House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 7 January 1696

Martis, 7 die Januarii ;

Septimo Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Darwent Navigation.

A PETITION of the Mayor and Burgesses of the Town and County of Nottingham was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill brought into this House, for making the River of Darwent, in the County of Derby, navigable, on Pretence that the same will promote Trade, and be an Increase of able Seamen; which Grounds are fallacious; for that, if the Bill should . . . ., it will very much lessen the Trade of Nottingham, Leicester, Loughborough, and other adjacent Markets; it will not produce One able Seaman in Twenty Years time; it will render the River Trent wholly useless as to Navigation; it will lessen the Rent of Lands in the Counties of Nottingham, Darby, Leicester, York, and Lancaster; and will ruin Thousands of Families, who live by carrying Commodities from Place to Place by Land: And praying, That they may be heard, by Counsel, to give their Reasons against Passing of the said Bill.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the said Bill is committed.

Duty on Coals.

A Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, Common Council, Citizens, and Inhabitants, of the City of Gloucester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by an Act, made the last Parliament, intituled, An Act for granting to his Majesty certain Duties upon Glass Wares, Stone and Earthen Bottles, Coals and Culm, for carrying on the War against France, a Duty of 5s. per Ton for all water-borne Coals should be paid to his Majesty; which Duty does so greatly affect the City of Gloucester, which used to be supplied with Coals brought down the River Severn, that now none can be had; so that several Citizens, whose Trade require a Consumption of Coals, are forced to give over their Trades; and the neighbouring Towns under-sell the Petitioners in all their Commodities, being supplied with Coals by Land-carriage, for near 20 Miles round Gloucester: That their Poor, who used to be supplied by a Stock provided by the Chamber, are wholly left destitute thereof; and are become so necessitous, that they take all manner of Fences they can meet withal for Fuel; and the better Sort burn Wood; so that the Money intended to be raised by the said City, and neighbouring Corporations, wholly fails, and the Petitioners left in great Distress: And praying, That the House will so alter and proportion the said Duty, as to make it equal to them with their Neighbours, that they may thereby be enabled to pay the King's Taxes, and maintain their Families.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee appointed to consider of the Doubts and Complaints relating to the said Act.

Call of the House.

The House was, according to Order, called over:

And the Names of such as made Default were called a Second time; and the Absence of several of them excused, by reason of present Sickness; and some few for urgent Occasions.

And the Question being severally put, That Thomas Bere Esquire, Sir Michael Wentworth, Sir Robert Dashwood, Sir Thomas Barnardiston, William Elson Esquire, and Sir William Morley, be excused;

It passed in the Negative.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That Henry Priestman Esquire be excused;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That Thomas Bere Esquire be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for absenting himself from his Service in Parliament.

The Question being put, That Sir Michael Wentworth be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for absenting himself from his Service in Parliament;

It passed in the Negative.

Ordered, That Sir Robert Dashwood Knight and Baronet be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for absenting himself from his Service in Parliament.

Ordered, That Sir Thomas Barnardiston Baronet he sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for absenting himself from his Service in Parliament.

Ordered, That William Elson Esquire be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for absenting himself from his Service in Parliament.

Ordered, That Sir William Morley Knight of the Bath be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for absenting himself from his Service in Parliament.

Coinage.

Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer reported from the Committee appointed to prepare Reasons, to be offered at a Conference with the Lords, for disagreeing with their Lordships in several of the Amendments, made by them, to the Bill, intituled, An Act for the regulating the Coinage of the Silver Money of this Kingdom, That they had prepared Reasons accordingly; which they had directed him to report to the House; and which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read; and agreed unto by the House; and are as followeth; viz.

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