Honour of the King to have the Silver his Merchants Trade with first coined with the Percullises and His Effigies and Motto all over the World For the Kings greatnesse is the Merchants securitie and protection and to be made of the weight of peices of Eight and of the same Standard as it was in the Queens time the King loses in point of Coinage by not Coining the Silver is sent to the East Indies as Queen Elizabeth did the East India Companie had paid to the Kings Grandfather and Father of blessed memory a hundred thousand pounds which would have bin clear profit since King James in his Majesties Exchequer and all his Officers for Coining payd if Queen Elizabeths Rule had been observed to Coin all the Silver sent beyond Seas If the East India Companie Books be looked over they have sent above sixtie hundred thousand pounds in Silver to the East Indies since the first of King James in Spanish Silver more monie by farre then is at this day in England I humbly recommend it for your Majesties Honour and Profit that your Majestie for the future may coin all Silver or Gold that so the Indian Princes may see your Effigies and bow at the sight thereof As Queen Elizabeth made the Merchants to do or else they should not send her Silver The true safetie and protection of the Merchant is that they are Subjects of such a great King that can cause Justice and Right to be done to His Merchants as far as the Seas ebbs and flowes round about the World it is truly for the Merchants securitie if they would consider rightly of all things and love the King's Honour as well as their own Profit MAY it please your Sacred Majestie I here humbly give your Majestie and your Privy Councel an accompt concerning my staying the Ships Sampson Salvador and St. George 15. Decemb. 1652. The day the Judges had resolved in the Admiraltie to clear these Ships their Silver and Lading there being three hundred thousand pounds in them I saw about that time Don Asonso Decardenis the Spanish Ambassador Extraordinary come to the Rump Parliament and owned their power as a free State and Parliament I heard that many in Amsterdam was playing the same prancks there with the Prince of Orange as the Londoners had plaied with Your Majesties Royal Father and your Majestie I saw the Face of all things look very sadly both in France Holland and Spain the Royall partie being banished from home put to great extremities abroad and almost insufferable wants At which time I had advice from one of Dover that the three hundred thousand pounds in Silver in the aforesaid Ships part of it appertained to Amsterdam Merchants and other parts to Spaniards and some to Hamburgers and I had the Copies of the Original Commission under the Great Seal of Holland to de Witt and de Ruter the Vice Admirals of Holland to require them to guard all Ships coming from Spain to Ostend or Dunkirk from the English the Dutch and Parliament being at Warre and this was done upon the Petition of the Merchants of Amsterdam to the high and mightie Lords the States to guard the Ships from the English which Commission and Petition at this day remains in the Admiraltie I cast about how I might first divide the pretended Councel of State in Decemb. 1652. amongst themselves about this Silver in the aforesaid Ships and set them to stay it which I knew would ingage the Rump Parliament in a forreign War and so though the Kings Partie were oppressed at home the Rump might wast their Souldiers and have more hands about their Ears then they were aware of and in time be beaten out of breath and so the Royal Partie might rise again I divided the Councel so as there was ten for sending me to the Tower and clearing the Silver and twelve for the staying the Silver and giving me thanks I made some of my secret Friends acquainted with this design they approved thereof and so having promised secretly one to another for it concerned my life I told them from time to time how I laid my design till at last I ingaged Cromwel to take up the Silver from aboard the Ships Sampson Salvador and St. George and that he would dissolve the Parliament the same night that he dissolved the long Parliament he could not sleep for it about the 15. April 1652. Cromwel sent Mr Sadler the Town-Clerk of LONDON and Coll Bingham to me to come presently to him at the Cock-pit to give him the Coppies of all the Bills of these Ships Lading and the value of the Silver which I did and after he had them Cromwell could not sleep till he had the Silver in Bark steads custody in the Tower I found him to be forward in it to get the Silver into his possesion in the Tower being 29. April 1653. Oliver Cromwell sent a guard of Souldiers to seize on the Silver aboard these Ships the Sampson Salvador and St. George the 20. day of April 1652. Bradshaw tore his Hair before me and a Friend of mine Bradshaw telling him that Cromwell had undone them all by forcing the Parliament and that now he saw apparently he was an undone man Bradshaw storming at me Tho. Violet saying I was the fatallest man that ever was to the Councel and Parliament for staying this Silver and that had I not set the Councel and Parliament to stay this Silver till that every mans claim was particularly proved the Silver had been all Transported and Cromwell never durst have dissolved the Parliament had he not got the Silver in these Ships being three hundred thousand pounds into his hands All which I did premeditately to set them and the Councel Parliament and altogether by the Ears to divide and weaken their Councels And I made several persons acquainted with my design who are wel known to your Majestie both for their Service and Fidelity if I be required I will name them Before ever I undertook this Businesse I had their advices and approbation under secresie for it had cost us all our lives had it bin known I had given the Parliament this vomit to undo them This I can prove to be the truth and Sir James Harrington Frances Allen and Tho. Scot used to say it was Violet destroyed the Parliament and not Cromwell for had I not stayed the Silver Cromwell durst not have forced the Parliament But whereas Doctor Walker and some others have declared to some Merchants and others of London I stayed the Spaniards Silver and would not consent to the discharge I was so far from hindring the Spaniards of their right that I Petitioned Cromwell and his Councel to discharge the Spaniards Silver But Doctor Walker opposed me in it as appears by Doctor Walkers Certificate to Cromwells Councel Mr. Jessop Clerk of the Parliament delivered it to me upon condition I should return it to him when I had done with it I humbly pray your
this Kingdome God hath delivered your Majestie from the Sword-man the Club man and hath restored your Majestie to the Glory and Greatnesse of your Royal Father and your Predecessors with the Hearts of all your good Subjects and a large increase of the Revenues of your Crown to the joy of all your Majesties good Subjects This Glory troubles some Mungrels of LONDON that dare not bark but are at this day cunning fauning Spaniels that would by fauning cozen your Majestie of this Great atd Royal Prerogative which had they it in seaven years they may lay such a Foundation that the Child unborn may rue it I have read of a little Fish that sticking to a Ships side shall stop a great Ship under sail The Merchants of a Kingdom or Common-wealth that are Bankers and have libertie to transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure rule the Commonwealth both for War or Peace and have virtually the sovereign power being Masters of all the peoples monie These Bankers can hang a Pad-lock on the Commonwealths Sword when they please God defend your Majestie and your Lords from suffering them to do so in your Kingdom of England for all the reasons before and after following The Merchants of London have transported all the Gold and most of the Silver out of England principally by the confederation and assistance of the Goldsmiths in Lumbardstreet who are just in the nature of the Bankers at Amsterdam and the Goldsmiths is your Merchants Jaccall as the Jac-call is to the Lion they hunt for the Lions prey The Goldsmiths lay up Gold and Silver for the Merchants to transport some Goldsmiths in Lumbardstreet keeping at this day many great Merchants of London cashes and some Noble mens cash by this credit of several mens monies the Goldsmiths in Lumbardstreet are in the nature of Bankers and have a great stock of Treasure by them alwayes of Gold forraign coines and Silver And as these and the Merchants please to truck and and chaffer set the price of the currant Gold of your Kingdom at above the price currant by Proclamation of your Royal Father and above the price of your Mint to the destruction of your Majesties Mint and against your Crown and Dignities your Majesties Mint is tied to a certain rule both for the weight and fineness of the Standard of your Majesties Gold and Silver and cannot by the Law exceed now here is the mischief The Goldsmiths they go between the Mint and the Merchants that transports Gold and Silver and out-bids the Mint 1. d. and sometimes 2. d. and more the Ounce in Silver and five shillings the Ounce in Gold at this day and so catch up all the Gold and Silver to transport being Factors and Purveyors to the Merchants that transports Gold and Silver And by this confederation between the Merchants and Goldsmiths contrary to the Lawes and Proclamations of the Kingdom they have cheated and robbed the Kingdom and your Majesties Mint in the Tower of London and for these last fifteen Years have destroyed and made desolate the same Your Majesties Mint in all times by the Law should have the preheminence and first served Your Majesties Mint at this day is neglected your Majesties Lawes despised and your Majestie and the Kingdom of England Lords Gentry Commons cheated and robbed of all your Gold and almost all your Silver to the weakning and impoverishing of the Kingdom This wickednesse is done onely for the inriching of a few particular Persons Goldsmiths and Merchants to the destruction of the whole Kingdom and if not timely prevented to the ruine and destruction and decay of Trade This was done when we had no KING in Israel God forbid your Majestie now should suffer it If your Majestie by your justice do not make some of these Offendors an example and timely prevent it by the grave advice of your most Honourable Lords of the Councel for the time to come to prevent these abuses by a Law or renewing the old Laws by your Majesties Proclamation making it losse of Estate for any Goldsmiths to sell any Merchants Gold or Silver to transport or to convert Gold or Silver into any other use then Plate and Gold and Silver Wyer the Offendor for ever after to lose his Freedom And that no Merchant or Goldsmith shall give for Gold or Silver more then it shall be declared for by Proclamation upon pain of forfeiture And that all Goldsmiths that are Exchangers of Forreign Bullion shall enter into securitie with the Officers of your Majesties Mint to your Majesties use to Coin the same and to convert it to no other use That no Merchant obtain a Licence from your Majestie to transport Gold or Silver nor the East India Company other or more then they themselves cause upon their own proper accompt to be truly imported according to their Charter and that all Warrants for transporting Gold or Silver be Registred and the Goldsmiths to be tyed to Coin all the Gold and Silver they shall hereafter buy such Goldsmiths that will not to be debarred the liberty to have power to exchange Forreign Gold and Silver this being a Prerogative of the Crown and never granted the Company of the Goldsmiths as I can prove by the Law that the Warden of your Majesties Mint is your Majesties Exchanger and he may Licence any whom he please to buy Forreign Bullion provided they put in securitie to Coin it in the Tower and convert it to no other use but to coin upon the pain of forfeiture of his Bonds to your Majestie May it please Your Majesty my most humble prayer to Your Majesty and Privy Councel is that at this juncture of time the late Lord Cottingtons Rules Observations may be made use of for bringing of Gold and Silver into the Kingdom that State-man about the year 1630. made a most advantageous Contract with the King of Spaine for the bringing in Silver from Spaine in English bottoms and Landing the Silver at Dover one third part to be Coyned in Your Majestyes Royal Fathers Mint in the Tower of London and the other two parts by Your Majestyes Royal Father and his Privy Councels Licence to be transported at the will of the Importer this Commission was granted under the Great Seal of Your Majestyes Royal Father by the advice of his Privy Councel and above ten millions of Silver Coyned upon that Contract from the year 1630. to 1643. This Silver hath bin almost all transported away for the private profit of the Merchant and little currant Silver Coyne left in the Kingdom but light and eliped and Counterset mony in abundance All the Gold sent away to the destruction of the Kingdom for the private profit of the Merchants If Your Majesty please to inquire of Your Officers of the Mint they can certifie this is the truth And what a dangerous Project this was of some men to goe about to steal so Royal a Flower out of the Crown such pilferers are Enemies
Majesties most Honourable Councel to take the pains to peruse it and they will see only Doctor VValker staid all the Spaniards silver I stayed the Dutch silver At last when Oliver Cromwel saw his Error in taking on himself the government in his single person and in looking after the silver mines in Hispaniola and seizing upon the silver as I had set him to do he cursed me often times bitterly Mr. Beck of VVestminster being Oliver Cromwels Sollicitor and Master Francis Bacon the Master of his Request I used them to sollicit my business to Cromwel for to get satisfaction for my estate unjustly taken away but they both told me he would never do nothing for me for he hated my name and remembrance and that whensoever they moved him of my name concerning any business he would be in a rage Mr. Beck and Mr. Bacon several times have asked me whether I could imagine the reason I told them No I wondred at it But indeed I know the reason he did see I had set him on those things which he was not able to master and though I put on it the face of innocency I knew from the first hour that Cromwell took the 278250 l. into his custody that he would destroy the Parliament and divide and subdivide among themselves till all ended in confusion I thought it my duty to give your Majestie this true Accompt and can prove it as aforesaid and several other services your Petitioner hath done for your Majestie where in every on he ventured his life for your Majesties service and never had farthing either of the Parliament or Cromwell but expended his own money for several years to the value of fifteen hundred pounds And twenty thousand pounds taken from me by the Parliament as aforesaid There are many of the then Honourable Prisoners in the Tower can tell your Majestie how active I was always in your Majesties Fathers service in the Tower I humbly refer my self to this following Certificate for the loss of my Estate THese are to Certifie whom it may concern That I William Du-Gard of London Clerk have known Thomas Violet of London Goldsmith many years and have been privy to his Applications to the Parliament for restoring him to his estate taken from him by the Parliament in 1643. for his bringing up a Letter of Peace to the City of London from Oxford from his late Majestie CHARLES the I. of blessed Memory And I have seen Mr. Violets Original Petitions Accounts and Demands of the Long Parliament for satisfaction for his Estate in Lands Houses Offices Bonds Debts Goods to the value of above eleven thousand pounds so much hath been confessed to me by several of the Committee of Parliament that Examined the said Tho. Violets sufferings that they found it fully proved Mr. Violets Losses to be above the summe of eleven thousand pounds besides his Imprisonment and forbearance And I have heard several Parliament men confesse that Mr. Violet was unjustly oppressed contrary to Gods Law and mans for being sequestred for bringing up the Kings Letter for Peace and several Members of Parliament upon my Solicitation promised him from time to time satisfaction but abused him by delays making him for many years lose both time and expend much money in waiting on them to my knowledge but never received farthing from them I do further testifie upon the Perusall of Mr. Violets Papers and the Confession of several of his Neighbours who knew him before the Year 1643. that I do esteem his Losses to be far above eleven thousand pounds since 1643. besides his Imprisonment and losse of his Calling to his damage at this time above twenty thousand pounds In witnesse whereof I have here to subscribed my Hand WILL. DU-GARD The same is in Effect certified by several other Gentlemen whose Names are subscribed viz. ALEXANDER HOLT of London Goldsmith WILLIAM BOURNE of London Brewer PAUL SMITH of London Gentlemen ROBERT EMERY of London Gentlemen Witnesses Josiah Smith Paul Edwards John Wegewood Henry Goldston VVilliam Barnes Knight ey Freeman A true Coppy of Doctor Walkers report concerning the Silver Ships the 14th of Aprill 1654. To OLIVER CROMWELS Councel May it please your Honours IN the business concerning the Ships and Silver goods in the three Ships in the Samson Salvador and S. George upon attending your Lordships with Mr. Violet severall particular were proposed and I was directed by your Honours summarily to state them and to give my humble opinion upon every of them The particulars were 1. Concerning the Silver in these three Ships which was the bulk of the whole matter upon which I argued when I procured the Onus probandi to be cast on the other side Mr. Violet devided it thus that there was one Boschard a Hamburger and one Stephen de Balderos and one Lewis Fardinandes Hagelo and one Losa Berona and one Mexico Herera and one Michaell Severino Lozenso de Eucleâ— and one Thomas Sauches de Urise Anthonio de Puntho Spaniards and one Dony Martin Native of Galloway in Ireland that laid particular claims every of them to some parcels of the Silver laden for their accompts all whom as Mr. Violet Stated it came along in the said Ships and have attended their claims here ever since upon the place in making their proofs and sollicitings for bringing it on to a hearing for their particulars and are as Mr. Violet states it by their long attendance and spending in diet and otherwise reduced to such extremity as they for want are ready to starve For these Mr. Violet hath proposed that his Highness and your Lordships would direct that their claims would come on to a present hearing that so what was found to be justly and really theirs might be adjudged them not onely for their present relief but for the vindicating as Mr. Violet terms it the justice of the Nation and preventing any Imbargoes abroad for want of justice here Now for this my Lords being as I conceive rather the prudential part then the legal I must not take upon me to give any opinion in it but submit it wholly to your Lordships to consider the prudence of it whether you will hold it fit that these particulars shall come on before the rest of the claims for the other Silver in the said Ships and so to handle by pieces or whether to have all the Silver directed by tryall and hearing altogether For the rest being the great bulks of the Silver Mr. Violet proposed that pleas should be put in to be a ground for Commissioners to be procured to go into Spain and Flanders to examine witnesses there against the several claimers and their claims supposing that in respect the Laws of Spain prohibit the carrying out of Silver under great penalties the claymors would not dare to own it in Spain if Commissioners for his Highness should be sent over thither and that much discoveries would there be made and witnesses be found in Spain if active persons be