and the world are competent judges of the hardships and severities of campaigning in such a climate with sea provisions only, and bad water; besides, it was utterly impossible for men thus curtailed of their small subsistence, to purchase the least refreshments, when it is considered that a poor sheep was sold for £4, a turkey at £1 3 9, and so in proportion for every thing that could be termed fresh provisions.
"In return for such sufferings, the few who remained alive to revisit their native country, with the entail of broken constitutions scarcely worth the enjoying, which they still dragged on in the solacing hope of all their sorrows being closed, and all their claims adjusted, in order to restore their health, and to render them once more fit for the service of their King and Country, to their great disappointment, are to this very day kept (we believe) by the juggling tricks of the Pay-Master General, and the Agents, from their arrears, and the small benefits allowed to other parts of the Army.
"From the beginning of this example it is plain, that no charitable regard was to be paid to the executors of deceased Officers receiving their money at par in Great Britain, nor to the sufferings of Officers in America, who received this small sum on the same terms there for subsistence. We therefore most humbly pray your goodness to intercede with his Majesty for the relief of these our grievances."