Draft of MINT00868 (Mint 19/1/450-51)

<440r>

To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majestys Treasury

May it please your Lordships

In obedience to your Lordship Order of Reference of Iune 16th last upon the Memorial of the Warden of his Majestys Mint concerning a Clerk to be allowed him for assisting him in the prosecution of clippers & counterfeiters of the coyn, & concerning moneyes to bear the charges of such prosecutions & the method of accounting for the same: We humbly represent to your Lordships that the late Wardens have been allowed such a clerk, & have been supplied with moneys partly by vertue of a Privy Seal impowering them to seize the forfeited estates of convicted criminals & partly out of the civil List moneys, untill Mr Peyton late Warden of the Mint procued an Allowance not exceeding 400li annum out of the coynage money by Act of Parliament for carrying on this service

We are therefore humbly of opinion that the Warden of the Mint do find out a fit person to attend him as Clerk and Sollicitor to draw up Informations & Warrants & enter them in books & attend Prosecutions at the Old Bayly & Assizes & that this Officer be allowed a salary of 60li per annum as formerly. And that upon being sent into the country to apprehend & prosecute criminals he be also allowed 15s per day travelling charges for himself & his horse. And such other persons as shall be sent upon the like services be allowed such travelling charges as the Warden shall approve of not exceeding 8s per day for a man & horse & 2s per day more to the two principal of them. Add that in lieu of pocket expences coach-hire, fees of Court, charges of witnesses & such other incident expences as cannot be ascertained by good vouchers or would perplex the Accounts, there be allowed for every house searched in London the sum of 10s & in the country the summ of 25s, & for every person apprehended & brought before a Iustice of the Peace & committed to prison in London 10s & in the Country 25s, to be equally divided between the persons who search or apprehend & carry to prison; & for every person indicted & tried in London the summ of 50s. & in the Country the summ of 4li to him or them who by the Warden's Order shall sollicite & manage the prosecution, besides Councellours fees.

And we are also humbly of opinion that the Master & Worker of the Mint be impowered by a sign manual to pay the Sallary of the said Clerk or Solliciter quarterly as it shall become due, & to advance to him such summs of money from time to time as by allowance or order under the Wardens hand he shall demand and for carrying on the Prosecutions not exceeding 200li per annum, & to pay what shall be further due to the said Sollicitor upon his Acounts duely stated & allowed. And that the Auditors <440v> of the Mint be directed therein to allow in the Accounts of the Master & Worker all the said payments not exceeding in the whole the summ of 400li per annum allowed by Act of Parliament for this service.

We are also of opinion that the said Sollicitor do at the end of every half year lay before the Master & Comptroller of the Mint, an Account of the services performed by Him & his Assistants, upon which any moneys may be due or have been paid to him or them with a certificate from the Warden in writing that those services were done by his order. And also a Bill or Bills of all the moneys due or paid to him or others upon those services according to the allowances above mentioned together with the Receipts of moneys paid to others. And also a Bill or Bills of moneys paid for Councellours fees, extraordinary Habeas corpuses Lord Chief Iustices Warrants &c. And that he insert nothing into those Bills without Receipts or other good Vouchers for the same. And that the Master & Worker & the Comptroller examin & signe those Bills as Vouchers to the Annual Account of the said Sollicitor. And that at the End of every year the said Sollicitor do lay his Account for that year, first before the Warden of the Mint to be examined & signed, & then before the Lord High Treasurer or Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their direction how the same shall be further audited stated allowed & discharged

And if the Accountant craves any augmentation of allowances or and allowance for services not within the Rules above-mentioned the same be laid before the Lord High Treasurer or Lords Commissioners of the Treasury at the end of his Account.

All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships great

Wisdome

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