[Introduction to 1792 Report of Commission]

SIR,

IN obedience to His Majesty's Commands, notified by Instructions under your Signature, bearing Date, Whitehall, September 8th, 1791, directing us to report to You, for His Majesty's Information, upon various Points respecting the Isle of Man, we proceeded with our first Convenience to the Island and arrived there on the 21st of the same Month. After having considered our Instructions, and arranged the Matters therein recommended to our Inquiries, according to the best Distribution of which we thought them capable, we directed Letters to be written, signifying our Arrival, to the Lieutenant Governor, the Duke of Atholl, and also to the several Officers to whom we had been referred for Information.

Our Attention was first called to the Allegations of the Duke of Atholl.

After these had been discussed, we proceeded to examine the Revenue Officers, touching those Objects of our Inquiry that belonged to their Department; having from Time to Time directed them to lay before us such Accounts as we thought necessary to call for, and to furnish us with any Remarks in Abolition thereto, which they might think fit for our Consideration. We next examined the Civil Officers, and endeavoured to procure such Information and collect such Materials, as might enable us, to report on the ancient and present constitution of the Island.

Paying. particular Regard to that Part of our instructions which directed us to receive Such Suggestions as might contribute to promote the prosperity of the Isle of Man, we took the earliest Occasion to communicate our Readiness to receive any Propositions for that Purpose; and requested the Lieutenant Governor to make the ssame publicly known over the Island, in Such Mode as to him might seem most proper.

Having continued on the island as long as we thought our Presence there might conduce to a more effectual Discharge of our Duty, we conceived that it might not be improper to allow some Time, Subsequent to our Departure, for communicating to us Such further Evidence or Information, as might appear to any of the Parties interested ,in the different Objects of our Commission, to be deserving of Attention ; and we therefore, Signified to the Lieutenant Governor., the Keys, and the Duke of Atholl, that we Should, for the Purpose before- mentioned, keep the Inquiry open till the last Day of November 1791.

From the Materials thus collected on the Island, and those we have received since our Return, we have framed our Report ; and propose to divide it into four General Heads) under the several Titles of

1st, ALLEGATIONS, .

2d, REVENUE.

3d, CONSTITUTION,

4th, SUGGESTIONS for the Benefit of the Island, which may not have been discussed under either of the foregoing Heads.

To each of these Heads we have annexed an Appendix of Examinations and Documents referable thereto.