Veneris, 15 die Martii;

7° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Message to attend the King.

A MESSAGE from his Majesty, by Sir Fleetwood Shepherd, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod:

Mr. Speaker,

The King commands this Honourable House to attend him in the House of Peers, immediately.

Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, with the House, went up to attend his Majesty, and spake as followeth:

May it please your most Excellent Majesty,

Mr. Speaker approved.

The Commons of England in Parliament assembled, having, by a very extraordinary Occasion, lost the Service of their late Speaker, proceeded to a new Election: And being commanded by your Majesty to present their Speaker at the Time and Place, they now wait on your Majesty, in full Parliament, to present me to succeed, on whom they have unanimously agreed.

I must acknowledge myself very unfit for so great an Employment; and wish they have not done themselves a great Prejudice therein; which they might have avoided, having Choice of many much more able Members for that Service: But I dare not oppose my own Opinion to that of so great a Body as the Commons of England: And therefore, with your Majesty's Approbation, am ready to serve your Majesty and them, to the utmost of my Abilities.

If they find themselves, on Trial, mistaken; and that I cannot answer their Expectations; though hitherto they will not allow me to excuse myself; yet then I hope they will; and provide one more fit for your Majesty's and their Service.

The Lord Keeper spake thus:

Mr. Foley,

The King has taken notice of the Modesty which you have shewn, in speaking of yourself; and how just a Sense you have expressed of the Weight and Difficulty of the Employment to which you are called: But his Majesty has commanded me to tell you, That he is so well assured of your dutiful Affection to his Service, and so fully satisfied of your Integrity, your Abilities, your Industry, and Application to Business, and your Experience in the Customs and Orders of Parliament, that he does well allow of the Choice which the House of Commons have made, and does approve of you for their Speaker.

After the Lord Keeper's Speech, the Speaker replied:

May it please your Majesty,

I, with Humility and Thankfulness, acknowlege your Majesty's great Favour; and hope your Majesty's Approbation will be a great Assistance to me in the Discharge of my Duty.

Not to mis-spend Time, now very precious for your Majesty's Affairs, I shall only make it my humble Request, That whatever Mistake or Fault I may commit, your Majesty will not impute it to your Commons; and for myself, not committing any wilfully, I cannot doubt of your Majesty's gracious Pardon.

And, being returned;

Mr. Speaker reported, That he had, with the House, attended his Majesty, who had approved of their Choice of him to be Speaker; and that afterwards, his Majesty had been pleased to give the Royal Assent to Two Bills; viz.

Royal Assent to Bills.

An Act for supplying certain Defects in the Directions made in and by a Deed of Trust, and the last Will of George Pit Esquire, deceased, for settling his Estate: And,

An Act for Naturalizing of Bernard Cosserat, alias Mourte, and Alexander Ringli, and others.

Fees on Proceedings of the House.

Afterwards, Mr. Speaker returned his humble Thanks to the House, for the Honour they had done him; and moved the House, That a Table of the Fees of the Proceedings of the House might be brought in, and settled.

Ordered, That a Table of Fees, relating to all Matters and Proceeding in this House, be brought in, and laid upon the Table.

Complaints from Inhabitants of Tanger.

Sir Thomas Clarges acquainted the House, That whereas the House did, the 7th Instant, upon the Petition of the late Inhabitants of Tanger, complaining of the great Abuses, in relation to the Monies granted by the late King James, for the Use of the Petitioners, order, That the said Petition should be delivered to one of the Members of this House, who was a Commissioner for examining, taking, and stating, the publick Accounts, that Matter not being within the Power of the said Commissioners; the same relating to an Account before the 5th Day of November 1688:

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to examine and consider of the said Petition; and to report the Matter, with their Opinion therein to the House:

And it is referred to Sir Tho. Clarges, Sir Richard Onslow, Mr. Harley, Sir Eliab Harvey, Mr. Lutterell, Sir William Drake, Mr. Pollexfen, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Colt, Mr. Gwyn, Sir John Wynn, Sir Ma. Andrews, Mr. Waller, Sir John Thompson, Sir Robert Cotton, Sir John Knight, Mr. Arnold, Sir Ra. Carr, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Ogle, Mr. Archer, Mr. Bickerstaff, Sir Wm. Ellis, Mr. Fuller, Sir Robert Cotton, Sir Cha. Raleigh, Mr. Trelawney, Mr. Hobby, Mr. Done, Lord Coningsby, Mr. Christy, Sir Rowland Gwyn, Mr. Culliford, Mr. Mawdit: And they are to meet To-morrow at Five of the Clock in the Afternoon, in the Speaker's Chamber: And are impowered to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.

Proceedings for the Election of Speaker.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to draw up the Proceedings of the House, in relation to the late Election of the Speaker; and to report the same to the House, to be entered in the Journals:

And it is referred to Mr. Harley, Mr. Comptroller, Sir Tho. Clarges, Mr. Wharton, Mr. Clark, Sir Chr. Musgrave, Sir Edward Seymour, Mr. Finch, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Mountague, Sir El. Harvey, Mr. Smith, Mr. How, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Lutterell, Sir Jos. Tredenham, Sir John Thompson, Mr. Solicitor-General, Mr. Tredenham Sir Walt. Young, Colonel Titus, Mr. Hopkins, Sir Edward Hussey, Sir Tho. Roberts, Mr. Palmes, Mr. Waller, Mr. Harcourt, Sir John Knight, Sir Richard Onslow, Lord Coningsby, Colonel Lee; or any Five of them: And they are to meet To-morrow in the Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Corrupt Application of Money by E. I. Company.

Resolved, That the Report from the Committee appointed to inspect the Books of the East-India Company, and of the Chamberlain of the City of London, be proceeded upon To-morrow Morning at Eleven a Clock.

Mistake in printing the Votes.

Complaint being made, That in the Votes of the 12th Instant, the Resolutions of the Committee to prevent the clipping the Silver Coin of this Kingdom were printed, though they were not considered, nor agreed to, by the House;

Ordered, That, in the Votes of this Day, Notice be given, That the Resolutions of the said Committee were printed by Mistake; and that the Matter thereof remains yet to be determined by this House.

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