Chaloner's petition to Parliament

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

That your Petitioner did in the last sessions of Parliament1 discover several abuses committed in the Mint &2 shewed by what methods false money was coyned,3 that laws might more effectually be made to prevent the same & 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 Honourable 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 Honourable House

That the said Committee5 promised your Petitioner he should suffer no dammage for his discoveries about the Mint & by the directions of this Honourable House a member thereof did represent his case to the King & his Majesty 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 Parliament & they did falsly & illegally preferr a bill of Indictment against him but could bring no evidence against him to prove it altho they used strange methods to procure something. For many witnesses have made oath before a Iudge of the Kings Bench & some Iustices of peace, that some of the Mint have imployed & given Privilege to several persons to coyn false money who put it away among the subjects for good 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 your Petitioners 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 Committee) which 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 which can be proved if this honourable House is pleased to require it.

That your Petitioner is utterly ruined by his endeavours to serve the King & Kingdom & by his discoveries against the Mint to this Honourable House

Your Petitioner therefore most humbly plays that this Honourable 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 your Honours great Wisdom & Iustice

And your Petitioner shall ever pray &c

Wm Chaloner