Draft of MINT00044 (Mint 19/1/121)

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Next to M^r Haynes I reccon M^r Ford qualified for o^r business. In integrity & exact weighing I beleive {sic} them equal & he rates & standards well enough to execute the Office.

But if {illeg} {illeg} the bare skill in bare skill in weighing {illeg}\{illeg} then/ the {illeg} {illeg} w^ch is barr \at present only is only exact/ skill in weigh{t}ing|,| be reguarded. M^r Ford {illeg} & {re} tipping the scales \examining all {illeg} & weights/, all \any of/ the competitors upon oath steady hands & judicious eyes either are \may/ qualifyed or may qualify them\him/selfes within a in a fortnight. by practise in a week or a fortnight.

May it please yo^r Lord^ps

We have considered the Petitions in

We have considered the annexed

In obedience to yo^r Lord^ps order of reference signified to us by M^r Lowndes y^e 7^th instant upon the several Petitions ann          \that we should examine the qualifations {sic} certain \the/ Petitioners//upon the several Petitions annexed Petitions\ {and} for the place of Weigher & Teller of the Mint now vacant \whose Petitions are hereunto annexed/ we humbly represent that {illeg} they \the Petitioners/ did the \several/ services mentioned in the{illeg}|ir| |several| Petitions hereunto annexed, & that if nothing be reguarded that\for/ the necessary duty of the place (w^ch at present is only exact skill in weighing & in examining the scales & weights) any competitor\petitioner/ who hath steady hands & judicious eyes\practical {illeg} eyes\{illeg}\is envious {illeg} |is envious|/// may qualify himself by a fortnight \by/ practise {illeg}|in| a fortnight less then a month. \a short time/ |[|But if the {illeg} \gene{illeg}rall/ |general| advantage of the Mint be \also/ considered {illeg} \|an Officer who understands| the business of the Office \{illeg}/ y^e most desirable/ M^r Haynes is the fittest \at present present/ \best skilled in Mint affairs & on that account the fittest/ person for the place however other Petitioners may be otherwise very deserving. He has served int he Mint about 14 years excepting three or four years intermission by {illeg} & while he acted in it he had|]|

But {illeg}|its| for the service \& advantage/ of the Mint to have an Officer who understands as the all {illeg} more of the business is skilled in all o^r business in that Post\in that Post/ in that Post further skilled in o^r business. M^r Haynes And the And how ever other Petiti{illeg}|o|ners may be deserving in other respects the most skilfull in o^r business \Mint affairs/ is M^r Haynes. He has served in the Mint about 14 years excepting three or four years intermission & while he acted in the Mint he had there a general reputation

The other Petitioners may in other reputes\in other reputes/ be very deserving & some of them have acted in life but {illeg}\& some of them have qualifications a fit for better business/ \as I could be \very/ glad to oblige theeir|m| friends & their friends/ but of their qualifications further then I have known \any of/ them by their acting in the Mint I do not presume to judge. {illeg} {Two} of them have some skill in Mint affairs If the consideration of this sort of skill be set aside & in that respect I That consideration being set aside I

One these acc^ts he was brought back into the Mint from good business of his own as a in the beginning of the late r|R|ecoynage when we could not be within him & soon after the Officers of

\in y^e recoynage/ M^r Brattel weighed the o{illeg} \assisted in the Assay Office &/ was the first Teller who inspected the {illeg} old money & told the new money & examined the tale thereof by the weight of the baggs, & the other Petitioners did the services represented in their Petitions{illeg}