comes the two late Acts of Parliament concerning Bullion to differ so much The first being 1 Par. Ch. 2. Act 37. Earl Middleton Commissioner wherein the penury of the Coyn of Scotland is justly charged upon the small proportion of Bullion Imported For remeid whereof and to prevent the abuse of taking current Money or so much per ounce or any other thing in place of Bullion It is ordained according to the antient custom of this Kingdom that the Merchants find good Caution or give Pledges to deliver their due quantities of Bullion answerable to the Commodities which pays the same in to the Officers of the Mint which Officers are also discharged to receive any satisfaction whatsomever from the Merchant except only forraign Bullion or to transact or compone any manner of way for it upon very penal Certifications The other being 2 Par. Ch. 2. Act 8 Duke Lauderdale Commissioner whereby the former good Law and all the preceeding Laws for Importing of Bullion are in a manner Repealed for by that Act it is left to the option of the Merchant to pay Bullion or twelve pence English for the ounce thereof in place of it self and the Officers of the Mint are left to Import the Stock of Bullion themselves at their own discretion 5. Since that time the matter has been so mannaged that the Merchants are well pleased to be free of the vexatious attendance upon the Essays and payments of their Bullion at the Mint-house and choice rather to pay the 12 pences for every ounce to redeem themselves from the trouble and loss of their time albeit it be otherways to their prejudice 6. The true and just advantage for support to the charge of Coynage which the Officers of the Mint ought to exact betwixt the Imported Bullion of pure Silver or being baser to be considered by weight and reckoning and the King 's current Money of Sterling fineness is only 7 pence English upon the ounce which is the intrinsick value of the difference betwixt the two But by the late Act of Parliament if Bullion were Imported there is but 5 shillings and about a penny English to be payed for each ounce thereof whereby the gain is increased to 8 pence and some more and now when only Money is received in place of Bullion the profit arises to full 12 pence per ounce besides other advantages 7. In the Parliament 1674. a Complaint was exhibite upon the abuses of the Mint both as to the weight fineness and otherways but the D. of Lauderdale then His Majesties Commissioner rejected it and to palliat the matter plausibly ordered a a Committee of Council to make Tryal of that affair who as they were named were either too great Friends to the Parties concerned or not at all versed in such matters for they knew not how to proceed but did as the Officers of the Mint instructed them so a superficial Tryal was used with more jesting than knowledge and a Report made approving all to the Council then a piece of Silver was sent with great speciousness to His Majesty to be put to the Essay at London which piece albeit it had the advantages of passing the Fire before it came there yet all the Tower was not found to be of Sterling fineness Nevertheless a Letter was procured from the King to Exoner Indemnifie and thank the General and Officers of the Mint for their Fidelity and good Service in that Trust which being publickly read in Council was opposed by divers of the Members who objected the abuses committed by the Officers of the Mint and offered demonstratively to prove them immediatly But the effect of all was the General the Mint-master and the rest were approven and the movers of these Objections soon turned out of the Council to terrifie others from using the like freedom and faithfulness thereafter 8. Many true Essays of all the several species of His Majesties Money Coyned at the Mint-house in Edinburgh has been made by particular persons both at the Tower and at Goldsmiths-Hall in London but there was never one piece of them stamped before the year 1674 that proved to be of Sterling fineness but all were base less or more and some to the degree of 11 penny worse and as for the weight the half-merk-pieces were found in the Ballance to differ 6 grains one from another which 2 grains at most is the remedy allowed them the truth of this can be instructed by Testimonies in writ under the Hand and Subscription of Peter Trovel then Essay-master of London 9. It 's no wonder then that our Money be both scarce base and light In respect 1. The Merchants brings no Bullion home whereby the Original Fountain from whence our Money should flow is not only drained but even our own and the best of Forraign Coyns current with us dayly exported and the basest of Money from abroad returned hither again in lieu thereof which of late is become a profitable Trade to the undertakers 2. If Bullion were Imported yet when the tryal of the fineness is neglected it will quickly corrupt and disgrace the Native Coyn of the Kingdom And 3. Seing there is neither check nor control upon the Weight as it ought to be by payment of the Bullion to the Importer in the current Money of this Realm put in the Ballance weight for weights and no otherways without which the lightness passes undiscovered 10. These things considered Why the Council should have raised the extrinsick value of all our own Coyn to the rate of five per cent more than it was current for before is much admired except it be pretended that our Merk-pieces and others are carryed over to Holland melted down there and returned to us again in Cullen and Leg-dallars which are a baser species of Money than our own whereby they make good profit but we must pay for it at last 11. The Emoluments arising to these imployed in the Mint being so Lucrative as it is made of late may be well understood by the sudden increase of the Riches of the Officers entrusted therein 12. How unfit it is for any Member in the Thesaury especially for the Thesaurer Deput to be General of the Mint appears in this That it is a special part of his Office to call yearly before the Exchequer for an exact accompt of all Bullion imported and payed in to the Officers of the Mint As also how and in what species the same is stamped by them for a constant supply of the Stock of Coynage to the Nation whereas now as the matter is stated he is only to compt for himself 13. The Officers of the Mint ought to be men honest and faithful free from the guilt of suspition of the Crimes of Bribery or Perjury in respect the greatest security demanded of them for their Trust is their Oath De fideli 14. But if they pretend Warrands of Parliament and Council to justifie themselves from the Charge of abusing their Trust it
the Kingdom and for advancing his own Revenue arising by the Mint did allow a certain sum yearly as a stock for buying in of Bullion from time to time which might have been exchanged ten or twelve times in the year as was in use formerly to be done yet notwithstanding that Stock of Money has not been at all Imployed by which the Country has been extreamly prejudged and the King defrauded of the benefit that would have arisen thereby if the Bullion had been imported and exchanged as it ought to have been according to His Majesties appointment and the time that should have been so profitably imployed in Coyning of Bullion has been mispent in Coyning great quantities of Copper-money to the great prejudice of the Liedges at home and to the hurt of Trade and Commerce abroad and albeit that stock of Money was not imployed in manner as was appointed yet the Generals and the Master did exact yearly from the King the interest thereof as if it had been imployed Secundo His Majesty after the example of His Royal Predecessors having designed for the advancement of the Union Trade and Commerce between the two Kingdoms that the Money Coyned in both should be of alike weight and fineness And for that effect in the year 1662. caused frame an indented Silver Standart Plate of Sterling fineness and secured with His Majesties Seals a part whereof was sent hither to be keeped as the Rule whereby to make Essays of the fineness of the Silver in all time coming Nevertheless it appears That all the Money of this Kingdom since that time has been designedly Minted far below the fineness of that Standard Plate Neither has there ever any use been made thereof since it came hither and as for the remedies in fineness only allowed in cases of Casuality and no otherways the Officers have combined not only to work upon but even below them and by paction to divide the profits arising from thence amongst themselves when indeed they were obliged to compt to His Majesties Thesaury for every such Grain of Remedy in fineness wrought upon under the true established Standard By this it is evident That the Generals who should chiefly have been concerned for the King's interest has malversed in their Offices that the King has been defrauded of a considerable sum which would have thence accresctâ—d to him and that the Master and Wardens have concurred to persist in debasing the fineness of the Money of this Kingdom for their own advantages And albeit it be contrair to Law and the Nature of all Mints that any Silver Money should pass the King's Irons without an Essay thereof first taken that it may be found of fineness deliverable Yet it appears by the Books of Meltings and Printings and several Depositions that a great part of the Coyn of this Kingdom under the pretence of Silver called Chizle Heads Sweeps and Scrapes has been melted and Printed without the presence or knowledge of the Essay-master or any Essay thereof taken which furnished opportunity to the Officers to Coyn at what rate they pleased And as His Majesty at the time foresaid established the fineness of His Coyn in manner mentioned so did He with no less consideration determine the true weight thereof and for that end caused adjust four Piles of Weights fitted for the Denominations usual in both Kingdoms two whereof were sent hither and the other two keeped at the Tower of London all exactly marked for their security and ordained to be the common Rule for the Silver Weight of both Kingdoms Nevertheless it appears that one of these Pyles being the proper Weights of Scotland the like being reserved in the Tower of London after it came hither was keeped up by the Generals without giving order to make use thereof for some years until the Master in the year 1680 apprehending he might be questioned for using the Dean of Gilds Weights of Edinburgh when the King's Weights were in the Mint-house Did of himself without order adjust his own Weights by that new Pyle and caused the Work men to work accordingly But the Generals not pleased therewith commanded him to deliver up both these new Pyles that came from London and the old Weights he had rectified thereby to the Wardens to be set aside and no more used and caused make a new Set of Weights for his greater gain to be adjusted at the sight of David Maitland their Deput according to the Dean of Gilds Weights of Edinburgh which are far different from the New Pyle of Weights sent hither by His Majesty for the common Rule of Weight Neither did they exhibit the King's Warrand for receiving that Scots Pile of Weights and making use thereof to the Master before the year 1682. as appears by the Double of the Warrand produced and Attested by the Lord Justice-Clerk one of the Generals And thus they used and changed the Weights at their pleasure contrair to His Majesties Order The common Law and the Laws and Acts of Parliament of this Kingdom By which It is Statute That no person should use different Weights and that the users of false Weights shall lose their whole Goods and Gear and the same to be intrometted with for the King's use and as to the Remedies of Weight which are allowed only as the other Remedies of fineness in cases of casual Accidents and no otherwise The Wardens have so far transgressed that they constantly Troned the Pieces according to the Remedies under the just weight and by this means designedly rendred the King's Money to be light as they had by the like Artifice debased it in its fineness whereby the King was frustrat of the Profits which should accresce to him by the Grains of remedies of Weights under the just proportion for which the Officers were obliged to count in Exchequer but shared the Profits thereof amongst themselves the Merchants were also abused in delivering their Bullion at the Mint-house where they were forced always to give it by the Dean of Gild's Weights of Edinburgh which are heavier than the Scots Troy weight by two Unces and a half every Stone weight whereby they were discouraged to import the same They have also been constantly payed for their Bullion by â—ale whereas they ought to be payed by the Kings Coyn in the Ballance if the Mint were rightly regulated which would prove the only sure Check to secure the Sâ—lver Coyn from any abuse in its due proportion of weight which accordingly ought to have been done by the Law before the Act of Parliament in the year 1669 As also the pieces of Coyn reserved in the Pixe ought to have been keeped whole whereby some Trial even that way might have been had of the just weight but it has been a corrupt Custom to cut these peices that no means might be left to cognosce upon the Silver whether it be weighty or light Tertio By the Laws and Acts of Parliament of this Kingdom the Coyners
to any other person in publick Office not relating to the publick Government of the Kingdom so neither can it be extended to crimes and abuses committed by the Officers of the Mint For albeit these may be accounted publick Offices in some respect yet they are but privat stations in respect of the Offices that concerns the publick Government of the Kingdom As also the Act of Indemnity bears an exception of all privat Crimes and such-like as never used to be comprehended under general Acts of Indemnity And it appears by the late Act of Indemnity past in the Parliament in the year 1662. That all Crimes not relating to the late troubles are excepted and particularly the Accompts of all such persons as have intrometted with any of his Majesties Revenues and all other publick Money for which they had no other Warrand or Assignment for their own privat use and for which they had not duely compted and received Discharges thereof from such as pretended to have authority for the time to do the samen and all other former Acts of Indemnity made by his Majesties Royal Predecessors are only in relation to the publick troubles that hath been in the Countrey but not at all to any Crimes or malversaâ—ions that hath been committed by the Kings Officers in their private stations not relating to the publick administration in the Government or to the troubles and disorders of the Countrey and therefore the said Act ought not to be extended to the abuses and malversations committed by the Officers of the Mint far less to debar and preclude his Majesty from tryal and inquiry that his Majesty being informed thereof may give order for better regulating of the Mint and remeeding these abuses in time coming And as to that pretence alledged by the Lord Hatton That he could not be oblieged to Depone upon any thing relating to the Mint because he does not know how far it does reach or what it might import the Commissioners were of the Opinion that this being a matter of Tryal and Inquiry he ought to give Information upon Oath concerning things relating to the Mint and Coynage that was committed to his Trust as the other Officers of the Mint had already done and whatever might be the import thereof he was only desired to give his Oath upon these particulars relating to himself if he was truly innocent and had not malversed in his Trust which is no more but a purgatory Oath that he might purge himself of these Abuses and Malversations which by publick Fame and other Evidences were presumed against him and which was most consonant and agreeable to the common Law and the practise of other Nations and the Laws and Practique of this Kingdom both in Church and State in the like cases especially where the samen is done for His Majesties Information As to the particulars upon which he was desired to give Information upon Oath Relating to the other Officers of the Mint he was only desired to Depone upon the best of his knowledge which was no more but an Oath of Credulity which no man in reason ought to refuse and which is appointed by an express Act of Parliament That all Persons should Declare and Depone upon Oath their knowledge of any Crimes against the Publick Laws under very severe punishment especially seing all the rest of the Officers of the Mint did freely Depone upon all these particulars except the Lord Justice-Clerk conjunct General who was here present only the Lord Hatton makes use of the Act of Indemnity and refuses to Depone And as to that pretence That he was not obliged to Depone in any thing relating to his Office it was frivolous for as every man in Publick Trust is obliged to give his Oath That he shall Faithfully discharge his Trust at the entry to his Office So likewise ought he to give his Oath upon any thing relating to his Office at any time thereafter when ever he is required by his Majesty or any having Commission for that effect And if it were otherwayes that a person in Publick Office should not be obliged to Depone concerning his actings in that Office then any man in Publick Office might commit the greatest Abuses Malversations Injustice Oppressions and all other hainous Crimes without control providing he could do it privatly that it could not be otherways proven but by his own Oath and that would invite men in Publick Trust to commit all Acts of Malversation and Injustice imaginable if they were not obliged to Depone upon their Actings in that Office and purge themselves of any Crimes that may be laid to their charge For these Reasons and in obedience to His Majesties Royal Commands by His Commission The Commissioners having proceeded to the Tryal and Inquiry and considered the Depositions of the Master and other Officers and Servants of the Mint and the Books Papers and other Evidences adduced It did appear First That albeit His Majesty and His Royal Predecessors Have always had a special care to provide Bullion for increasing and maintaining of the Stock of Coynage in the Kingdom and that it is expresly provided by Act of Parliament That the Goods and Merchandise imported by the Merchants should pay so many ounce of Bullion or otherways pay twelve shilling Scots for every ounce in place thereof the Generals and Master of the Mint being ordained to Import the Stock of Bullion themselves and Coyn the same for His Majesties use And albeit there has been considerable Sums of Money payed by the Merchants to the Officers of the Mint in place of Bullion there has been but a small quantity of Bullion Imported by them and in place thereof great quantities of the Money current in the Kingdom has been melted down to the great prejudice of the Leidges and contrair to many express Acts of Parliament By which it is Declared That in respect Silver and Gold put in the Fire to be made Bullion to other new Money is diminished wasted and destroyed in the Translation by the Fire and incurs great skaith in hurt of the King and all his Liedges Therefore it is Statute That neither Silver nor Gold that bears Print and form of Coyn be any ways melted or put in the Fire by the King's Coyners without special licence of the King but all Gold and Silver that is Coyned and haâ— Print to be observed and holden whole among the King's Liedges as he ordained it to have course and the contraveeners of the Law to be punished with the Confiscation of the half of his Goods for the first and of his whole Goods for the second fault And likewise the Generals and Master of the Mint have divided amongst themselves the benefit of the twelve shilling Scots payed in to the Mint by the Merchants and so have failed in their Trust to advance their own privat gain As also His Majesty out of his Princely care for the good of his Subjects increasing of the Money in
of black Money without warrand are punished with Death And albeit His Majestie since his happy restitution was pleased to allow Six Thousand Stone of Copper to be Coyned at two several limited times Yet notwithstanding it appears by the Depositions of the Wardens the Accounts and other Evidences adduced that there has been Twentie Nine Thousand and six hundred Stone Coyned whereas there was only six Thousand Stone allowed So that there was twenty three Thousand and six hundred Stone of black Money coyned more than was allowed by the Warrands which is an infinite Prejudice to the Kingdom And whereas the Generals should have stopped the further coyning of Copper-Money so soon as the quantity allowed by His Majesty to be coyned at every Journey was exhausted Yet notwithstanding the Generals did allow and ordain the Officers to go on in the coyning of more Copper-Money after it was made known to them by the Master that the quantity of Copper allowed by His Majesty to be Coyned was exhausted and they also received the half of the Profits arising from the superplus that was coyned more than was allowed by His Majesty Quarto The Coyn of this Kingdom being lately cryed up and there being a considerable quantitie of Bullion lying in the Generals and Masters hands The whole Profit of the Exaltation being Five per cent which did belong to the King It appears that the Generals did acclaime the Benefit of the one half of the Exaltation from the Masters as a perquisit due to them albeit it truely belongs to the King and which did amount to a very considerable Sum. Quinto Albeit by the Common Law and several Laws and Acts of Parliament of this Kingdom It is statute that if any Judge or Minister of the Law take Buds or Bribes they shall lose their Honour Fame and Dignity and their moveable Goods to be confiscat deprived of their Offices and punished in their persons at his Majesties Will Yet notwithstanding the Lord Hatton one of the Generals did in the year 1679 being then Thesaurer Deput and one of the Commissioners of His Majesties Thesaurie and Exchequer as appears from what is deponed by the Master by Writs and other pregnant presumptions take from the Master of the Mint the Sum of six hundred pounds Sterling to procure allowance and payment of the ballance of his most unjust and exorbitant Accompts from the Exchequer preceeding the year 1674 relating to the Mint and Coyn stating the King Debitor to him in Fourtie four Thousand pounds Scots which he as General of His Majesties Mint was obliged to comptrol having special Trust and a Sallarie from His Majesty for that effect By which Accompts it likeways appears that the Lord Hatton as General received payment of three years Sallarie from the year 1660 to the year 1664 Albeit there was no Money coyned preceeding that time beside an hundred and fifty Guinies of Gold given to the Duke of Lauderdale and fifty pounds Sterling to John Kirkwood his Servant upon that same accompt as the Master has Deponed And further the General did again most grosly exact his Sallarie for the same years out of His Majesties Excise and so did get double payment of his Sallarie for the same years albeit in reason there was none due In respect there was no Coynage or Overseeing the Mint for these years Sexto Albeit by the Common Law and several Laws and Acts of Parliament of this Kingdom it is Statute That if any Officer be negligent and culpable in the execution of his Office he is to be punished in his person according to the quality of his Crime at the Kings Will And albeit the Generals by their Gifts and Offices were appointed to Comptroll the other Officers of the Mint and had power to hold Courts and to punish Delinquents and notwithstanding they did know that the Counter-Warden who is Check to the Warden did not attend his Office and that the Under-Officers of the Mint were negligent in keeping of Compt-Books Registers of the Coynage and many other things relating to their Offices and that they had committed many abuses and done many deeds of Malversation yet the Generals of the Mint did not hold Courts to punish them but were Sharers with them in the benefit arising by their Abuses and Malversations And the better to palliat the Abuses that they might not be discovered and that it might not be known what Profit and Advantage the Generals and other Officers of the Mint had made all this time past the Generals did take up all the Compt-Books Registers and other Papers belonging to the Mint from the Under-Officers which were all Abstracted except two Leafs relating to the last Copper-Journal which had been torn out of a Book and were delivered to the Commissioners by the Counter-Warden Septimo Albeit by the Common Law and Laws of all Nations the eliciting and extorting of Bonds and Sums of Money especially by a superior Officer from these in Office under him is manifest and gross Oppression and severely Punishable yet notwithstanding the Generals of the Mint did vex and threaten John Falconer the late Warden to call him before His Majesties Privy Council unless he would grant a Bond to Al. Maitland Counter-Warden for the Sum of Twelve Thousand Merks upon the account of the third of the Remedies that were alledged to be due to him since his entry to his Office who never attended the same which Remedies did truely belong to the King yet notwithstanding the Warden was necessitat to grant Bond for Eleven Thousand Merks and grant a Discharge of a Thousand Merks that was due to him of his Fees and albeit the Bond was taken in Alexander Maitland's name yet it appears to have been to the Generals behove they having caused use Diligence upon the Bond and put the Warden in Prison where he was detained while he was necessitat to Compone and Transact the same with the Generals for the Sum of Seven thousand Merks which was payed and imployed for their use and behove It is not easie to make an exact Accompt of the Profits arising to the Generals Masters and other Officers of the Mint from these Abuses which certainly will amount to vast Sums But to conclude far within bounds it appears by an Accompt given in under David Maitland's Hands Deput and Trustee for the Generals that Twelve thousand four hundred and fourty three Stone of Copper did pass the Irons in the last Journal the printed value thereof accompted by them amounts to Two hundred ninety four thousand four hundred and fifty five Pounds Scots and compting the Stone of Copper at a Merk the Pound which was more than they truely payed for that Copper in cumulo amounts to one hundred and twenty eight thousand Pound so that there remains of free Profit to the Officers in the Mint one hundred sixty six thousand four hundred and fifty five Pounds Scots Money whereof the one half was altogether
Copy of a Pape Presented in the Year 1681. to the then DUKE of YORK VVhilst He was in Scotland Entituled Considerations on the Scots MINT And of a Commission granted under the Great-Seal in the year 1682. by King Charles the Second for Tryal of the Mint and of the Reports made thereon Together with the Copies of His Majestes several Missive Letters containing His Approbation and further Determination thereanent Faithfully Transcribed from the Originals EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to Their most Excellent Majesties anno DOM. 1691. Considerations upon the Scots Mint IN the 1 Par. K. Ja. 1. holden at Perth anno 14â—4 Act 28. It is Ordained that our Money be of equal weight and fineness to the Money of England K. Ja. 2. and the following Kings did so likewise But K. Ja. 6. more particularly in the 2 d year of his Reign over Great-Britain Did by a written Ingagement bind the Mint-masters of both Kingdoms to the precise observance thereof King Charles the 2 d. soon after His happy Restauration renewed the same Order and for that end caused with great care prepare a great square Silver Plate of exact Sterling fineness to be the Rule and Pattern whereby to Try all Coyned Money or Goldsmiths Work of Silver in either of the Kingdoms thereafter This Plate of Silver so framed was divided in four equal parts whereof one was committed to be preserved in the Thesaury of England another to the Mint-house at the Tower of London a third to the Thesaury of Scotland and the fourth to the Mint-house at Edinburgh all the four having the King's Seal stamped upon the corners and cutted asunder by way of Indenture for the greater Security The Standard for the Money and Silver-plate then determined for both Kingdoms called Sterling fineness is expressed in England to be eleven ounces and two penny fine which is understood thus the pound is divided in 12 ounces and every ounce in 20 penny weight of these 12 ounces 11 integral parts and a fraction to wit 1 10 part of the 12 th ounce must be pure Silver and the remnant part of the fraction being 9 10 parts is allowed to be Copper for making up of the total The allowance of remedy for the fineness is 2 grains over or under in the pound But in Scotland this Standard sterling fineness is called eleven denier or penny fine out of the fire which is neither so good nor so significantly expressed as the manner of England not only because of the difference betwixt the common Weights of the two Kingdoms but apparently rather to keep up the matter in a Mystery that it should not be easily understood The Remedy of fineness also allowed in Scotland is two grains over oâ— under upon the pound Amendments fit to have been added as to fineness 1. That the Denomination of the fineness had been expressed in precise intelligible Terms common to both Kingdoms 2. That the same species of Coynes had been also appointed to be Printed in both with one and the same Inscription differing only in placing of the Arms for distinctions sake to have prevented many inconveniencies 3. That the Silver pieces reserved in the Pixis to be the Tryals of the fineness of every several Journal should have put to the Essay at least every year before persons of Trust and Understanding in that affair 4. That all Melting or Coyning of current Money without Licence therefore granted had been discharged under severe certifications 5. That an Essay-Master had been placed at Edinburgh over all the Goldsmiths in the Kingdom for Trying and Marking their Work and for whose fidelity sufficient Security should have been entered as it is in Goldsmiths-Hall London For want whereof there is not one piece of Plate of Sterling fineness wrought in this Kingdom to the great dishonour of this Nation Considerations upon the Weight As His Majesty established a Rule for the Fineness so did He cause adjust the Weights for all His own current Silver-Money according to the extrinsick value put upon the same observing the fineness before-mentioned for this end He commanded four Pales of Weights to be made of alike size equal one to another and equally divided as He had done the four indented Plates for the common Rule of fineness The Remedy in Weight allowed for the greater peices of Coyn being 3 grains and for the lesser 2 grains over and under And ordained an ounce of Silver Sterling fine to be raised 2 pence English more than the extrinsick value thereof had formerly been and so to pass at the rate of 5 ls 2 d English and all other Weights to pass at Rates proportionally thereto And the ounce of pure Silver without allay called Silver Refined from the test to be worth 5 ls 9 d English and the other greater and lesser Weights to be valued accordingly Amendments fit to have been added as to Weights 1. That the common Scots Troys pound and ounce which are lighter than the English by the difference of 4 penny Weight and 9 grains or 105 grains in the pound and by 8 grains and 18 units English in the ounce might both be brought to an equality 2. That the Troys Weights of both Kingdoms less than the ounce should not only be equal but also have a like numbers of Fractions in which they are divided to make our reckonings the better to agree 3 That the Denominations of all the Weights under the ounce should be the same for in England they reckon Penny Weights grains units droits periots and blanks unequally divided in 20 and 24 parts alternatively and in Scotland by demers grains primes seconds thirds and fourths equally divided each of them in 24 parts 4. That the only exact check upon the Weight of current Money should be that the Mint-master always deliver the King's Coyn to the Merchant for his Bullion by weight and no otherways and so the Officers of the Mint can never so much as work upon the Remedy Nor is the Warden and Counter-warden Weighing and Troning of every piece a sufficient check to keep the Money at the due Weight as experience teaches Observations and Queries 1. Why has there never tryal of our Money been made as to the fineness by the Pattern of that indented Plate sent to us from His Majesty for that purpose nor any use made of these Pales of Weights fitted and brought hither to examine the justness of the Weights of every several species which ought to have been done yearly at least 2. Wherefore is the Inscription upon our Money of Mag. Brit. Franciae c. always used upon King James the 6 th and King Charles the 1. their Coyns now of late changed to Scotiae Angliae Franciae c 3. Why is there not an accompt called for yearly of the Bullion Imported according to the form prescribed in our Law or of the Money received for it and of what quantity of Coyn is stamped therefore 4. How