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To the Right Honble:mrs
May it please Your Lordships
In Obedience to Your Lordships Order of Reference of the 17 Iuly 1700
Signifyed to Vs by Mr. Lowndes, We have Examined Mr. Harris Bill for Graving
Seales for His ts:
to 1266: 01: 07 He had Warrants from his Majesty to provide all those Seales ch:
set downe for His Majestys own use, for Ireland, for the plantations, for the Courts of
Westminster, and for the Secretarys of State. That the Seales provided for the late Queen
were by Directions from Her Secretary for which he produced his Receipts and that
those for the Dutch Secretary were by Warrants from his Majesty. For the Signet and
press for r:£ he produced his Receipt. As to the following
particulars viz One Signet and Stampe for the Dutch Secretary valued at 12£. 10s, a
Seale for the Queen at 2£, a £ and a
Signet for the Queens Secretary of 10£. Mr. Harris had no Warrants or Receipts to
produce, but shewed us the Impression of all but the last, and also Voluntarily made
Oath before Vs that all but the last were provided and delivered which Oath we have
hereunto Annexed. As to the following Articles in his Bill Mr. Harris produced a
Certificate under the hand of Mr Pople Secretary to the Lords mrs
of Trade that the Seals set downe for the plantations were ordered by their Lordships
and Accordingly delivered. For the articles of a Braad Seale for the Exchequer, for altering
two Signets in
Lords Iustices, he produced Warrants from the Lords Iustices. For the Broad Seale of
Ireland, he shewed a Warrant from the Lords of the Treasury. For a large
for the Lord Ambassador Harbord He only produced the Impression on Wax and made
Oath of the Delivery and alledges that Mr. Harbord being in haste to go on his Embassy
he had not time to obtaine a Warrant. For two Seals in
he produced a Certificate from Mr Van Huls then acting in that post that they
were accordingly delivered, For altering the Broad Seale and Signet for the Garter,
He shewed his Majestys Warrant. For the Seal in Steel for the Exchequer notes he
referes to the notes on which tis still used, For the nine stamps for his Majestys Book
he produced a Certificate from Monsr Dallone, who has the Care of the Kings privat
Library. For the silver Seale for the Lord Chancellour porter valued at 2£, and for a
Signet in Steel for the Dutch Secretary valued at 4£ Mr.
they were delivered.
Vpon the whole Mr. Harris produced either Warrants or Receipts for all the Seals
set downe in his Bill except in the particulars above mencch:
the Impressions on Wax an made Oath of the Delivery except in the Article of a
Signet for the Queens Secretary valued at 10£ for the delivery of which he could
not make Oath. As for the Quantity of Ounces of Silver made use
Seals set down in his Bills we are not capable of making any judgment since
the Seals cannot now be produced and therefore have annexed Mr. Harris's Oath
to that particular. It appeared likewise that the reasons why there was occasions
for so many Seals in so short a time were, because several of them were immediately
provided upon their Majestys being declared King and Queen of England which were
to be altered upon their Accession to the Crowne of Scotland and were all to be Changed
upon the Queens death
As to the prices set downe in the Bills for the said Seals we can make no Iudgment, for
as much as there are no former Bills of the like Nature remaining now in the Mint
but if formerly there were any they have been Carried away with Several other Books
and papers belonging to the Mint and therefore We can only represent to r:sps
upon this Head that Mr. Harris affirms he has set down no other prices then what
were allways allowed Him in King Charles the 2d Reign.
As to the r. Harris's Bill may properly be paid we are
humbly of opinion that the Coynage Duty is so appropriated by Act of t
that no part of it can be applied to such uses but we take leave to Submit it to Your spsp
to Mr. Neale, for the service of the Mint, by an Order of Your Lordships to the Auditors
of the Imprests to Allowe it in Mr. Neales Accompt
All which is humbly submitted to your Lordships great Wisdom
I: Stanley
Is: Newton