The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

From the LONDON GAZETTE.

WHEN Mr. Pitt (Lord Chatham) was appointed to the office of Paymaster of the Forces, he found it had been customary to have 100,000l. generally lie in the hands of the Paymaster: which, in the time of some in that office, used to be laid out in government securities, that brought 3 or 4000l per annum, more or less, into their private purses; but when Mr. Pitt went into this department, he placed whatever sums of money belonged to the office in the Bank, where they might be ready for public service, without ever appropriating any part of it to his private use. He never put one shilling into the funds, nor ever availed himself of any interest arising from public monies at his disposal; but was satisfied with, and never touched more than, the legal appointment.

When the parliament granted subsidies to the King of Sardinia, and the Queen of Hungary, payable at his office, half per cent. or more, used to be taken on the whole subsidy, as a perquisite of office. This Mr. Pitt refused, which would have come to a large sum, as the grants at that time to both the powers were very considerable. When the King of Sardinia was told this, he could not help expressing his surprise at such an instance of disinterestedness, and therefore ordered his agent to offer the same sum, as a royal present, to Mr. Pitt, who had before refused it as a perquisite. His answer to this was, "that as the parliament had granted those sums for such uses, he had no right to any part of the money; that he did no more than his duty, in paying it entire; and hoped the refusal of the King's present upon that occasion would not give offence." When his Sardinian Majesty heard this, he said, "Surely this Englishman is somewhat more than a man!"

S. S.