| Description | N.B. In this transcript, the original punctuation and use of capitals have been followed.
To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament Assembled.
The humble Petition of the Wardens and Assistants of the Company or Mistery of Goldsmiths of the City of London in Court assembled
Sheweth,
That your petitioners observe by the Votes of this Honourable House that a petition has been presented to this Honourable house for Leave to bring in A Bill for the establishing an Assay Office in the Town of Sheffield in the County of York for trying touching assaying and marking of Gold and Silver Plate and that another petition has been also presented to this Honourable House for extending the like provision to the Town of Birmingham in the County of Warwick
That Your Petitioners beg leave to represent to this Honourable House that the Standards appointed for the Wrought Plate of this Kingdom (which are the same as those appointed for the Gold and Silver Monies of this Kingdom) are both for the Honour and Riches of the Realm and so highly concern his Majestys Subjects that the same ought to be most carefully observed and all Deceipts therein to be prevented as much as possible as manifestly tending to the Injury of this Majestys Subjects the Detriment of the Fair Trade and the Diminution of the Wealth the Credit and the Commerce of this Kingdom And that the power of trying touching assaying and marking of Gold and Silver Plate is a very great and important Trust and ought to be committed to such persons and in such Places only where the same is likely to be executed and discharged with the greatest Care and Fidelity
That the Wardens & Commonalty of the Mistery of Goldsmiths of the City of London (whose Affairs are ruled ordered and governed by Your Petitioners) are and have been a Guild or Corporation time out of Mind with divers privileges confirmed and enlarged from time to time by several Charters from His Majestys Royal Predecessors Kings and Queens of this Realm (amongst other Things) for the searching assaying supervising marking and regulating wrought plate in Order to ascertain the Standard thereof for the Good and Safety of the public
That the Standard Pieces appointed for Trial of the Gold and Silver Monies and wrought plate of this Realm have from Time to Time been made and the Gold and Silver Monies of this Realm have from time to time been tried and compared therewith by a Jury of the said Company returned for those purposes by the Wardens of the same Company to the Lords of His Majestys most honourable Privy Council who have from time to time intrusted the Wardens of the said Company with a part of each of Such Standard Pieces in order thereby to regulate and ascertain the fineness of the Gold and Silver Plate of this Kingdom And that Your Petitioners and their Predecessors have hitherto executed and discharged the said great and important Trusts with the utmost Care and Fidelity
That neither of the said Towns of Sheffield and Birmingham are Towns Corporate nor have any Company of Goldsmiths and that there are very few real Goldsmiths Silversmiths or Plate Workers in either of those Towns And therefore (and for other Reasons) Your Petitioners humbly apprehend that if an Assay Office was established in the said Towns or either of them for trying touching assaying & marking of Gold and Silver Plate the Standards appointed for the Wrought Plate of this Kingdom will not be carefully observed and various Frauds and Deceipts in the manufacturing of Gold and Silver Wares will be committed in the said Towns whereby his Majestys Subjects will be defrauded, the fair Trades will be injured and the Wealth the Honour the Credit and the Commerce of this Kingdom will be diminshed
Your Petitioners therefore in so great and important a Concern humbly pray this Honourable House that Your Petitioners may be heard by themselves or their Counsel against the said Petitions and also against any Bill or Bills for establishing an Assay Office in the said Towns or either of them and that the same may not pass into a Law
And your Petrs. shall ever pray &ca
Signed by Order of Court
Geo. Fair Clerk |