The
CASE of the
Goldsmiths of the City of
London, who in obedience to the Laws, make all their Works both of Gold and Silver, up to the Standard goodness.
Humbly offered to the Consideration of both Houses of Parliament.
1. That great numbers of his Majesties Subjects are Imployed, and have their Livelihood by making and selling the Works of Gold and Silver, whereby vast quantities are now in use amongst us, which if honestly made of the Standardgoodness, it may be truly accounted one great part of the Ornament and Riches of this Kingdom.
2. That upon consideration thereof, the Goldsmiths of London have been of old, and now are, or ought all to be of one Incorporation; and the Wardens of that Company are intrusted by their Charter and the several Statutes of the 28 Edw. I. cap. 20. and 37 Edw. 3. cap. 7. and 2 Hen. 6. cap. 14. and 18 Eliz. cap. 15. to inspect, view and try all Gold and Silver Works throughout England: But by reason of some defects in those Laws, in the Powers thereby given for Searching and Seizing all Works made courser then the Standard thereby appointed, and the great temptation of the Gains by Adulterating those Wares, great Evils do ensue: (to wit)
3. That the evil-disposed Goldsmiths in and about the City of London, and throughout this Kingdom, do presume to make great quantities of most sorts of Silver-Works of a very base Allay, not worth 3 s. the ounce, and of Gold not worth 3 l. the ounce, and sell the same as Standerd-Gold and Sterling-Silver; the value of which Deceit was (at a late hearing before his Majesty in Councel, of a Complaint between the said Wardens, and the well-disposed working- Goldsmiths of London) computed to be about 20000 l. per annum, which no Person there did contradict.
4. That the said well-disposed Goldsmiths did then before His Majesty alledge, (as in truth it is) their condition to be very lamentable; For if they, in obedience to the Laws, (and the Oath imposed on them by the said Wardens at their making Free) make all their Works of the Standard-goodness, they shall lose their Trades, and so be brought to extreme poverty, by the evil-disposed Goldsmiths making their Works of a very base Allay, and selling cheaper, yet do get near double the Profit the honest Goldsmiths get, in every ounce of Work: And if the well disposed Goldsmiths, by the great necessity of their Livelihoods, are forc'd to fall to Cheating and Cozening, by putting Brass or Copper in their Gold and Silver Works, they not only go against their said Oaths, and so disquiet their Consciences by so great a Sin, but are exposed to reproach and shame, by follwing a Trade supported by Fraud, which the evil-disposed Goldsmiths make no scruple at, but use all the artifices imaginable to all in Authority, to prevent an honest Reformation.
5. Upon hearing the Premisses at the Councel-Board, and the Allegations of the said Wardens, (by their Councel) that they had not power to suppress these Deceits; his Majesty was then pleased to direct, that Endeavours be forthwith used to obtain an Act of Parliament, for effectually suppressing the said Frauds, which will be to the great Honour of this Kingdom, encouragement of Trade, and a creditable Subsistance and Livelyhood to several thousands of his Majesties Subjects, and amongst which, to the honest disposed Goldsmiths aforesaid, who are impatient to see our Nation outdone by the French, in the fineness of all their Gold and Silver in Works, which is always as good and sometimes better than the English Standard aforesaid.
6. And lastly, That all Persons may be more fully convinced of the necessity of relief in the Premisses by Parliament, see a full Discovery of the several and subtil Frauds in the Gold and Silver Works, and all the Laws now in force for redress thereof, comprized in a late Treatise entituled, A Touchstone for Gold and Silver Wares, the 2 d. Edition, composed by a well-disposed Goldsmith, on purpose to procure a Reformation in the [...]