Proposals for sorting out the Edinburgh Mint's finances

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To the Right Hon^ble the Earl of Godolphin Lord High Treasurer of Englan Great Britain.

May it please yo^r Lord^p

We have considered the

In obedience to yo^r Lord^ps Order of Reference signified to us by M^r Taylor's Letter of Iuly |y^e| 22^th Instand|t| upon the axexed {sic} Memorial of y^e General & other Officers of her Maj^ties Mint at Edinburgh concerning the Bullion for coynage\given by Act of Parliam^t for maintaining a free coynage/ in that Mint {left}/& collected\ by M^r Daniel Stuart late collector thereof now deceased & left in y^e hands of his Executors, & are humb we have considered the same, & whereas it is insinuated\there is a suspicion/ that y^e said Act of Parliament for may be{illeg} expired by reason of the Act |of Union establishing an| equality of the duties of South & North Britain established by the Act of Union we do not yet see how the said Act of Union repeals the said Act for \raising/ the Bullion for the maintaining|enance| \of/ her Maj^ties Mint in S{t}|c|otland any more then it {would} since it does not repleale the Act for \raising/ the coynage Duty for {illeg}\the/ the maintaining|ainence| \of/ her Maj^ties Mint in England. That the two nations may be upon an equal foot, either each nation must maintain its own mint or great Britt|a|in must maintain both Mints with an allowance to each \Mint/ proporti{a}|o|nal to the taxes raised in each nation. And therefore we humbly offer it to yo^r Lord^ps Consideration whether the Bullion of her Maj^ties Mint in Scotland should not be still collected & kept apart as formerly untill the opinion of her Maj^ties Coucil {sic} \of both nations/ learned in the law can be had upon this matter if it be needfull

And whereas the Bullion formed Officers of her Maj^ties Mint in Scotland have\at Edinburgh represent that they have/ received no salaries for the last half year nor any money has been \lately/ issued to them said Mints for defraying the charges of coynage, [the Commission \of the L^ds Comm^rs/ of the Treasury expiring before your Lord^ps \late/ Warrant directed to them\{for}/ could be executed for supplying the Mint with moneys could be executed,] we humbly pro so that the present {illeg}|co|in <29v> age is in danger of being retarded or stopt for want of moneys to carry it on, we hump|b|ly propose that for the more speedy |& effectual| supplying the said Mint with moneys, some convevenient {sic}\your Lord^p will please/ |todire| your Lord^ps Warrant be directed to|authorize and direct| S^r George Vshart & others the {illeg}\Executor or/ E{illeg}|x|ecutors & Administrators of {M^r} Daniel Stewart Esqr late Collector of the Bullion belonging to her Maj^ties Mint in Scotland authorizing & directing him or them\at Edinburgh/ to pay some convenient round summ \upon account/ suppose\forth with out of the Bullion in his or their hands/ the summ of four\three/ thousand pounds to the General or {W}Master of her Maj^ties Mint at Edinburgh upon account for y^e use & service of that Mint|, we being informed that there is a greater summ in their hands, & that|

And we are further most humbly of opinion that her Majesties Warrant be directed to the Generall, Master, |&| Wardens of her Maj^ties said Mint & to her Majesties Cashkeeper or Receivers or such Receiver as yo^r Lord^p shal please to nominate, directing them to keep all such bullion as shall be impressed to the said Generall or Master, under the in the Treasury of the said Mint to be under one key to be kept by the said General or Master, one\two/ other keys to be kept by the Warden & Counter Warden & a fourth key to be kept by the said Cashkeeper or Receiver to be\{un}{s}till the said money shall/ |& to| issued thence \such summs as shall become due/ quarterly for the payment of salaries & charges of repairs & monthly for defraying the charges of coynage according to y^e true intent & {meaining}

And we are further of Opinion that the Master of h{is}|is| Maj^ties said Mint do give security in her Maj^ties Exchequer for such making good accounts of such summs of money as shall be imprested to him for the service\for the service of the said Mint/ w^ch security we humbly propose may be in 2000^li besides his own bond.

And whereas by the 15^th Article of the Act of Vnion y^e Executors of M^r Steward alledge that by the 15^th article of y^e Act\Treaty/ of Vnion, the recoynage of the moneys & the expences thereof should be made good out of the Equivalent, we \are/ humbly represent of opinion that the charges of melting the money into Ingots are a part of the loss w^ch the people sustein in recoyning their money & therefore \by the Act of Vnion/ ought in y^e first place to be defrayed out of y^e equivalent. But the charges of coyning the Ingots are to be defrayed out of the bullion belonging to y^e Mint.

And lastly the whereas the Master the Warden & y^e Counter-Warden are\have/ each of them allowed a\a new/ Clerk, but the salaries of these Clerks are not yet appointed: we are <30r> humbly of opinion that {illeg} those three new Clerks may be allowed {in} her Maj^ties Warrant above mentioned, sala{illeg}ries \after th{e} rate/ of\said M^r Warden & Comptroler Counter Warden may be allowed {illeg} salaries for these three new Clerks after the rate of/ 40^li a piece to commence w^th this present recoinage\per annum/ during this her {the} present recoinage,\Maj^ts pleasure,/ to commence {at y^e}\from y^e/ 1^st of August 1707|.|when the recoinage was {illeg} beginning

All w^ch &c we most humbly propose to be done by her Ma^ts Warrant directed to the Gen Master & Wardens of her Maj^ts Excheq^r & entred in Mint at Edinburgh & entred in proper Offices.

And that the recoinage of y^e moneys & the expences thereof should be made good out of this fund & not out of y^e equivalent but the expences of {rem}{new} the money into ingots to be co But\And of/ The expences of melting the money into ingots is to be\may be also/ defrayed out of y^e|th|is equivalent {&}{illeg} & if this at present fund at present, butt but\yet so as/ {illeg} to be repaied to this fund out of such moenys as shall hereafter accrue to y^e equivalent. But y^e expences of me{illeg}|l|ting the \old/ money into Ingots ought to be defrayed out of the equivalent. {I}|O|r if this Bullion be at present applied to that service {illeg}

The \And if the / expences of melting the money into ingots {illeg}y be also defrayed out of this fund at present, but {since} \it may be/ repaid hereafter to this fund out of the equivalent.

But the equivalent in the proper fund for paying defraying the expences of the first melting And the {mon} the old money into ingots. And if th{e}|o|se ex {sic} expences \should/ be defrayed out of the equivalent this fund at p^rsent they may repaid hereafter to this fund out of such moneys as shall hereafter g{illeg} arise to y^e equivalent.

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And where as it is suggested that since the Vnion these Impositions upon good w^ch were to defray the f{our} charge & expence of the Mint at Edinburgh are failed or repealed by y^e duties being made equal to those in England before the Vnion we humbly represent to yo^r Lord^p that it does not appear to us that the said Impositions are repealed. thereby by the Ac

that they do also pay the residue of the said Bullion in their hands to pay {illeg} to the

to pay to the General &\upon account to the {illeg}/ Master of the said Mint \for the use & service thereof/ the said Bullion in his or their hands by such summs as shall be demanded \from time to time/ by the said officers\General & Master of y^e s^d Mint/from time to time for the use & service of the said Mint to be kept in the Treasury of y^e said Mint\thereof/ under the \several/ keys of the Master said General Master Warden & Counter Warden of the Said Mint & issued out thence for payment of salaries & other charges of that Mint as the same shall become due & accounted for annually by the s^d Master according to y^e practise of her Maj^ties Mint in the Twoer [expressed in the Indenture {&} made between her Maj^ty & the said Master & W{a|o|}rker a copy of w^ch has been transmitted to the Officers of her Maj^ts Mint at Edinburgh] under her annexed to her Maj^ts Warrant And if yo^r Lord^p pleases the Master of the \s^d/ Mint at Edinburgh may give \{such}/ security in her Maj^ts Ex{{illeg}|cheq^r|} for making good accounts of such summs of moneys as shall be\all moneys/ imprested to him for the service of the said Mint. \{illeg} {given} {illeg} the M^r & W^r of her Ma^ts Mint in the//as is done in y^e Tower\w^ch security we humbly|Tower, {viz^t.} give {sic}s{illeg} security|propose may be in 2000^li besides his own hand, as is same in her Maj^ties Mint in the Tower {w^ch}{w^th} security, if yo^r Lord^p please may be y^e same as is given by y^e M^r & W^r of her Maj^ts Mint in y^e Tower viz^t {is} 2000 besides the where the M^r & W^r gives security in 2000^li besides his own bond