Att Edinburgh the nynteenth day of November J^aj vi^c nyntie six years

A1696/11/12

A1696/11/12¹

Order: recommendation

Recomendation to The Thesaury Anent bullion and Sir William Denholms bill

Anent the petitione Given in to the Lords of his Majesties privie Councill By Sir William Denholme of Westheills Master of his Majesties Mint Sheuing That wher their Lordships having taken off the tuentie pounds off the merchants which they did advance for the Coynage of each stone of silver which they have given in these severall months bypast It hath been omitted to provyde some effectuall course for Carrying on the same And the petitioner in obedience to their Lordships Commands having taken in a Great quantity of Bullion already And much more beeing offered Impatiently by the Merchants And nothing being in the petitioners hands If some effectuall Course be not taken Ther will be ane absolute necessity according to the act of parliament J^aj vi^c Eightie Six whollie to stop the Mint notwithstanding of the Great necessity of Coynadge And the petitioner being obleidged in duety and by the former Act of parliament to represent unto their Lordships the present state of the Coynadge before any Stop be putt to it Does humblie represent the same And in what Confusion the Imposition upon the Bullion now stands no dilligence nor effectuall way being taken (tho often represented) for ordering or bringing in the Same so that albeit the Act of parliament provyded the sallaries of the Mint to be payed quarterly yet the petitioner hath not had no farthing payment for these nyn months past And now in no Cappacity to Advance And therfore humbly Craving their Lordships to take the premisses to their serious Consideration And to provyde such effectuall way for reimbursing the petitioner for what is already Coyned and taken in And to advance the future Coynadge And to putt the Imposition upon the bullion to such order as neither his Majestie be burthened to advance out of other fonds nor their Lordships further troubled by petitions of this Kind as the said petition bears which petitione Being upon the tenth day of November Instant read In presence of the saids Lords They appointed a Committie of their oune Number to Call for and examine the Late Tacksmen of his Majesties Customes and excyse And Mr William Spence Warden of the Minthouse and Collector appointed for Ingathering and Keeping the Bullion appropriat for maintaining a free Coynadge And to speak with them anent the said bullion And to Know how much therof is Collected and in the Collectors hands or how or to whom the same is payed And this day The Earle of Melvill Lord president of Councill having made a verball report to the Councill anent Sir William Denholme of Westheills his petitione The saids Lords of his Majesties privie Councill Doe heirby Recommend to the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Thesauray to Consider the said petition And to take care and provyde that the Bullion be brought in And that his Majesties Mint be Keeped open and going for a free Coynage.