STATE PAPERS. 



439 



the Chapter. The report woukl 

 have been more satisfactory if it 

 had more fully examined this part 

 of the subject. In vol. 3. b. 5. 

 c. 1. ar. 3. of Dr. Smith's Wealth 

 of Nations^ is the following- ac- 

 count of it. — " In the ancient 

 constitution of the Christian 

 church, the bishop of each dio- 

 cese was elected by the joint votes 

 of the clergy and of the people of 

 the episcopal city. The people 

 did not long retain their right of 

 election. The clergy found it 

 easier to elect their own bishops 

 themselves. The sovereign,though 

 he might have some indirect in- 

 fluence in those elections, and 

 though it was sometimes usual to 

 {isk both his consent to elect, and 

 his approbation of the election, 

 yet he had no direct or sufficient 

 means of managing the clergy," 

 Alter describing the encroach- 

 ments of the see of Rome in the 

 14th and 15th centuries. Dr. 

 Smith says, "In this situation of 

 things, t!ie sovereigns in tlie dif- 

 ferent states of Europe endeavour- 

 ed to recover the influence ^^•hich 

 tliey once had in the disposal of 

 the great benefices of the church, 

 by procuring to the deaua and 

 chapters of each diocese the re- 

 storation of their ancient right of 

 electing the bishops. The re-es- 

 tablishment of this ancient order 

 was the object of several statutes 

 enacted in England, and of the 

 pragmatic sanction established in 

 France in the 15th centurv." 



Report of the Lords of the Com- 

 mitlce of Council, appointed to 

 take into consideration the State 

 of the Coihs of this Kivgdom, 



and the present Establishment and 

 Constitution of his Majesty's 

 Mint, to his Royal Highness the 

 Prime Regent, dated the 2lst of 

 May, 1816. 

 At the Council Chamber, White- 

 hall, the 21st of iMay, 1816, by 

 theRight Honourable the Lords 

 of the Committee of Ccmncil, 

 appointed to take into consider- 

 ation the State of tlie Coins of 

 this Kingdom, and the present 

 Establishment and Constitution 

 of his Majesty's Mint : 

 His Ma.jcsty having been pleas- 

 ed, by his Order in Council of 

 7 th February, 179S, to direct 

 this Committee to take into con- 

 sideration the state of the coins 

 of this realm, and the present 

 establishment and constitution of 

 his Majesty's Mint, the Commit- 

 tee, in discharge of their duty, 

 have already submitted to his Ma- 

 jesty their opinions on some of 

 the points so referred to them. 



A new Mint has, at their re- 

 commendation, been elected, and 

 furnished with a most complete 

 and extensive coining apparatus, 

 including all the modern improve- 

 ments ; and in a representation 

 to your Royal Highness in Coun- 

 cil,' of 6th March, 1815, this 

 committee suggested several al- 

 terations in the establishment and 

 constitution of his Majesty's Mint, 

 whicli your Royal Highness was 

 graciously pleased to approve, 

 and which will, it is presumed, 

 render that establishment more 

 eihcient. 



These preliuiinni'y steps having 

 been completed, the committee 

 have availed themseU es of tlie re- 

 turn of general peace, to resume 

 the consideration of the important 

 subject referred to them, which 



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