Draft of MINT00647 (Mint 19/2/455)

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To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury.

May it please your Lordships

In answer to the Memorial of Mr Nicholson & Mr Briggs I humbly represent that as often as they have applied themselves to me I have told them that without a Warrant from the King I could not receive copper in blanks nor coin money with round edges for the people, & that without a Warrant from your Lordships I could not deliver Cutters to them. I have told them also that Mr Appleby & Mr Hines having all things ready for a triall were to coin their five Tonns first, & that when I was ready for the Memorialists I would give them notice, but it would take up some time first to prepare the Mint for a tryall. There is no difficulty in rounding the edges of the blanks; & I have not delivered a new Cutter to Mr Appleby & Mr Hines since the 3d of Iune last as is pretended, tho I may do it by that Warrant which I have; nor are they Contractors but at discretion; nor have there been any delays but for want of Warrants which the Memorialists should have procured. But if the Memorialists instead of applying for Warrants, have given themselves a great deale of trouble in solliciting me to act without any, & if in opposition to the notice which I gave them that Appleby & Hines being ready should have the first triall, they have built furnaces & prepared a sufficient quantity of copper ready for the Cutters & been at sufficient charges in preparing the same: they have done this contrary to my advice, & without staying for sufficient authority, & can blame no body but themselves if they should lose their charges for acting in this manner. These things are plain facts & may suffice to shew the unreasonableness of the Complaints in the Memorial.