Chaloner's petition to Parliament

<497r>

To the Honble the Knights Citizens & Burgesses in Parliamt assembled
the humble Petition of William Chaloner Gent. Sheweth

That yor Petr did in the last sessions of Parliamt1 discover several abuses committed in the Mint &2 shewed by what methods false money wa{illeg}s coyned,3 that laws might more effectually be made against to prevent the same &{illeg} severall Acts were accordingly made against it, &4 then some of the Mint threatned by some means to prosecute him & take away his life before the next sessions of Parliament,5 telling him that this Honble House had no power to meddle with the affairs of the Mint. therefore they would not obey the Order made by a Committee of this Honble House

That ye said Committee5 promised yor Petr he should suffer no dammage for his dis{illeg}coveries about the Mint & by ye directions of this Honble House a member thereof did represent thehis case to ye King & his Majty was pleased to say that he should suffer no dammage for the said matters, yet they committed him to Newgate & kept him in Irons for seven weeks alledging that he had abused the Mint in Parliamt & they did falsly & illegally preferr a bill of Indictmt against him but could bring no evidence against him to prove it altho they used strange methods to procure something. against For many witnesses have made oath before a Iudge of the Kings Bench & some Iustices of the peace, that some of the Mint have imployed & given Privilege to several persons to coyn false money ( {sic}who put it away among the subjects for good ( {sic}all which was done with an intent to draw him into coyning to take his life away & the better to effect the same they allowed the said persons money from time to time to buy tools & to carry on the said conspiracy against theyor Kings Petrs life. But all their endeavours could not get him to be concerned in coyning, but on the contrary he hath made it his business for a considerable time past to find out the Treasons & Conspiracies against the King & Kingdome & thereby hath discovered many who have been convicted for the same, & was this year writing a book of the present state of the Mint & the defects thereof (as he promised the said Commee) wch he hoped would have been of service to the publick. But the Mint having notice of it they committed him to Newgate Prison & so prevented him from doing it. All wch can be proved if this honble hHouse is pleased to require it.

That yor Petr is utterly ruined by his endeavours to serve the King & Kingdom & by his discoveries against the Mint to this Honble House

Yor Petr therefore most humbly plays that this Honble House will be pleased to consider his great sufferings & ruined condition as being incapable of providing for himself & family by what he intended for the service of the Publick & grant him such redress as shall seem best in yor Honours great Wisdom & Iustice

And yor Petr shall ever pray &c

Wm Chaloner