Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/82

 deficient, and pare down the redundant, to the same rate in the pound on their respective claims.'

The amount actually to be received by each claimant appears to have been fixed at five-eighths on the arrears of pay, as commuted into land at the adventurers' rates, subject to the equalisations agreed upon. The odd roods and perches on the regimental allotments, called 'the refuse ends and tayle lots,' were withdrawn with the consent of the army from the distribution. It was hoped that these surplus lands and the advantage to the public gained by equalising the rates, which diminished the total amount allotted, would materially increase the fund remaining over to meet the other unsatisfied liabilities of the Commonwealth. The officers grew very unruly and clamorous while the work went on, so much so that Major Symner lost his head, and for a time had to retire; nevertheless by February 1657 the distribution was complete, so far as the task of the executive committee was concerned.

Dr. Petty and his staff had surveyed for the army 3,521,181 acres, and the sum passed as due to him was 18,532l. 8s. 4½d., including 1,000l. for the county and barony maps. Out of this sum had to be deducted the whole of the expenses of the survey, and a sum of 1,538l. 8s. 6d. for the surveyors under the previous abortive survey whom he had agreed to pay. The money owed him by the army, after considerable delay, was paid, with the exception of a sum of 614l. In order to get in a large portion of the sum due, he says he was forced 'to collect and wrangle out of the soldiers in an ungrateful way and by driblets, what the State was bound to pay him in a lump, and to receive in bad Spanish money what he was to have in good sterling.' Not being able to get the whole amount due to him paid, he was obliged to accept in lieu of it as much of a debt of 3,181l. 14s. 3d. owed to the State by the army as