House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 20 January 1696

Lunæ, 20 die Januarii ;

7° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Highway Laws.

A PETITION of the Carriers, Waggoners, and others, travelling the Western Roads, was presented to the House, and read: setting forth, That, by the Statute of 22° Car. 2. for repairing Highways and Bridges, no Waggoner is to travel the Roads with more than Five Horses at Length; and if they draw with a greater Number, they shall all draw in Pairs, except One Horse; under the Penalty of Forty Shillings: That Richard Feilder, and others, upon Pretence of being Undertakers for the Roads, and Informers of the Abuses committed therein, extort great Sums of Money from the Petitioners; and, by Combination, do take quarterly Payment of 20s. 15s. and Seven Shillings, per Quarter, to permit the Waggoners to draw with as many Horses as they please; and if they do not comply with the said Informers, they seize upon their Horses, and pretend they have incurred the Penalty of the said Act; so that they cannot travel the Roads without incurring the said Penalty, the Informers giving out, That they will be paid, however the Waggoners draw; but if they will agree with them, they shall draw with 20 Horses, if they will: And praying, That the House will explain the said Act, or otherwise redress their Grievance, as the House shall think sit.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House:

And it is referred to Mr. Arnold, Sir Godfry Copley, Sir Richard Onslow, Mr. Baldwyn, Mr. Ja. Mountague, Mr. Blofield, Lord Spencer, Mr. Farrer, Mr. Yates, Mr. Parker, Sir John Turner, Mr. Sandford, Sir John Bolles, Mr. Whitacre, Mr. Booth, Sir Gerv. Elwes, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Monson, Mr. White, Mr. Blake, Sir Robert Cotton, Sir Geo. Hungerford, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Perry, Mr. Moore, Mr. Hedger, Mr. Grey, Mr. England, Mr. Hobby, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Watlington: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock in the Speaker's Chamber: And are impowered to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.

Holbourn and Finsbury Court of Conscience.

Ordered, That the Bill for erecting a Court of Conscience for Holbourn and Finsbury Division be read a Second time, upon Friday Morning next: And that the Lady Russell be then heard, by her Counsel, at the Bar of this House, against the said Bill: And that the Inhabitants of the said Division be also then heard, by their Counsel, to the said Bill.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Petition from Bristol.

A Petition of several Merchants and Traders of the City of Bristoll was presented to the House, and read; and, by Leave of the House, withdrawn.

Haynes's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act to enable Richard Haynes Esquire to settle a Jointure on his now Wife; and to exchange Lands with the Trustees of Thomas Stevens Esquire, deceased; was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Elections.— Oaths administered to Voters.

Ordered, That it be an Instruction to the Members appointed to prepare, and bring in, a Bill for punishing such as shall forswear themselves, before the Sheriff, at the Elections of Knights of Shires, That they do bring in a Clause to compel the Sheriff to administer an Oath to the Electors, that they are Freeholders, if the Candidates require the same.

Ordered, That it be an Instruction also, That they do bring in a Form of an Oath to be administered by the Sheriff to the Freeholders.

Ordered, That it be an Instruction also, That they do bring in a Clause, for preventing Inconveniencies by the Sherift's adjourning the County-Court.

Ordered, That it be an Instruction also, That they do bring in a Clause, to compel the High Sheriff, upon Receipt of the Writ for electing Members to serve in Parliament, to send the Precepts forthwith to the several Boroughs, without Fee or Reward for the same.

Ways and Means.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Saturday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for carrying on the War against France.

Ordered, That the said Committee of the whole House do consider of Impositions upon all French Goods imported.

King appoints to be attended.

Sir Henry Goodrick acquainted the House, That his Majesty having, according to Order, been waited upon, humbly to know his Pleasure, when he will be attended by this House, his Majesty had been pleased to appoint on Wednesday next, at Five a Clock, at Kensington.

Supply Bill; Land Tax.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill for granting to his Majesty an Aid of 4s. in the Pound, for One Year, for carrying on the War against France.

Ordered, That the said Committee have Power to receive a Clause of Appropriation.

Bringing Plate to be coined.

Mr. Lownes, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill to encourage the bringing in of milled, broad, or unclipped, Monies, to be exchanged, by Commissioners in the several Parts of this Realm, with the common People, for their clipped Monies; and for the encouraging Persons to bring Plate into the Mint, to be coined.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

English East-India Company.

A Petition of the Governor and Company of Merchants of London, trading into the East-Indies, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners are informed, divers Ships are now sitted out for the EastIndies, by Persons no-way concerned in the English joint Stock; but, as 'tis believed, by those that have subscribed to the Scotch Company, Application having been made to the Directors of that Company, residing in London, for Permission to trade into the East-Indies under the Privileges of that Company: And praying the Preservation of the East-India Trade to this Nation; and the Consideration of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee appointed to examine what Methods were taken for obtaining the Act of Parliament passed in Scotland, for the establishing an East-India Company; and who were the Subscribers thereunto; and who were the Promoters and Advisers thereof; be made To-morrow Morning.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the said Report be made.

Commissioners of Accounts.

A Bill for the examining, taking, and stating, the publick Accounts, was read a Second time.

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

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill.

Darwent Navigation.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Mansfield, in the County of Nottingham, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill now depending in the House, for making the River Darwent, in the County of Derby, navigable; which Bill, if it should pass into a Law, will not only tend to the great Damage of the Petitioners, but also to great Numbers of Inhabitants of adjacent Counties: And praying, That the said Bill may nor pass until they have offered their Reasons against the same.

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 Ministers, Church-wardens, and Overseers of the Poor, of several Parishes in the Borough of Southwark, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Duty of 5s. per Chaldron, laid upon Coals, doth occasion their Poor, who are very numerous, to undergo such Hardships for want of Fire, that may prove of dangerous Consequence; being sensible of the Inequality of the said Duty . . . . (who used to be excepted from Taxes): That, since the War, the Number of their Poor is so increased, by the Widows of Seamen, and their Children, that they must perish for want of Fuel, if not relieved by the House; the several Parishes not being able to maintain them: And praying, That they may be heard to prove the Truth of the Premises.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table.

Encouraging Seamen.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Sevennight, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill, for the Increase and Encouragement of Seamen.

Commissioners of Accounts.

Resolved, That this House will proceed to a new Election of Commissioners for taking and stating the publick Accounts.

State of the Nation.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the State of the Nation, in relation to Trade.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Colonel Granvill took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Colonel Granvill reported from the said Committee, That they had made a further Progress in the Matter to them referred; and had directed him to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Thursday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the State of the Nation, in relation to Trade.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cook and Mr. Meredeth:

Mr. Speaker,

Lord Pawlet's Estate.

The Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act to enable the Lord Francis Pawlet to charge his Estate with Provisions for his younger Children: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House. Also,

Supply Bill; Annuities.

They have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act for enlarging the Times for Persons to come in and purchase certain Annuities, therein mentioned; and for continuing the Duties on low Wines, or Spirits, of the first Extrac tion; for carrying on the War against France; without any Amendments. Also,

Coin.

They have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act for remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom, without any Amendments.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

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