300

HISTORY OF MALTA.

Annual Receipt, on an average of ten year)from 1779 to 1788. ’

'—-— v— - .—I

Maltefe Money. English Money.

Crowns. T. G. £. j,

other dignities on which they were placed, thepersons possessed of them suffered great inconve-nience whilst these vacancies lasted ; and as theyhappened very frequently, the last general chap-ter, in consideration of the said inconvenience,permitted the pensions to be renounced in fa-vour of the treasury; which, after retaining tenper cent, agreed to pay the remainder annuallyto the pensioner, and that without interruptioneither from vacancies or any other cause whatso-ever. This composition not only cleared the pen-sions from all the above mortuary duties, &c. butlikewise from any negligence of which the com-manders might be guilty in the regular paymentof them. This kind of composition had, however,

been abolished of late years. . . . 1,610 4 8 . 161 0 8

Article X.

Rents of different kinds.

This article consisted principally in the interestof all the funds placed by the members out of theconvent, and which belonged to the treasury aftertheir deaths. It likewise comprised the rent of afew houses situated out of the convent, which

were the property of the treasury. . . 29,951 1 11 . 2,995 2 3

Article XI.

Different Foundations.

These consisted in divers foundations made bythe members of the order for different purposes,such as the maintenance of the galleys, hospital,fortifications, &c.; but the interest being insuffi-cient to answer the end proposed, the annual pro-duct was paid into the public coffer, which, on