# Manx Primary Source Archive — Transcription

**Source image:** `20260219_101909.jpg`  
**Transcribed:** 2026-02-25 19:26  
**Method:** Automated (Claude Batch API — claude-opus-4-6)

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" Ordered, That it be an Inſtruction to the Committee, That they have Power to receive a Clauſe to enable the Lords Com-
" miſſioners of the Treaſury to treat and agree with the Earl of *Derby* and others *for the Purchaſe of their Eſtate and Intereſt in the*
" *Iſle of Man for the Uſe of his Majeſty.*"

Accordingly, " *for the better Enabling his Majeſty to prevent Frauds and Abuſes in the Exporting or Importing Goods and Merchandizes*
" *to and from the Iſle of Man,*" a Clauſe was inſerted in the Act, authorizing the Commiſſioners of the Treaſury on behalf of his Ma-
jeſty, and *James* then Earl of *Derby*, and all other Perſons claiming under him or his Anceſtors, to treat and agree for the abſolute
Purchaſe, Sale, Releaſe, or Surrender to the Uſe of his Majeſty, of all or any their Eſtate and Intereſt in or to the ſaid Iſle or Lord-
ſhip, or in or to all or any Regalities, Powers, Honours, *Superiorities*, Juriſdictions, Rights, Privileges, Duties, *Cuſtoms, Revenues,*
Profits, or Advantages whatſoever, *in, over, or about the ſaid* Iſland of Man or its Dependencies, upon ſuch Conditions as ſhould be
thought fitting.

It was the Idea of theſe Times, that without ſuch a Purchaſe the Lords Rights could not be touched; and the Juſtice of the Legiſ-
lature reſtrained them from proceeding to deprive the Lord of his Privileges, Duties, Cuſtoms, Revenues, or other Profits whatſo-
ever, in, over, or about the Iſland, or within the Sea contiguous or belonging to it, without firſt paying him for them.

In a few Years after the Act the laſt Earl of *Derby* died, and the *Iſle of Man* deſcended upon the late Duke of *Athol* by lineal De-
ſcent, as Heir General of *James* Lord *Stanley* ; and his Grace did Homage for it, and performed the perſonal Services at the laſt Co-
ronation.

Soon after his Grace's Acceſſion to the Iſle, ſome Overtures were made to him from the Treaſury for purchaſing it, which were
afterwards dropped, and again reſumed by Mr. *Pelham*, and afterwards by the Duke of *Newcaſtle*, as they ſucceſſively preſided at that
Board—The Duke of *Athol*, reluctant to ſell ſo antient and valuable a Patrimony, but at the ſame time ſubmitting to the Royal Plea-
ſure for the public Accommodation, did not ſet his Price upon the Iſle, but treated with the moſt unlimited Confidence, and met
with as candid a Return; the Two noble Perſonages laſt-named having both aſſured him, that no Propoſals ſhould come from them
which they would not adjudge as Arbitrators.

The Treaties proved ineffectual, not from any Act of the Duke, but they were dropped by the Treaſury.

The late Duke's Sincerity in treating appears from the Settlement he made, about the ſame time, of the Iſle and its Dependencies,
upon the preſent Duke and Ducheſs and their Iſſue; which, though a ſtrict Settlement in its Tenor, contains an expreſs Clauſe to en-
able the Truſtees to alien to the Crown (and to the Crown only) upon a valuable Conſideration.

On 8th Jan. The late Duke died, and the Iſland under his Grace's Settlement devolved upon the now Ducheſs his Daughter and only Child.
1764— The Houſe of Commons having in the laſt Seſſion addreſſed the Crown, to know what Proceedings had been had by the Trea-
ſury under the Act of 12 *George* I. towards the Purchaſe of the Iſland—The Treaſury, by his Majeſty's Commands, made their Re-
turn to the Houſe, informing them, that it appeared by the Books in their Office, that the Commiſſioners had ſeveral times ſince the
paſſing the Act endeavoured to ſet a Treaty on Foot for that Purpoſe with the Proprietor, and invited him to make Propoſals ;
that it did not appear what Proceedings had been had in conſequence thereof.

On the 25th of *July* laſt the Treaſury wrote to the Duke, informing him, that they were ready to treat with him for the Purchaſe
of the Iſle, or of ſuch Part of the Rights claimed by him in the Iſland as it ſhould be found expedient to veſt in the Crown, for
preventing the illicit Trade carried on between the Iſland and other Parts of his Majeſty's Dominions ; and that they were ready to
receive a Propoſal from him for that Purpoſe, ſpecifying what Parts of his Grace's Property, and Rights of the Iſland, he was diſ-
poſed to ſell, and the Value he put upon them.

His Grace, who received this Letter in *Scotland*, by his Anſwer of the 29th of *Auguſt*, expreſſed his Ideas with regard to the Sale
of the Iſland to be the ſame with thoſe of the late Duke, who always declared, that no Temptation of Gain could induce him to
give up ſo antient and honourable a Birthright, which had been in the Family near Four Centuries; but that if it was eſteemed, upon
full Conſideration, an important Point for his Majeſty's Service and for the Good of the Publick, he was willing to enter into a
Treaty for the Diſpoſal of it—That as he had been but a few Months in Poſſeſſion of the Iſle, and never in the leaſt turned his
Thoughts towards a Sale of it, it was impoſſible for him to fix upon what he ſhould think an adequate Price for a Poſſeſſion ſo
very conſiderable both for Honour and Profit; and as he had never heard of any Notice to purchaſe a Part only, he did not under-
ſtand what it was, and could therefore have no Propoſal to make; but would always be ready to receive with Reſpect any Propoſal
which ſhould come to him from their Lordſhips.

To this their Lordſhips, on the 12th of *September*, replied, That not having an Opportunity of informing themſelves of the
Value of this Poſſeſſion, they could not fix a Price; ~~Grace~~ which, as Truſtees to the Publick, they ſhould think themſelves authoriſed [?]
the late Duke had given a true and preciſe State of the Nature of the Poſſeſſion, and of the Revenue ariſing from it; they therefore
deſired him, if he intended treating with them, to tranſmit them in like Manner,

An exact Rental of the Revenue, ſpecifying the ſeveral Kinds of which it conſiſted, and the annual Amount of each.
And with reſpect to any *Cuſtoms or Impoſt Duties* which his Grace might receive, the ſeveral Species of Goods on which levied,
the Rates at which paid, and the annual Amount of the whole.

And their Lordſhips were pleaſed to add, that they muſt know the Nature as well as Value of every Branch of the Revenue of
the Iſland, before they could form any Judgment of the Price which ought to be paid for it, or could determine what Part of his
Grace's Poſſeſſion in the Iſland it would be neceſſary or expedient to purchaſe, in order to anſwer the Purpoſe for which Purchaſe
was intended; and this was what they meant by the Propoſal, in their former Letter, of purchaſing only a Part of his Grace's Pro-
perty in the Iſland—That they were the more deſirous of obtaining this Information in the fulleſt Manner, that the Parliament might
thereby be enabled to judge what Terms it might be proper to allow.

The Duke did not ſtay to return an Anſwer to this Second Letter, but came immediately to Town, to be ready at hand to enter
into any Treaty for the Purchaſe of the Iſland.

The Deſign of preventing Smuggling has been taken up at different Times—The Method was obvious, and occurred to every
Perſon in the ſame Light—An Extenſion of the Revenue Laws of *England* to the *Iſle of Man*, and drawing the Merits of every
Seizure made there to an *Engliſh* Juriſdiction—But the excluſive Privileges granted by the Charter to the *Iſle of Man*, aſſured and eſta-
bliſhed by the Sanction of the Legiſlature, ſtood in the Way, and natural Juſtice ſuggeſted that ſuch valuable Privileges ought to be
redeemed and compenſated—The Legiſlature in 1726 heard the Rights of the Patent, and no ſooner heard than they aſſented to them
—Prejudicial as they might be to the Mother Country, they ſaw they could be removed by Purchaſe only ; and the Committee hav-
ing propoſed, the Houſe immediately inſerted the proper Clauſes for buying the Patentees Right for the expreſs Purpoſe of " *better*
" *enabling his Majeſty to prevent Frauds and Abuſes in the exporting or importing Goods to and from the Iſle of Man*"—The Re-
ſolution of the Committee intended an abſolute Purchaſe of the whole Intereſt of the Lord ; and the Act made to purſue and corre-
ſpond with that Reſolution, in deſcribing the Thing to be purchaſed, mentions expreſly " all Regalities, Powers, Superiorities, Ju-
" riſdictions, Rights, Privileges, *Duties, Cuſtoms, Revenues,* Profits, or other Advantages whatſoever, *in, over, or about* the ſaid
" Iſland of Man, or its Dependencies."

As it ſeemed difficult to eſtimate a Satisfaction for a partial Abolition of the Juriſdictions, Duties, and Rights, the Act ſeems to
have intended a Purchaſe of the whole Principality ; and ſo it has always been underſtood.

The *Corona Aurea* which Lord *Coke* gives him, the Patronage of a Biſhoprick, the high and honourable Services to be performed
perſonally to his Royal Maſter at his Coronation, and the other Badges and *Inſignia* of Sovereignty, are all honorary, but burdenſome;
the Revenue taken away, the Diadem only brings little Comfort to the Poſſeſſor.——The Lord's interior Revenue in the Iſland is incon-
ſiderable, conſiſting of ſome few hereditary Eſtates only, and Fines upon Alienations.

If, by the Revolutions of Time, and the Extenſion of Commerce, the Privileges of the Grant are now found leſs compatible with the
Intereſt of the Mother Country, and the Proximity of the Iſle ſhould be made its Objection ;—it is his Grace's Misfortune, who does not
conceive himſelf to have exerciſed any Rights beyond the Extent of his Grant; nor hath one new Duty been impoſed, or a ſingle Inno-
vation introduced, for the laſt Thirty Years, ſince the Acceſſion of his Grace's Family.

The Treaſury, by their Propoſal to purchaſe a Part, muſt have had in view the Subject-matter of the Bill which has now been brought
into the Houſe; for there is no other Part which they could poſſibly have thought of purchaſing. But as the Bill now ſtands, it is in
the Nature of an Act of Reſumption, depriving his Grace of the ſeveral Branches of his Revenue particularly pointed out by their
Lordſhips Letter, and with them all the Privileges and Rights of the Charter which have any Connection with or Relation to them,
without any Compenſation.

Their