Holograph draft of MINT00131 (Mint 19/1/334-5) with minor variations

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18 Carol. II, Chap. v. No moneys leviable & payable by this Act shall be converted to any other use or uses whatsoever other then to the defraying th{illeg}e charge or expence of the Mint or Mints, and [that] of the assaying melting down & coyning wast & coynage of gold & silver & the encouragement of bringing in of gold & silver to be coyned into the said Mint or Mints there to be coyned &c [{illeg} The first I take to be the charge of supporting a standing Mint, the second to be the firsurther charge of carrying on the coynage in that Mint. And by the next clause of the Act the first is limited to 3000li for preventing extravagance, the other left unlimited & appropriated for to the coinage for encouraging the same. The words are] And it is hereby further enacted That there shall not be issued out of the Exchequer of the said moneys, in any one year for the fees & salaries of ye Mint or Mints & towards the providing maintaining & repairing of the houses Offices & Buildings & other [standing] necessaries for assaying melting down & coyning, above the summ of three thousand pounds sterling money, & the overplus of the said moneys so kept as aforesaid shall be imployed for & towards the [contingent] expence wast & charg{illeg}e of assaying melting down & coynage & buying in of gold & silver to coyn & not otherwise. [Here by other necessaries I understand things necessary for constituting a standing Mint as a convenient Hearth Chimnesy & closet the Assay Office, & locks to the doors Gates to ye Mint &c These & the buildings come into ye Wardens Acct

The salaries from the time of making this Act have amounted to {illeg}2600li & sometimes above & there have remained only 400li per an for the buildings & other necessaries. And the buildings alone have usually am{illeg}ounted to two or three hundred & sometimes almost 400li per an

In the 4th & 5t year of her Majty another Act passed for enlarging the sum of 3000li to that of 3500li per an without making any other alteration in ye former Act. And thereupon the Moneyers were allowed a salary of 400l & the salarys {illeg}of the Clerks were intended to be augmented: but several buildings being ready to drop drop, there it was thought fit to rebuild them first. And these have cost about 8 or 9 hundred pounds or above. Two years ago the Engineers shop was rebuilt & cost about 3959li whereof about 183li comes into ye Account of ye year 1712 & 176li is reserved for the last year.

In the Indenture of the Mint there is a clause that ye charges of making the bullion agreea{illeg}ble to standard shall be born & sustained out of the Revenue arising to her Maty by vertue of the coynage Act: wch clause would have been needless had that charge been recconned wthin the 3000li. This clause is a Voucher to the Mr for the charges of Assaying & Allay, The Act of 18 Carol. II is a Voucher to him for the charges of the Assay Office, & the standing practise {illeg}of placing the charge of fu{illeg}rnaces in his Acct is a voucher for that Article. No part of ye 3000li should come into the Master's Account except the salaries pa{illeg}yable to himself & those under him.