House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 13 November 1689

Mercurii, 13 die Novembris ; 1° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Sir Thomas Armstrong.

ORDERED, That Mr. Rowe, Sir Wm. Poultney, Mr. Hamden, Sir Edw. Harley, Mr. Comptroller, Mr. Herbert, Lord Brandon, Mr. Howard, Mr. Fortescue, be added to the Committee to whom the Petition of the Lady Armstrong, and the Daughters of Sir Tho. Armstrong, is referred.

Recovery of Tythes, &c.

Resolved, That the ingrossed Bill for the more easy Recovery of small Tythes, and Repair of Churches, be now read the Third time.

The Bill was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: and that the Title thereof be, An Act for the more easy Recovery of small Tythes, and for the Repair of Churches.

Ordered, That Mr. Christy do carry the Bill up to the Lords for their Concurrence.

Lords desire Leave for Members to attend them.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke and Mr. Keck;

Mr. Speaker, We are commanded by the Lords to acquaint this honourable House with this Message, That a Committee being appointed to examine, Whowere the Advisers and Prosecutors of the Murders of the Lord Russell, Colonel Sidney, Sir Thomas Armstrong, Mr. Cornish, and others; and, Who were the Advisers of issuing out of Writs of Quo Warranto's against Corporations; and, Who were the Regulators; and also, Who were the publick Asserters of the Dispensing Power; That this House be desired, That Mr. Serjeant Trenchard, and John Hamden, Esquire, and such other Members of this House, as can inform the Lords of the said Committee, about those Matters, may have Leave to appear, when desired, to declare their Knowledge therein.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Resolved, That Leave be given to Mr. Serjeant Trenchard, and Mr. Hamden, junior, to attend the Lords.

And the Messengers were called in: And Mr. Speaker acquainted them therewith.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir John Francklin and Mr. Keck;

Watts' Nat.

Mr. Speaker, the Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act for the Naturalizing of Wm. Watts: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

Reversing Walcot's Attainder.

Also, the Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act for annulling the Attainder of John Walcot, Gentleman: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

State of the Nation.

Then the House resolved into a Committee of the whole House, to take into their Consideration the State of the Nation.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Grey took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.-

Abuse in Convoys.

A Petition of the Merchants of London was read; setting forth, That the Petitioners paying great Customs for the Guard of the Seas, and having many trading Vessels in the Streights and West Indies, when the War against France was declared, that had no Knowledge thereof; but, presuming on the safe Guarding of the Channel, returning without Fear, to theirs and the Petitioners great Loss, found the very Mouth of the Channel so infested with French Capers, and Men of War, that there are lost near One hundred Sail of Ships, to the Value of Six hundred thousand Pounds; whereby divers of the Petitioners are impoverished, the Government of England dishonoured, and the Kingdom weakened, by the Loss of many brave Seamen now in French Prisons, Gallies, or Men of War; whilst the French are thereby enriched, strengthened with many good Ships: And that those of the English Ships, that have escaped the French, and got into the West of England, after their lying there, some near Three Months, others more, have been fain to hire Foreigners, or pay considerable Sums of Money to the English, to convey them to the Downs; as the Petitioners were ready to make appear: And praying the Consideration and Relief of the House.

Then the Petitioners were called in, to own their Petition: And they did so.

And, being desired to give an Account, What Captains of Men of War took Money of Merchant Ships for Convoying of them;

They acquainted the House, That Captain George Churchill, of the Pendennis, had, of Emanuell Hudson, a Master of a Merchantman, for his and other Ships, Forty Pounds; and that they could bring the Evidence when the House should appoint.

And then they withdrew.

Resolved, That on Monday Morning next, this House will hear the Petitioners at the Bar of this House, to make good their Complaints.

A Member to attend.

Ordered, That George Churchill, Esquire, a Member of this House, have Notice to attend in his Place, upon Monday Morning next, touching an Information given of his having taken Monies of Captains of Merchant Ships for convoying them.

Resolved, That the House will, upon Monday Morning next, hear any other Persons that shall make any other Complaints of the like Abuses touching Convoys.

Then the Petitioners were called in again; and acquainted by Mr. Speaker with the said Resolves, for the hearing the Matter of the said Complaints on Monday next, either against Captain Churchill, or any others.-

State of the Nation.

Then the House again resolved into a Committee of the whole House, to take into Consideration the State of the Nation.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Grey took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Grey reports from the Committee of the whole House, That they had made some Progress in Consideration of the State of the Nation; and that they had directed him to move the House, That they may sit again Tomorrow Morning, to proceed further therein.

Resolved, That the House do, To-morrow Morning at Ten of the Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to proceed in the further Consideration of the State of the Nation.

Greenwich Court of Conscience.

Ordered, That the Committee to whom the Bill for erecting a Court of Conscience for the Hundred of Blackheath in the County of Kent, do sit To-morrow in the Afternoon.