May it please yoryour LordpsLordships

In obedience to your LopsLordships order of Ref.Reference signified to us by Mr Lowndes we have considered the M Memorial of yethe Chancellour of Ireland about erecting a Mint in that Kingdom &wthwith the Report of the late Warden & Master & Worker upon it & the other Papers accompanying them [& find the caution of those Officersthose Officers in that Report ktnot without a wthwith the like caution of their Predecessors in a Report made almost 40 years ago a copy of wchwhich is conteined in the said Paper & copied in those Papers. "If, say they, It hath been, say they] And by those papers we find that And by those papers we find that the Officers of the Mint have long been longformerly cautious in this matter. &For in theira Report made by them about 39 years ago they thus delivered their opinionuse have these words.of to yoryour Honble Board It hath been, say they, the policy & caution of &c – First consideration.

We understand also that the late Warden & Master in their ab Report ab upon the above mentioned Memorial made about three years ago were the more cautious by reason of the applause the applause wchwhich the a project a designe of exempting Ireland from subordination to England then met with in Ireland., [& how far that he now is now laid aside we do not know does not appear to us] Andreason of th a designe great then set on foot of perswading the people of Ireland that their Parliament & government ought not to be subordinate to that of England

And to a Mint in Ireland may have been much desired we do not see but that the Government of Englandof England has even been cautious in this matter For tho a Mint in Ireland may have been upon several occasions much desired yet it has either not been granted or not suffered to continue. The Warrant An instance of this kind is afforded by the Warrant for setting up such a Mint which we find amongst the Papers above mentioned. And The reasons wchwhich Among the Papers above mentioned we find a Warrant for erecting such a Mint soon after the restauration of K.King Charles II but yethe designe is not yet put in execution.

If such a standing Mint be desired for coyning from time to time the Bullion of Merchants & others (as the words of the Memorial may import) we beleivebelieve it may put Ireland to a greater charge then to coyn such Bullion in London. But upon inquiring

But if it shall be his MajtsMajestys pleasure that a Mint be erected in that Kingdom (for the determination depends upon somesome for increasing considerations wchwhich arewe reccon above us) we are humbly of opinion in consideration in the papers communicated to us that the monies coyned there should be of the same weight allay species & stamp or impression of with the monies of England, adding only such a mark of distinction as his MajtyMajesty shall think fit, & that the Mint be const under the same rules & laws with thatis in the Tower but with less salaries & fewer Officers such retrenchment of salaries & oOfficers as cmany conveniently be made & that yethe same valuation of the money & same proportion of Gold to silver be observed in both nations. And we are ready to promote such apromote the setting up such a Mint after the best manner & particularly to supply them with Standard weight, Inde Trial pieces, Dyes ,& Coyning Tools & to try their money & instruct their Officers at their first setting outif it be desired. And for such a purpose the directions in the Warrant of 14 Car. IIBut if a standing Mint be desired for coyning from time to time the Bullion of Merchants & others we are (as the words of the Memorial may have seemed y to may import) we of opinion that beleivebelieve it may put Ireland to a greater charge then to coyn theirsuch Bullion in London

Vpon inquiring into the state of yethe Coyn in Ireland we understand that the forreign coyns wchwhich make a great part of their silver monies are generally in great pieces (as Ducatoons & pieces of eight) wchwhich are inconvenient for change in marketing & other small expences and that by the want of small silver monies the coyning of great quantities of Copper monies for change hath been so much incouraged as to be complained of, & if for remedying this inconvenience tis proposed that p a Mint is be desired only to coyn part of the I the small money forreign moneys or any part of them int small English money (shillings & sixpences) in as we now understand, we beleivebelieve it may be cheapest & best for Ireland & safest for England to have this coynage dispatcht at once by erecting a Mint in Ireland for some short time (as eighteen months or two years) & by lowering the values of the forreign monies to bring them into that Mint. But we humbly represent that the late Mints in the Country were full of disord lay before your LordpsLordships that the late Country Mints were inclined toin disorders & thatleft their Accounts are full of difficulties & that upon the breaking up of such a Mint may increase the number of fals coyners. And we heare that the money English money is now grown much more plentifull in Ireland in proportion to yethe forreign then it was a few years ago so that yethe want of change is vanishing. in good measure vanished & is still vanishing decreasing.

If the Government of Ireland shall think fit to prohibitdiscourage the exportation of English money from thence by a lo setting a lower value something lower upon the forreign so that when Merchants or others have occasion to export Gold or silver they may chuse rather to export the forreign monies then the English, there will be but little there will it will pro it will much promote the increase of the English money in Ireland. A difference of one or two per cent may be sufficient in the value of the monies may be sufficient for this purpose & will mend the exchange to these profits of Ireland wthwithout hindring the importation of the monies of Spain & Flanders into Irelandthat kingdom by trade. And if the exportation of English money out of Ireland bewere prohibited by the same laws in Ireland as in England, it wouldwhile the forreign money it would still conduce to the same end. A

Andlso if shillings & sixpences were for a few years while raised a farthing ith'in the shilling while in proportion without raising yethe greater money it would sufficiently increase those smaller species of money at a less charge then a Mint would do.

But if a new Mint be thoughtadded yethe best fittest would more increase the of expedient we are ready to contribute orour best endeavours for support towards it for setting it up &for supplying Ireland for furnishing Ireland with small moneys we beleivebelieve the Directions in the Warrant of 14 Car II amongst the Papers referred to orourus, may be propoer for such a purpose if applied & restrained to the prresent way of coyning without by yethe Mill & Press without a Seigniorage & without the penalty of fine & ransome upon two penny weight remedy in the single pieces., & with the trial of their Pix by theAll wchwhich &c Assaymaster & Weigher & Teller of his MajtsMajestys Mint in the Tower in the presence of the Warden Master & Comptroller there of the saidme Mint.

There are severalmany Mints in France & have been divers in England & if his MajtyMajesty should think fir to set up a new one any where in England (as at Bristol or Chester) for furnishing Ireland & the Plantations wthwith silver & brass money we should oppose it of the English standard without any dependancedependence on yethe Mint in the Tower except for the triall of of their moneys & the stamps, we should not oppose it it might put an end to the Projects wchwhich are dayly on foot for coyning money making great advantage by the coyning money for the Plantations of the other standards then the English & without due intrinsic value. A

Yet such a Mint may deserve tend to encrease the coyn of this for coyning English money there may tend to encrease the species if care by first taken by due laws (as in England) to prevent the melting it down for yethe market in London to East Indies or otherwise exporting it. AndFor if his MajtyMajesty upon considering the reasons on both sides (some of wchwhich are about orour judgment) shall please that a Mint be erected in Ireland, we are humbly of opinion that the monies coyned there

I I am in a Post

The consideration of the advantage of y

The I am now in a Post wchwhich gives me an advantage by the coynage yet I could be glad to wave

I amI am And A new Mint being a thing of a public consideration concern I could be glad to wave any private advantage I may have iby the Coynage to oblige the Gentlemen of Ireland a new mint a thing of a public consideration And if his MatyMajesty please to have set upshall think fit to order one I am ready to assist in setting it up contribute what I can to yethe best manner of setting up it, & paid but as by supplying them with Dyes &c The endeavours I am satisfied that the Memorial of M my LdLord Chancellour of Ireland was well intended, & perceiving now that a mint for a year or twotwo or threthree years to coyn the forreign money now iin Ireland is all into shillings & sixpences is all would satisfy is only desired, I do not see that itsuch a coynage (if it stop there) would prejudice the Mint in the Tower in yethe Trade of England or the Mint in the Tower, but the Question whether a new Mint shall be erected tho but for a year or two depends upon some other considerations above our judgment & we do not know what censures it may meet with how it may be censured what make us continue reccon above their judgment