Mint report on Mr Weddel's claim for expenses incurred in the prosecution of coiners
To the Most Honble the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain
May it please your Lordship
In Obedience to your Lordships order of reference upon the Bills of mr. Robt. Weddel for prosecuting Coyners during the spacae of Nineteen Months ending last Christmas was a Twelve Month, and upon the Memorial of the Warden of the Mint concerning the same, wee have considered the Services alledged to be done & Examined the reasonableness of the said Bills, & humbly Represent to your Lordsp: that the services so farr as we can find were done, & allowing to mr. Weddel for Travelling Charging 6d per Mile, 2sh: per post stage & 15sh: per day abroad, as was setled by the late Lord Treasurer & allowed alsoe by the late Lords Commissrs of the Treasury, & to the Men who assisted him in apprehending & prosecuting Criminalls 6sh. 6d per day for each man & Horse during their Iourneys: the Traveliling charges amount unto £186. 12. 6. wch with mr. Weddels salary, a bill of mr. Fords, the Fees of receiving the Money allowed upon the last account, & the Charges of a Law suite wch a Coyner upon the pricy seal, make up the sume of 337li: 1sh: 6d, which wee humbly think reasonable to be allowed.
That there are other Charges wch. admitt of no vouchers or strickt Examination, whereof the Fees of Councell & other court charges upon the Tryalls of person{illeg}s (Vizt for Indictmts: swearing of Wittnesses attending with Records &ca) amount unto about £62: 10, And these charges being necessary for the carrying on the prosecutions we are humbly of opinion that the Prosecutors account of them, where nothing appears False or unreasonable should be accepted
And the Maintenance of Wittnesses during their attendance on Courts of Iustice, & Pocket Expences in apprehending and Examining people accused and in attending on Iudges and Iustices of the Peace and paying for their Warrants and for stationary ware and Post Letters, amount further to about 68li
But Considering that about one half of the Money set down in mr. Weddels account hath been advanced by him without Intrest for Carrying on the Prosecutions, and that the Charges of receiving the Money due upon this account are not sett down therein, both which may amount to above 40li, and that mr Weddel <104v> Was a very good Prosecutor, and if Prosecutors be discouragd they may be Induced to Pay themselfes by taking mony for favouring or protecting Coyners. wee are humbly of opinion that the Bills of mr. Weddel amounting in the whole to 467li: 15: 2, be allowed.
All which wee most humbly submitt to
you Lordships Great Wisdom
Isaac Newton
E Phelipps
<105v><text in Clerical Hand begins>Officers of the Mint report
On Mrs. Weddells peticon for charges
of prosecuting Coyners.
Source
T 1/159.19, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UKc. Apr 1712, c. 474 words.