House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 28 May 1689

Martis, 28 die Maii ;1° Willielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Wounded Seamen.

ORDERED, That all the Members that serve for the Sea Ports and Maritime Towns, be added to the Committee appointed to consider of a Way to provide for Seamen that are maimed, and the Wives and Children of such as shall be slain in their Majesties Service.

Arundell Building Grounds.

Mr. England reports from the Committee, to whom the ingrossed Bill, sent down from the Lords, intituled, An Act for building into Tenements the remaining Part of Arundell Grounds, as now inclosed, That they had considered thereof, and did not think fit to make any Alterations therein.

Resolved, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

The Bill was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass.

Ordered, That Mr. England do carry the Bill up to the Lords; and acquaint them with the Concurrence of this House thereunto, without any Alteration.

Irish Protestants.

Sir Joseph Tredenham reports from the Committee, to whom the Address concerning the Irish Protestants was re-committed, That the Committee had considered of the Matters to them referred, and had agreed upon an Address to be presented to his Majesty; which they had directed him to report to the House: And he read the same in his Place; and afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

WE Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in Parliament assembled, having taken into our serious and tender Considerations, the many great Sufferings of the Protestant Nobility and Gentry of Ireland, which their Zeal for the Protestant Religion, Your Majesties Service, the Interest of England in that Kingdom, and Love to our Nation, have exposed them to; whereby great Numbers have been forced to fly hither, deprived of all their real Estates, as well as personal, of a much greater Value; so that they are thereby reduced to the most pressing Necessities, and are become great Objects of Compassion; being the only Body of Protestants that are ruined by the late happy Revolution; which hath wrought so great a Deliverance not only for the rest of Your Majesties Subjects, but for all the Protestant Interest in Europe; most humbly crave Leave, on their Behalf, to offer their deplorable Condition to Your Majesties most Princely Consideration.

And whereas, by reason of their Numbers, . . . . . very apprehensive of their being and continuing a Burden and Charge to this Kingdom, while they remain, in such Condition, unemployed; and that many of them are, for their Interest in, and Knowledge of, that Kingdom, as well as Experience in Military Affairs, (having served there, and thereby inured to the Country) well qualified to serve under Your Majesties for the Reducing thereof; and all of them pressing and forward for that Service, as well as to redeem their Wives, Children, Friends, or Relations, from the present Slavery, and miserable Oppression, they groan under;

1. We humbly recommend such of the said Nobility and Gentry, as are fit for Military Employments, as very proper Persons for Reducing of that Kingdom to its Obedience to the Crown.

2. That such of them as are not fit for such Service, may, as Your Majesty shall have an Opportunity, be put into such Civil Employments as they are capable of, according to their several Abilities and Professions.

3. For the present Supply of the great Necessities of the said Nobility and Gentry of Ireland, we humbly pray, That such Part of the Stock which the late King hath in the East India and Guinea Companies, as yet undisposed of, may be sold, and distributed among them, according to a List of Distribution already settled, and herewith presented to Your Majesties; with regard to others not yet appearing; as their Estates, and other their Circumstances, shall be presented, in order to their Support and Maintenance, proportionably with the rest: And that, for a further and standing Fund for their future Subsistence, until Ireland be reduced, Your Majesties will be graciously pleased to issue forth Your Royal Proclamation, requiring all Papists, beyond the Seas, who have Estates in England, and all Protestants that are in Arms, or otherwise engaged in Service against Your Majesties, if any such there be, to return within such convenient time: And, that the Estates of all such as shall not give Obedience thereunto, be seized into Your Majesties Hands, for the Relief of the Nobility and Gentry, who are, or shall be, deprived of their Estates there. And, because possibly the said Funds, as well for the present Supply, as future Subsistence of the said Nobility and Gentry, may prove either so insufficient or dilatory a Provision, as their pressing Necessities cannot dispense with; we humbly pray Your Majesties to appoint such other certain and sufficient Fund as may answer those Ends: And we are the rather induced to make this our humble Supplication to Your Majesty on Behalf of the said Nobility and Gentry, because we esteem ourselves obliged to afford them present Relief and Support, and to represent the speedy Recovery of the Kingdom of Ireland, of great Importance to This, in all respects, as Your Majesties and the Nation's true Interest.

And, in regard we have not named his Grace the Duke of Ormond amongst the rest of the Nobility and Gentry of Ireland, in the List before-mentioned, because of his eminent Service, Quality, and great Estate; and lest the Fund we have proposed may not allow such Provision, as his State and Merits require; we do therefore humbly beseech Your Majesties, to take the Condition of the said Duke, and his great Merits and Sufferings, into Your particular and Royal Consideration: And that your Majesty will be pleased also to consider of the rest of the Nobility and Gentry already fled, and daily coming from Ireland, that remain unprovided for.

The same was again read, Paragraph by Paragraph: And an Amendment being proposed to be made in the First Paragraph, by leaving out these Words, "of much greater Value;" the same was, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Resolved, That the First Paragraph, so amended, be agreed unto.

The Three next Paragraphs were, upon the Question severally put, agreed unto by the House.

The Fifth Paragraph being read a Second time, the Persons appointed the 22th Instant, to inquire, by the best Means they could, what Stock the late King James had undisposed of, in the East India Company, Guinea Company, and Hudson's Bay Company: and to bring an Account thereof to the House . . . to make their Report concerning the same:

East India Stock, &c. possessed by late K. James.

Whereupon Mr. Papillion acquainted the House, That they had made Inquiry accordingly; and found, as to the East India Company,

That 3,000l. Stock, in the said Company, was purchased and transferred to his Royal Highness James Duke of Yorke, as followeth; viz.

l . 2,000, the 30 Apr. 1684, from Sir Ben. Bathurst.
500, the 22 Sept. 1684, from Ro. Nelson, Esq.
500, the 1 Oct. 1684, from Sir Ben. Bathurst.

That 7,000l. Stock more, in the said Company, to make up the former 3,000l. Stock to be 10,000l. Stock, was transferred from the Accompt apart, of Geo. Boune to King James his Accompt: Which was, in the said Company's Books, so passed the 30th of November 1687.

That, by a Transfer, dated at St. Germains the 10th of January 168 8/9, signed James R., and sealed with a Seal in hard Wax, and witnessed by F. Grahme and Row. Tempest, the said King James did transfer 3,000l. Stock in the said Company to James Grahme; which said Transfer is attested also by Two publick Acts in French, of publick Notaries, and the Provost des Merchands: And they find, that the said Tranfer was accepted, and passed in the said Company's Book, the 1st March 168 8/9.

That the said James Grahme hath transferred the said 3,000l. as followeth; viz.

500l. to Josiah Child, Esquire, the 2d Mar. 1689.
1,200, to Wm. Sheppard, the 2d Mar. ditto.
1,300, to Rich. Sterne of Yorke, Esq. 25 Mar. 1689.

As to the Guinea or African Company, they find, That, the First July 1674, his Royal Highness James Duke of Yorke had Credit per the general Stock 3,000l.; and, on Inquiry, the same was affirmed to be so much paid in Money.

That by a Transfer, dated at St. Germain the 10th January 168 8/9, signed, sealed, witnessed, and attested, as the Transfer above-mentioned of the East India Stock, the said 3,000l. was transferred to James Grahme; and the same passed in the Company's Books the 12th March 168 8/9: The Acceptance of the said Transfer by James Grahme, hath no Date; but was affirmed to be done the said 12th Day of March.

That the said James Grahme hath, as yet, transferred only 2,500l. of the said 3,000l. Stock; viz.

So there remains 500l. as Colonel James Grahme hath not yet transferred.

As to Hudson Bay Company, they find, That his Royal Highness James Duke of Yorke hath Credit, for his Share, in the general joint Stock and Adventure in that Company's Stock, 300l.; which Stock was passed to his Credit in Anno 1676, and continues so yet undisposed of.

A Debate arose thereupon, what Sum should be desired for the said Persons present Subsistence.

Resolved, That 15,000l. be the Sum that his Majesty be desired to distribute among the Irish Nobility and Gentry.

Ordered, That the said Address be re-committed to the same Committee, to make the same agreeable to the said Resolve: And that Mr. Howe, Sir Tho. Littleton, Mr. Colt, Sir Jonath. Jennings, Sir John Cope, Sir Algernoon May, be added to the said Committee: And they are to meet this Afternoon, at Four of the Clock, in the Place formerly appointed; and to make their Report to the House, with all convenient Speed.

Supply Bill; Land Tax.

A Bill for granting a Subsidy to their Majesties was read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Resolved, That the House do, upon Thursday Morning next, at Nine of the Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to proceed in the Consideration of the said Bill.

Resolved, That the House will proceed de die in diem, upon the said Bill, until it be finished.

Royal Assent to Bills.

A Message from the King, by Sir Thomas Duppa, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod;

Mr. Speaker,

The King commands this honourable House to attend his Majesty in the House of Peers, immediately.

Accordingly, the House went up to attend his Majesty: And being returned,

Mr. Speaker acquaints the House, That his Majesty had given his Royal Assent to several Acts; viz.

An Act to impower their Majesties to commit, without Bail, such Persons as they shall find just Cause to suspect are conspiring against the Government: And,

An Act for building into Tenements the remaining Part of Arundell Ground, as now inclosed.

Orphans of London.

Resolved, That the House do, on Tuesday next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to proceed in the Consideration of the Bill for Relief of the Orphans of the City of London.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Privilege.

Ordered, That the Report, touching the Breach of Privilege between Sir Richard Temple and Mr. Palmes, be made To-morrow Sevennight.

Poll Bill.

Resolved, That the adjourned Debate, upon the Report from the Conference touching the Amendments to the additional Poll Bill, be resumed To-morrow Morning, the first Business.

And then the House adjourned till To-morrow Morning, Nine of the Clock.