and Silver Thread when it is Manufactured And other sorts of goods that are for use and not superfluous paie's five pounds in the hundred Now if the State pleas to laie six pence on the Ounce for all Gold and Silver-Wier that is disgrossed at the Bar it is not above three pounds in one hundred for som sorts of Gold and Silver-Thread and four pounds ten shillings in the hundred pounds Excise for the heaviest when it Manufactured and it is a superfluous commoditie that if any will wear it they ought to paie so much Excise as other commodities doth and if the rules desired in the Silverspinner's last printed Petition to your Honors with som few other Observations on Master Atturnie General Bankes his Certificate for the Regulating the Manufacture the State will make six thousand pounds a year of it and the Manufacture all made right both for the fineness of the Silver and the just covering of the Thread with a good plate and to settle a comfortable livelihood for the labor of all the poor working Wier-drawers and Silver-spinners that have a right to the Trade by service or seven years usage and the supernumerarie Master-Wier-drawers and Work-men to bee excluded the Trade that have not served for it or not wholly followed it for seven years I humbly desire your Honors to take notice by the Ordinance of Parlament that laie's four pence upon all Silver disgrossed at the Bar dated the sixt of August 1646. all Gold and Silver-Thread was to bee made up in scanes and to bee sealed without any fee and this no doubt was moved to bee put in by som people who knew verie well if there were no fee allowed there could bee no service don and that which hath made the Citie of London so full of slight Silver-Thread is the neglecting the surveying of it For how could any Sealer give his attendance warrant the Silver to the Nation and to any Merchants to bee good Silver both according to the Standard of the Silver and that it contain's in one pound Venice five Ounces of Silver and without this warrant to the buier what good doth the sealing of it While I had the surveying of this Manufacture which was above four years I warranted it all to the Common-wealth and I challenge any Wier-drawer or Finer or Silk-man in London to produce one pound of bad or slight Silver I ever sealed at the Office or that any man could ever fasten one pennie on mee or other reward for conniving at any man that did not work good Silver It is well known I did alwaies stand to reliev the poor work-men and work-women while I had the Office against their oppressing work-masters in causing their workmasters not to deliver them bad Silver or such as would not work by reason of the not refining of it well and made the Refiners change it though it were good according to the Standard yet not beeing well drietested it would bring the poor work-men a great deal of trouble and loss by reason of the Quick-Silver That I was strict to see all men work good Silver and to caus those that did not to bee punished I confess it ot bee true and it did concern mee to do it for els I had brought a scandal on the Manufacture and my Office and I might have been undon in warranting the commoditie to bee all right that was sealed in the Office And if the Wier-drawers could have proved but any Gold and Silver-Thread with all their vigilant search throughout the Citie that had been sealed that was cours Silver or held not five Ounces to everie pound Venice it had gon in to the Parlament with a full crie but though they sought and sought carefully to finde it out that either I or my servants had sealed any bad Silver they could not finde one Ounce though I am sure I and my servants in the time I had the Office sealed above one Million of Scanes of Gold and Silver and it was a great mercie of God to mee the Wier-drawers vvith all the tricks they used could get no cours or slight Silver-Thread to produce to the Parlament But missing their mark in that design they with som Refiners whose tongues I have found more sharp then a two-edged sword with the greatest industrie subtilly spit out the poison of Asps which naturally grow's in som of their mouths or els so much untruth could not bee invented as they bestowed upon mee the poison of their mouths and tongues beeing to mee as venomous as the Aqua-Fortis they make For in the beginning of this Parlament som of them cast about the Citie of London and to people that never knew mee as if I had been the worst man living And though the Finers and Wierdrawers of London both Petitioned the late King for their Trade as I said before and each striving which of them should set their trade in such a waie that might bring them in the most for their particular profit vvhen they had moulded all their Regulation then I was nominated Surveyor and Sealer of all the Manufacturie by the late King which I did discharge faithfully in seeing they should not cousen the Common-vvealth for my doing thereof som of them clamored most lewdly against mee about the Citie of London And som which I know did use these unworthie vvaies to defame and slander mee are now discovered and held themselvs unworthie men and in as much contempt with the Citie of London as they put upon their neighbors It is not their removing out of the Citie of London can make their cursed remembrance bee forgot These restless spirits have left no stone unmoved to do mee a mischief and to present mee as a Malignant and dis-affected to this Common-wealth Truly I will declare to all the world I ever loved and honored the late King with all my heart as long as hee bad breath in his bodie and would have don him any just service and nothing beyond that I would have don and I am confident no gallant man will condemn mee for speaking this truth Now hee is dead I am free with the same faith and humble dutie and somthing more by reason my afflictions hath got mee som more experience I will constantly serv this Parlament and the Common wealth of England as it is now settled without King or Lords to the last drop of bloud in my bodie against any person that oppose's them and will do the Parlament all just service for the Common-wealth And I thank God I never by any was desired farther and if I should I would bid any that ask's mee to do it do it themselvs Yet these Moles som of the Refiners and som of the Wier-drawers vvould introduce to som of my friends that I am a dangerous Instrument for som of the State so that these men's tongues are like saws with cross teeth if I bee of the King's side I shall bee blasted when the King is dead if I serv
to give a clear testimonie of the falsness of that malicious charge against mee I was willing to obey the commands of som of the Council of State and did with all humilitie present to my Lord President and som of the Council of State most of these Propositions for their private use and they were honorably pleased to accept of my endeavors and gave mee their approbation of them as a great service offered by mee to the Common-wealth wherein I did deserv all encouragement and that the State would see to put many of them in execution which noble favor of theirs far beyond my imagination and desert hath everlastingly obliged mee to their service to studie alwaies to advance the interest and prosperitie of the present Government of this Common-wealth as it is now settled without King or Lords to the uttermost of my power and to the last drop of bloud I have against any person or persons whomsoëver that endeavor the damage or undermining of the present Government Now my request is to all the worthie Merchants of this Nation that som of them would bee pleased to take this argument into their hands and what I have said undigestedly and without a method they with a more learned pen would perfect for the service of the Nation in general Most of these Papers are transmitted down to the Honorable Council of Trade by an order of the Council of State and referred to their judicious consideration And the true reason of my printing of them is that som more learned pen might finish what I have roughly begun and whosoëver doth it would do a great service to the Common-wealth And for the Merchant-strangers that live and inhabit in any part of this Nation my request to them all is That they would consider of what I have here presented in their behalfs and that they would all contribute their advice and reasons for the perfecting of what is by mee humbly propounded and so to carrie themselvs in all their actions that no just exceptions may bee laid to their charge of beeing prejudicial Instruments either to the present Government or that any of their dealings should bee disadvantageous to the prosperitie and commerce of this Nation but that they in humble requital of the Parlament's Protection which they all enjoie equally with the Natives of this Nation would bee pleased to studie all waies and means for the setting of such Manufactures here as they know is made beyond Seas for employing our shipping for contributing their humble advice in repairing our Havens and Harbors for dreining of our Lands for employing of our poor for setting up the Fishing Trade for making our Sea-Port-Towns their store-houses of Corn and for laying a foundation of bringing in their rich commodities from all parts of the world into our Ports and Harbors of England wee having far better and securer Harbors then our Neighbors And for their enabling them to do this that they would humbly propound to the Parlament and Council of Trade the best means and waies they conceiv all these things may don whereof one of the principal waies is to have free Ports in this Nation to Import and Transport all Forrain goods Custom-free that is not spent in this Nation and for their settling of a bank in London and settling of a cours of Bils of Exchange in several Sea-Port-Towns of this Nation and for the settling of a Court of Merchants in London to determine all differences amongst Merchants If they would studie these things and all others they know which would conduce to the profit and honor of this Common-wealth and would shew themselves openly that they are publick spirited men they would Petition the Parlament and Council of Trade in these particulars and when they are required by those in Autoritie would contribute their best reasons and advices clearly without any by-ends justly and according to the great experience many of them have by their knowledg of business of trade in other Countries This would bee a great service to the Nation in general and it is no more then I think is their dutie to do and I humbly conceiv the State exspect's from them they should do And that all Merchants would present unto the State what new Customs and Imposts have been laid on the English Nation in Forrain parts more then was formerly laid that so if our Merchants cannot procure a redress themselvs beyond seas the State upon the Merchant's Petition might by their Letters or other waies to Forrain States take notice of it and see our Merchants to have right and this is usual in Holland upon the least obstruction of trade or intrenching upon the Merchants the States General make it matter of state and either by force or by treatie remove the obstruction as all men know that are acquainted with their proceedings between the King of Denmark and them for Customs in the Sound and the Portingals and them in the East and West-Indies and in their other transactions with other Princes and States their principal care is to take off the obstructions of Trade I praie God all just and fair-dealing Merchants with us may have the like and greater countenance and protection from the State then their Merchants have in Holland And whereas the Merchant-strangers in London have exacted on them several fees more then is conceived to bee by Law that these Merchant-strangers would petition the State that the Citie of London bee required to bring in forthwith the tables of fees for Package Scavage and all other duties they can by Law justly and anciently demand of the Merchant-strangers And that a certain rule may bee set up up in Printed tables in the Custom-Houses what fees shall bee taken for the future And that such Officers that have formerly exacted more monie of the Merchants then their just fees may bee compelled to restore the monie back to the Merchants And if the State reliev Merchant-strangers here it will bee a great Load-stone to other States and Nations to do all right to our Merchants beyond Seas But for those men either English or strangers I will not honor them with the name of Merchants that are Transporters of Wool Fuller's Earth Horses Gold and Silver or any other prohibited goods to the weakning and impoverishing of this Nation and all such as have culled and melted down the heavie Monie of this Nation into Ingots and sold it to such as have Transported it or to such as have made Gold and silver Wier and silver Thread and such as have couzened the Common-wealth by buying up the light and clipped English silver Coin and vented it again to Graziers or publick Cashiers or any other persons to the great deceit and damage of the Common-wealth I shall leav them all to the Law with this memento to them That as Justice is leaden-footed yet shee hath iron hands and though slow yet shee is sure and all ages have held men that do these things as Moths and Cankers
and interests of the parties grieved as well of the said Judges as against the Laws and Atturnies injoining all Sergeants everie one of them in their turns to assist to bee present at the daies and hours in which the Court of the said Prior and Consuls useth to bee kept there to command silence and to put in use and execution their Orders and Commands and to give them such honor and reverence as they owe unto Magistrates injoining all our good Subjects to do the same And if there shall arise a Dispute or Controversie whereby the Merchants shall conceiv they have not justice of the Prior and Consuls for the time beeing then all such Merchants that have been Priors and Consuls and are remaining in the Citie of Roan without they bee hindred by sickness or other just excuse shall make a Court of Merchants and there after they have taken an Oath to do equal justice they shall give the sentence which shall bee binding to all parties irrevocable for the time to com This Court is at this daie in use in many great Cities in France by which means Law-suits are speedily dispatched to the great eas of all Merchants both Natives and Strangers and they finde the good and speedie justice which all men have there I humbly desire that the principal Merchants in London might bee consulted withal and their humble desires concerning a Court of Merchants which may bee settled amongst them which will bee a great eas and benefit to the Merchants and to all honest-minded men that are Traders to have their Suits for Merchandize and Traffick determined amongst themselvs to have their differences speedily dispatched and not delaied as it hath been to the ruine of many Families in this Citie and Nation To the Honorable the Council for Trade The humble Petition of Thomas Violet Sheweth 24. THat your Petitioner seeing in the Journal Books of the Parlament an Order referring the East India Companie 's Petition which they made unto the Parlament for obteining of a Licence to transport twentie thousand pounds of Forrain Bullion beyond Seas to this Council for Trade to give their opinions concerning the said Petition And your Petitioner having perused the late Act for the advancing of Trade whereby you are made Commissioners and a standing Council for regulating of the Trade of this Common-wealth whereby you are autorized not onely to receiv all such Propositions and Overtures for the well regulating and benefit of Trade which shall bee offered unto you by any person whatsoēver but you have likewise full power and autoritie to view all Books Records and Writings of Publick use which you shall finde needful for your better information your Petitioner having for these sixteen years been emploied about stopping the transporting of Gold and Silver out of this Nation and so having many opportunities offered unto him to know many things that may bee secrets to this Council his humble praier to You is that before you make your Report to the Parlament you would bee pleased to take these his humble Propositions into your serious considerations beeing highly for the benefit of the Common-wealth 1. That this Council require the East India and Persia Companie to bring in their Charter whereby you will inform your selvs with what privilege they have granted them and upon what conditions and restrictions 2. That you would bee pleased to require an accompt of the East India and Persia-Companie of all the summes of monie Gold or Silver either Forrain or English which they have sent into India and Persia ever since Julie 1620. this is no new thing for they did in 1620 give an accompt as will plainly by their Books appear that from the Original and first foundation of their Trade in Anno 1601 to Julie 1620. they had shipped away for India onely 548090l sterling in Spanish monies and som Flemish and Germane Dollars which accompt was presented in Parlament at that time 3. Your Petitioner desire's you to take notice that if the State in Parlament were then so careful in times of peace and the Trade of the Nation flourishing to call the East India Companie to an accompt for twentie years and to caus them to make their accompts plainly to appear by their Books for twentie years surely I humbly conceiv this Honorable Council will exspect for the service of the Common-wealth to have an exact accompt of all the Treasure the East India and Persia Companie have exported and to have them to produce a just accompt what quantities of Gold or Silver they have bought in Holland and in other Forrain places immediately upon their proper accompt and what quantities of English melted Silver in Bars they have bought of Goldsmiths in London what quantities of Gold in Bars they have bought of the Guinie and Barbarie Companies what quantities of English coined Gold they have sent into the East Indies and to Persia what quantities of Cardquess Rex-Dollars Rials of Spain or any other Forrain Silver they have bought up in Londou of Merchants Goldsmiths or others which without the East India Companie so buying would have been brought into the Mint and coined to the great augmentation of the stock of this Nation And that they bee required to give you an Accompt of what qnantities of Spanish Pistollers Dutch Riders Hungarian Duckets Gold Gilders Gold Albertus of Flanders Italian Pistolets Turkie Sultels and all other Forrain Gold and Silver they have bought up in London of Goldsmiths Merchants Natives and strangers which have not been members of their Companie and transported to India and Persia within thirtie years all which I am sure they have perfect Accompts of And that the aforesaid Companie bee required to send you in all the Warrants and Licences for their doing of the same and for a true discoverie of the premises 4. That you would require the Books of Invoies of the Lading of everie ship of all the Gold and Silver in Bars or Coin that hath been sent to the East Indies and Persia since 1620. for by them you shall see what Gold and Silver each ship carried and the Ships Factors and Master's names and to what Factorie in Persia or India and the several years and so you will quickly see the just quantitie to a pennie what they have transported and in what sort of Coin either English Gold or Silver or Forrain Gold or Silver for these thirtie years the giving you a true accompt thereof will bee of great concernment to the Common-wealth in many respects 5. That you would appoint a Committee to view over the Journal Books for out of them there will bee gathered businesses of great concernment to the Nation and if som able Book-Keepers bee appointed with mee to take out what I shall observ in them it will tend highly to the service of the Nation and give a stop to great mischiefs that is daily practised on the Common-wealth 6. If you pleas to inform your selvs by this
shillings the Tun and sold them delivered at London at that price as will appear by all the Wood-monger's books they having by the subtiltie of their Faction got all their trade for Coals for the Citie of London and other parts of the Nation into their hands then the Citie shall paie for their Brotherly assistance For since the Ordinance for restraint of fetching Coals from New-Castle until New-Castle was reduced to the Parlament Scotch Coals were at thirtie and fortie shillings the Tun so that they sold them after they had Monopoliz'd the Coals into their own hands at four times the value they could and did constantly before afford to bring them from Scotland And the Sea-Coals which upon a medium for ten years before were all the Summer under twentie shillings a Chaldron delivered during all the time the Scots were in England with their Armie were at three pound four pound and five pound a Chaldron as all the Inhabitants of the Citie of London know Then they had their Factors here to buie up all the Hangings Bedding Pewter Stools Chairs Houshold-stuff Pictures and all manner of Lumber which was sold to the value of many hundred thousand of pounds out of the Citie of London and Nation for half the value and by them in stead of Ballast carried to Scotland and this can bee witnessed by thousands of people who have to their total undoing suffered in this kinde and are never likely to see their goods nor never to bee Masters of such again without they or their Children will take the pains to go Scotland to fight for them By this waie they may recover their goods or their value again I have been told by several Gentlemen of credit that live in the North that when the Scotch Armie was with them in the Bishoprick of Durham Cumberland and New-Castle they have seen many of the Scotch soldiers date their Letters with this title From New Castle in Scotland From Ferrie-Brig in Scotland From York in Scotland and so other places where their Armie came in England they took it all for Scotland But God hath put a Hook in their nostrils and sent them back and now the victorious English may in requital date all their Letters if they pleas From Edinburgh in England and so I praie God it may continue to the world's end I shall humbly desire the Parlament to take notice after what rate the Brotherly assistance from Scotland came in to help their Brethren even after the rate of sending one hundred pounds worth of Coals to London to their dear Brethren to make their return worth eight hundred pounds in a moneth or six weeks time as it is apparent and can bee witnessed by thousands of people now they read this Which after this rate a poor Scotch-man might with one hundred pounds within the compass of one year cheat this Nation of ten thousand pounds and transport it all in Monie And this hath been don by many of them to the value of many hundred of thousand pounds And becaus I Petitioned the Parlament to look to the transporting of the treasure by which means they would have been prevented in sending the treasure of this Nation into Scotland I must bee Sequestred Imprisoned in the Tower and held a Malignant But I humbly hope the Parlament will give mee the hearing for my just defence and when they shall by experience finde that this I saie to bee true and that I discover the nest of them that have robbed this Nation they will do mee right and unloos mee from oppression and restore mee to my Estate Hereafter follow the Laws in Holland Flanders and France for the regulating their Bullion and Monie PLACART and ORDINANCE Concerning the general cours and regulating of the Mints and Monies as also concerning the Exchange and Exchangers Refiners Gold-smiths and others in the Vnited Provinces 1586. ARTIC XI AND as for the Gold and Silver-Monies whose value is valued by this Ordinance Wee forbid everie one to present paie away or receiv the same at a higher rate then is here Ordered upon the forfeiture of such Monies or the worth of it in case the Fact bee not presently discovered and besides upon the forfeiture of ten Golden Angelots the first time for the second time twelv Golden Angelots and for the third four times as much and besides arbitrarie punishment according to the heinousness of the Fact And wee understand the same forfeitures and penalties to take place as well upon the Receiver as the Paier away unless one of them presently after the Receiving or Paying away do present himself to an Officer in which case the Denuntiator either Receiver or Paier away shall bee freed or quitted of the abovesaid penaltie and forfeiture and besides to enjoie the third part of the same forfeit and penaltie ARTIC XIV So that wee expresly forbid and interdict everie one to over-buie or over-sell Change or Chop any Species of Monies rated by these presents either in taking or giving upon the same any profit gain or advantage after what manner soever upon the same pain and penaltie as abovesaid against those who shall Receiv or Paie away the same at an higher rate then that of the Ordinance ARTIC XV. Wee forbid also everie one to Cull any Gold or Silver-Monies and so by this means to sort the weightie and good ones from the light and bad ones to Paie away the light ones and make their profit of the weightie upon penaltie as abovesaid ARTIC XVI And as for the Stuff and Materials of Gold and Silver beeing in Mass or Sweepings Wee forbid to buie or sell them at an higher rate then according to the Rule of this Ordinance upon penaltie of confiscation of the abovesaid Materials and moreover to forfeit double the worth of them at the charge as well of the buier as of the seller for the first time for the second time twice as much and for the third time four times as much and afterwards arbitrarie punishment ARTIC XVII Wee expresly forbid henceforth to transport or caus to bee transported out of the abovesaid Province towards any strange Mints any Gold or Silver-Monies and also any Materials in Mass or Monies also any Materials in Mass or Ingots fit to Coin Monies of them upon forfeit of confiscation of the abovesaid Monies and Materials or the worth of them in case they were alreadie transported and besides this upon penaltie of one hundred Golden Angelots upon everie Mark of Gold and twentie Angelots for everie Mark of Silver and of more or less proportionably for the first time for the second time upon the same forfeit and penaltie and moreover to undergo bodily punishment and if they have not wherewithal to paie the abovesaid forfeits and amerciaments they shall bee bodily punished according to the manner of the Fact under which penaltie and amerciaments wee understand are comprehended all those who had assisted had an hand in the abovesaid Transportation or conveying
Mint I denie it not and my answer to them is An old Dear-stealer is the best keeper of a Park And though I had the late King's pardon I had it not but it cost mee dear I paid at one time to his Privie Purs two thousand twentie shillings Pieces in Gold and I am out at this daie by his command in making the discoverie of such as transported Gold nineteen hundred threescore pounds both which summes I have been out of Purs fifteen years I would not have the greatest offendor that is a Gold-smith by my consent paie so great a summe And this is my answer to them to that objection I would have them by my example leav off so destructive a Trade to the Common-wealth as furnishing the transporters with Gold and Silver culling and melting down the currant Coin If I had not been convinced in my conscience that it was bad I would have followed that trade still I had as good an Estate as most of the Gold-smiths to do it I had as good credit and I left my trade as fairly for I challenge all or any man in London that can saie I did not paie all men readie monie to everie pennie and farthing I ought when I gave over my trade and the best Alderman of London can do no more It is incident to all men to err happie is hee that repent's but to persist against the light of a man's conscience is don by the strong instigation of the Devil I do humbly present further that there have great mischiefs happened to this Nation and their Armie in Ireland since this Parlament by the indirect dealing of som Merchants and Gold-smiths in London who contracted with som of the adventurers for Ireland to sell them Rials of Eight and Forrain Coins giving them som small time but the poor Soldiers that received these monies in Ireland lost above twentie pounds in the hundred by the monies so paid them for first the Gold-smiths culled out all the weightiest and delivered none but light and clipped and then the coursness of the Silver which was Bead-monie and adulterated in the West Indies in the Mints somtimes six pence somtimes more upon everie piece of Eight as is well known to som Gold-smiths and Merchants so that by the baseness of the Allaie and want of Weight there hath been at the least twentie pounds in the hundred loss to the soldiers if hee would make any return of it to his wife or children in England as many of them found by sad experience The Gold-smiths are the general Cashiers for som of the principal Merchants in the Citie and this rule the Goldsmiths observ when they receiv monies to take none that is bad or clipped but let any man send to them to receiv monies they shall have great quantities of clipped monie mixed in their monies they receiv and som of it constantly will escape the teller's eies which clipped monies the Gold-smiths buie of several people for Bullion but never Coin it the rest that they cannot put off here in London they have their Agents to vent it to Grasiers and other people in the Countrie all over the Nation by which means in many Towns and Cities of this Nation they are so pestred with clipped monie that there is little els stirring in paiment to the unspeakable damage of the receiver who cannot paie it in London but sell it to the Gold-smiths somtimes at twentie five and thirtie in the hundred abated which is by the Gold-smiths returned down into the Countrie next week after So that this abuse is like an Hors in a Mill it turn's round and is a cheat put upon all people of the Nation and without a strict Act of Parlament against it will not bee prevented All these abuses aforesaid are so high and transcendent that the offendors ought to bee used as men usually use Wolvs and Foxes for if private murther bee so penal much more is publick murther now Monie is the Life Bloud and Soul of the Common-wealth without it no great action can bee undertaken for the service of the Nation and those that transport it or adulterate it in weight may well bee esteemed as the greatest enemies to the Common-wealth Therefore I humbly praie that you would bee pleased to give all encouragement to all people both in the Sea-Ports of this Nation and in the Citie of London for the discoverie of the transporting of Gold and Silver and such as cull out the heavie Silver Coin of the Nation and such as have bought Gold and Silver above the price of the mint to transport for as the affairs now of this nation stand you cannot have a greater dis-service don to the Common-wealth and you will finde the Commissioners and Officers of the Customs certifie to the Commissioners of the Navie in Sept. 1647. their desires in their fourth Article that a greater allowance should bee given to such as discover the transporters of Gold or Silver then by the Statutes in that Case is provided and the Statute in 1 Henrie 8. cap. 13. give 's double the value the one half to him that shall seiz it or therefore sue by action of Debt at the Common Law and by this draught of the Act there is but one moitie of what shall bee proved to have been transported given to the prosecutor What Forrain Nations do you have here the presidents of France Holland Flanders and what former ages here in this Nation have don you have in 14 Rich. 2. cap. 12. by Act of Parlament Commissions made through the Realm to enquire from the beginning of his Reign which was for fourteen years of such as had conveied the Monie of England out of the Nation to the damage of the Realm and unless you make the like Commissions the Common-wealth will bee brought to extreme povertie Here are annexed two Certificates of the Officers of the Mint and Commissioners and Officers for the Customs grounded upon an Order of Parlament and an Order of the Commissioners of the Navie viz. Die Mercurii 1 Sept. 1647. ORdered by the Commons in Parlament assembled That it bee referred to the Committee of the Navie to consider of and take som effectual cours to prevent the transportation of Bullion out of the Kingdom and speedily to report what they have don herein to the Hous H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. Committee of the Navie 2 Sept. 1647. THe Commissioners and Officers of the Customs with Master Watkins the head-Searcher are desired to consider of som cours to bee taken to prevent the transportation of Bullion out of the Nation according to an Order of the Hous of Commons hereunto annexed and to certifie the same to the Committee Giles Green THe Commissioners and Officers for the Customs having together with the Head Searcher in the Port of London in pursuance of the directions of this Honorable Committee above mentioned perused sundrie Statutes yet in force relating as well to the restraint of the Exportation
the Nation I beeing required to attend the Committee of the Council of State about the Act now presented to the Parlament I did see and vvas privie upon vvhat grave consideration everie branch of the Act now depending before the Honorable Committee vvas framed and put down by the Committee of the Council of State before ever it vvas recommended to the Parlament And I do humbly desire for the service of the Common-wealth if any alteration bee made in the Act those that drew the draft of the Act may bee required to attend the Committee to give their reasons for the whole Act or any part of it for upon the effectual passing of this Act much doth depend for the safetie of this Nation and it is of an higher concernment to the Nation then I can express and I humbly conceiv there ought to bee no respect of private interest where the safetie of the Nation is so highly concerned I humbly desire the Honorable Committee that the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint may bee taken into your serious considerations there beeing verie few men in the Nation can speak so much upon their own experience of these abuses concerning the Treasure of the Nation as these Gentlemen the Officers of the Mint have certified which ever since their Certificate hath been found in everie part to bee true The Mint standing still and neglected the Treasure that hath been Imported was never brought into the Mint but Exported out again by which means for the private gain of a few men the Nation is ruined and impoverished and a Trade Inwards and Outwards driven without paying of Custom and the Stock of Treasure of the Nation almost all Exported in these times now there is so much occasion for monie to the admiration and astonishment of many lovers of the Common-wealth that truly understand the secrets and mysteries of Trade And what mischiefs these doings will in the end bring upon this Common-wealth is deeply apprehended by many wise men and can have no stop but by a vigorous Act to bring the Offendors to Exemplarie Justice vvhose Fines and Compositions throughout the Nation will amount to many scores of thousands of pounds to the States for the paiment of publick debts if Commissions of enquiries according to former presidents bee granted by Act of Parlament throughout the Nation to enquire for the last ten years of these abuses If in declaring what hath passed at the Committee and of other Transactions bee not usual I shall and do humbly desire to have my pardon for if my silence might not have endangered the Common-wealth this that I have said should never have com to publick view for I know how to keep secrets as well as som other men I have read of one that was born dumb and so continued for many years seeing one coming to kill his Father cried out God save my Father and so gave timely warning for his Father to prevent the danger A happie speaking of the Childe for the Father Truly I count the Obligation to my Countrie above the Obligation to my Father I have seen this danger many years coming upon the Nation Though I am but young and ignorant in other business I am sure there are but few if any in the Nation that have had those waies and means to finde out and discover these mischiefs which I have I know and apprehend more then I vvill or can express The great mischiefs Transporting Gold and Silver bring 's on this Nation I apprehend The condition of your Armie which must bee burthensom if they have not monie to paie for Quartering I apprehend the danger and damage The necessitie of Trades-men and Handie-Crafts men will bee put to for want of emploiment upon the scarcitie of monie making all Trade to decaie I apprehend The sad condition of poor people vvho will bee enforced for vvant to part with their clothes their bedding their dishes they eat their meat in I apprehend The danger the want and povertie of the poor will bring upon this State if there bee not waies found out to bring Monie into the Nation I do verie sadly and seriously apprehend the inconveniences And therefore I crie God save the Common-wealth God put it into the hearts of the Parlament to see to keep that little monie wee have yet left and to finde out and punish those that have cheated and robbed the Common-wealth of their Treasure and to studie vvaies how to bring in monie into the Nation for if this bee not don speedily in all probabilitie greater inconveniences then I dare write will com on the Common-wealth Much more I could saie but if these Reasons before recited nor the Certificates of the Officers of the Customs and the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint several reasons of som Aldermen of the Citie of London for the stopping of the Transporting of Gold Silver and the Citie of London's Petition to the Parlament presenting the great inconveniences Transporting Treasure hath brought upon this Citie of London and the Nation I humbly saie if all these will not prevail I have don For if I should write a Volume as big as Speed's Chronicle I cannot give more clear satisfaction of the necessitie of passing this Act. If God hath decreed this Nation shall bee cousened of all it's Treasure and the Offendors not questioned nor diligent enquirie made after it and such means as our Ancestors and other Nations having far less occasion for monie then wee have do daily practise to prevent these mischiefs and discover the Offendors I shall with all humilitie submit to God's Providence and rest satisfied I have clearly discharged my dutie to my Countrie in declaring this business to the Common-wealth that so they may know the true reasons of the scarcitie of Gold and Silver in the Nation and the damage they sustein by the want thereof and how the Mint com's to bee obstructed that almost no Monie hath been Coined for these three last years For som men that have clamored at mee for first engaging to discover the Transporters of Gold and Silver in the year 1635. in the late King's time I shall desire them to consider that I was first complained of by the Gold-smiths themselvs beeing at the Council-Table 1634. for buying up of Light Gold and Transporting of it into France as Mr Perin the Gold-smith in Cheapside told mee the same daie that som Gold-smiths complained of mee at the Council-Table I going then up to White-Hall to see what the Gold-smiths did and upon their complaint I was committed close prisoner for twentie weeks and yet for all that death would have been more welcom to mee then to have discovered the Merchants at that time and this Doctor Amies Master Turner and Master White all of London and now living know But when I found the Merchants joined against mee that were Transporters of Gold themselvs I was willing to make my peace though it cost mee dear and not