To the Lords, Spiritual and Temporal, together with the Commons, Assembled in this Present PARLIAMENT 1693 / 4.  
Gentlemen,  
THe Design of the Book, entitled, Royal Institutions, Is most humbly to beg, That You, in your great Wisdom, would be pleased to consider, How to Establish and Confirm, to all the King's Subjects, some Laws and Methods for working of Silver and Gold Mines, or any other, that shall be found in America; and to take away, and make voided all those Clauses in any former Grants, relating to Mines, which have hitherto hindered, and obstructed the same; whereby this Honourable enterprise would become a National Benefit, and be of great Advantage to all the English Posterity; and that the Royalties of those Countries may rest in the CROWN, and the KING remain sole Lord of the Soil. For, till some Methods and Laws be settled, to distinguish MEUM and TUUM, no Subject can proceed regularly and safely in this Affair, nor any Man know his own Interest from the Property of another Man's. And in regard there hath not been, nor at present is, but a few Men, that thoroughly understand Mines, and Mineral Proceedings; Therefore I have, in all Humility, and in all Dutiful Submission, most humbly laid before You the substance of some Methods, absolutely necessary to be Enacted, and Past into, Laws, for the Good of the English Nation in general; which, upon your Inspection, and deliberate Consideration, I humbly hope, either those Articles contained in the Book, or some other, such as in your great Wisdom, You shall think fit to Make and Establish, will be, by this present PARLIAMENT, Enacted and Confirmed as LAWS and CUSTOMS for all such Mines;( and that I may have Liberty to bring in a Bill for the same) which will, undoubtedly, increase the Riches of the Nation, and Revenues of the CROWN, in a little Time.  
Thom. Houghton.