The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Ihe Hospital of Ii.verness. 409
They make one very proper recommendation, viz., that
the Session should appoint some day in the month of
March for settling every year with the Hospital Treasurer.
There does not appear to have been any just ground
for blaming either of the Treasurers for the diminution ;
they might well have blamed them for not keeping the
various funds distinct, and not making up yearly accounts.
The bad debts were struck off by the Session ; they
from time to time constantly filled up the vacancies in the
list of Hospital pensioners, and hardly any item of
expenditure was incurred without their sanction ; if they
did not know the state of the funds they had had the
opportunity, as Committees had been oppointed to enquire
into them and report, as already mentioned. If the
interest upon bonds could not be obtained, and accumulated
unpaid, while the Treasurer found money himself to pay
the pensioners, &c., as directed by the Session, there was
inevitably a balance due to the Treasurer when the account
was made up. Again we find in the Session's records, and
also in the Treasurer's accounts, that bonds of Castlehill
and Drakies, amounting to ^200 9s 2|d, and interest
thereon, ^285 13s o§d, with expenses, £6 17s i ifd, amount-
ing in all to ^493 OS 3d, were compounded with the Kirk
Session by Alex. Cuthbert, Esq., for the principal sum of
^200, paid by bill on 28 November, 1774. The offer was
made on 20 September in that year, to pay i,i6oo Scots in
payment of ^^"2405 Scots due by the Estate of Castlehill ; it
was met b}- a counter offer to accept ^2405 Scots on condition
of immediate pa\'ment or a bill payable at Mar-
tinmas.
It appears from minutes of the Kirk-Session of 21
September, 4 October, and 16 November, that the latter
proposal was agreed to, though a petition by Dr Alves, on
behalf of Castlehill, is recorded, narrating the other competing
claims against the estate, and urging the immediate
acceptance of ^1600 Scots. The sequel was the payment,
in a bill, by Messrs Alansfield, Ramsay, & Co., of ;^200