House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 8 April 1690

Martis, 8 die Aprilis;

Prayers.

Coventrye's Estate.

ORDERED, That Sir John Cary and Mr. May be added to the Committee to whom the Bill for supplying a Defect in an Act of the last Parliament, for the Sale of a House late Mr. Secretary Coventrye's, is referred.

Fenwicke's Estate.

A Bill to enable Sir Robert Fenwicke to sell Lands for Payment of his Debts, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time:

London Markets.

A Petition of several Persons of divers Callings, who keep the Markets of the City of London, was presented to the House.

Ordered, That the said Petition be read To-morrow Morning: And that the Members that serve for the City of London have Notice thereof.

Person in Custody discharged.

The House being acquainted, that the Sheriff of the County of Carnarvan hath now made his Return into the Crown Office;

And a Motion being made, That he may be discharged out of Custody of the Serjeant at Arms;

Ordered, That the High Sheriff of the County of Carnarvan (first paying his Fees) be discharged.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Leving have Leave to go into the Country.

Sadleir's Estate.

A Bill to enable Sir Edw. Sadleir to sell some Lands, for Payment of Debts, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Prideaux's Claim on Lord Jeffryes.

A Petition of Edmund Prideaux, of Ford Abbey in Devonshire, Esquire, was read; setting forth, That the Petitioner, Nineteenth June 1685, was seized by one of the late King's Messengers, upon a Warrant signed by the Earl of Sunderland, upon Suspicion of Treason; and kept in Custody till the Fourteen July, when he gave Security to appear the First Day of the next Term: That, during his Imprisonment, he often desired to be examined, and to know his Crime and Accuser; but could not: That, on the Fourteenth September, the Petitioner was again seized, and committed close Prisoner to the Tower of London, where his very wife could not procure to see him on less Terms than being kept a close Prisoner with him; which she did, till her Indisposition obliged her to procure a Release: That during the Petitioner's Imprisonment, the Lord Jeffryes' Agents made general Inquiries by Threats and Promises among the Prisoners, and condemned Persons in the West, for an Accusation against the Petitioner; Particularly Mr. Charles Speke, as he declared before his Execution, was proffered his Life, in case he would swear against him; though, to this Day, the Petitioner could not find there was any thing sworn against him: That the Petitioner (notwithstanding his Innocency) being informed of such the Lord Jeffryes' Practices, and of his repeated Threats of hanging the Petitioner, endeavoured to make Application to the late King James by Two Persons of Quality, for his Majesty's Pardon: But was answered, That they could not do the Petitioner any Good; for that the King had given him to the Lord Chancellor, to whom (all other Ways being stopped) Application was made: And accordingly a known Agent of the said Chancellor's undertook to transact the Matter with his Lordship for the Petitioner's Pardon; his Majesty (as the Agent said) having given him as a Reward to his Lordship for his Service in the West: That the Petitioner's Wife, during this Transaction, was positively refused any more to see him, till the Petitioner had contracted to lay down Fifteen thousand Pounds; and the Petitioner, being forced by the said Practices, and by Duress of Imprisonment (which was Seven Months), signed Bonds for Payment of the said Fifteen thousand Pounds; which was paid accordingly, in Three Days after, to the great Damage of the Petitioner's Fortune: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill to make the Estate of the late Lord Jeffryes liable to the Restitution of the Sum of Fifteen thousand Pounds.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to prepare and bring a Bill upon the said Petition.

And it is referred unto Mr. Serjeant Trenchard, Sir Jos. Tredenham, Mr. Boscowen, Sir Sam. Dashwood, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Harcourt, Sir Gervas Elwes, Mr. Dyett, Sir Robert Cotton, or any Three of them.

Lewknor's Wife's illegitimate Children.

Mr. Harcourt reports from the Committee, to whom the Bill to illegitimate any Child or Children that the Wife of John Lewknor, Esquire, hath had, or shall have, during her Elopement from him, was referred, That the Committee had agreed to the Bill without any Amendments.

Ordered, That the Bill be ingrossed.

Importing thrown Silk.

A Bill to discourage the Importation of Thrown Silk, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Supply Bill; late Q. Mary's Estate.

A Bill to vest in their present Majesties the Lands and Estate belonging to the late Queen Mary, or to any other Person in Trust for her, was presented to the House.

The said Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Cinque Ports Elections.

A Bill to regulate Elections of Members, to serve in Parliament for the Cinque Ports, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Election Returns.

A Bill to prevent false and undue Returns of Members to serve in Parliament, was read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed unto Sir Cha. Windham, Sir Rob. Rich, Sir Rob. Sawyer, Sir Tho. Vernon, Sir H. Goffe, Colonel Austen, Sir Gilbert Clerke, Mr. Carter, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Dalben, Mr. Windham, Sir Tho. Clarges, Sir Rob. Dashwood, Sir Wm. Cooke, Colonel Birch, Sir Wm. Ellis, Mr. Fenwick, Sir Tho. Darcy, Mr. Glemham, Sir Edw. Seymour, Sir Tho. Hussey, Lord Norreis, Sir Edw. Seymour, Serjeant Hutchins, Sir Cha. Bloys, Mr. Gwyn, Sir Rob. Edon, Sir Rob. Davers, Lord Digby, Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Buckley, Sir Phil. Skippon, Mr. Morland, Mr. Fuller, Sir Christopher Musgrave, Mr. England, Sir Rich. Hart, Mr. Cognisby, Sir Wm. Yorke, Lord Falkland, Lord Wm. Pawlett, Mr. Waller, Mr. Campion, Sir John Dorrell, Mr. Burrard, Mr. Sherrard, and all the Members that are of the Long Robe: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Three of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Cardigan Election.

A Petition of John Vaughan, Esquire, was read; setting forth, That the Petitioner was duly elected for the County of Cardigan by the Majority of legal Voters; but that the Sheriff, by Consederacy, and adjourning the Poll, and admitting the Voices of such who only had Mortgages to Poll for Sir Carbury Price; and denied Persons of the same Capacity, and better Estates, for the Petitioner: That the Sheriff adjourned the Court so often, and to such Distance of Places, that he polled the Day after the Writ was returnable; and, by such Partiality, hath returned Sir Carbury as Knight to serve for the said Shire, in Prejudice to the County, and the Petitioner: And praying the Consideration and Relief of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Elections: Who are to examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinions therein, to the House.

London Corporation.

A Motion being made, and the Question proposed, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to reverse the Judgment in a Quo Warranto against the City of London as arbitrary and illegal; and thereby to restore the City of London to its ancient Privileges;

An Amendment was proposed to be made of the Question, by leaving out the word "reverse;" and, instead thereof, to insert the Word "declare."

And the Question being put, That the Word "reverse" do stand in the Question;

The House divided.

The Noes go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Resolved, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to reverse the Judgment in a Quo Warranto against the City of London as arbitrary and illegal; and thereby to restore the City of London to its ancient Privileges.

Recognizing K. William and Q. Mary.

A Message from the Lords, by Mr. Justice Gregory and Baron Turton;

Mr. Speaker, The Lords Spiritual and Temporal have agreed upon a Bill, intituled, An Act for recognizing King William and Queen Mary, and for avoiding all Questions touching the Acts made in the Parliament assembled at Westminster the Thirteenth Day of February 1688: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke, and Sir Robert Legard.

Worthenbury Chapel.

Mr. Speaker, the Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act for separating and making the Chapel of Worthenbury a distinct Church from the Parish Church of Bangor: to which they desire the Concurrence of this House:

Edwards' Estate.

And also another Bill, intituled, An Act, whereby the Freehold and Inheritance of the Manor of Loleworth, alias Lollworth, and the Advowson of the Church of Loleworth, alias Lollworth in the County of Cambridge, and divers other Lands and Hereditaments in Loleworth aforesaid, and in Long Stanton in the said County, are vested in Altham Smith, of Grey's Inn in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, and Wm. Gore, of London, Merchant, and their Heirs in Fee Simple, in Possession, to the Use of them and their Heirs, in Trust for John Edwards, of Debden Hall, in the County of Essex, Esquire, and his Heirs, to the Intent the same may be sold: to which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Recognizing K. William and Q. Mary.

Then the ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for recognizing King William and Queen Mary, and for avoiding all Questions touching the Acts made in the Parliament assembled at Westminster the Thirteenth Day of February 1688, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time Tomorrow Morning.

Supply Bills; Excise, Tonage, &c.

Mr. Solicitor General presented to the House Two Bills for settling the Revenue upon their Majesties; viz. For settling the Excise for their Lives, and the Life of the longer Liver of them; and the Customs of Tonage and Poundage for Four Years: And the same were received.

Supply Bill; Poll Tax.

Resolved, That this House will, 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 Poll Bill.

London Corporation.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to prepare and bring in the Bill to reverse the Judgment in a Quo Warranto against the City of London, as arbitrary and illegal; and thereby to restore the City of London to its ancient Privileges.

And it is referred to Sir Tho. Lee, Sir Gilbert Clerke, Sir Christopher Musgrave, Sir Wm. Poultney, Sir Tho. Clarges, Mr. Powle, Sir Rob. Claton, Sir Edw. Seymor, Serjeant Hutchins, Sir Tho. Fowles, Mr. Dolben, Serjeant Blincoe, Sir Wm. Pritchard, Mr. Cognisby, and all the Members that serve for the City of London; or any Five of them.

And then the House adjourned till To-morrow Morning, Eight a Clock.