House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 8 January 1694

Lunæ, 8 die Januarii;

5° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Vivian's Estate.

MR. Boscawen reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill to enable John Vivian the elder, Esquire, and Thomas Vivian, to sell some Part of their Estate, for Payment of Debts, and making Provision for younger Children, was committed, That they had made some Amendments to the Bill; which they had directed him to report to the House: And that the Consent of the Parties appeared by a Writing under their Hands and Seals: And he read the said Amendments in his Place; and afterwards delivered the same in at the Table: Where the same were once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed.

Execution of Justice in Wales.

A Bill for the better Execution of Justice within the Principality of Wales, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Edmund Waller have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

Preventing Export of Bullion.

Mr. Culliford presented to the House a Bill for the preventing the Exportation of English Bullion: And the same was received; and read the First time.

And, an Exception being taken thereunto, by reason that a Penalty was inserted therein, which should have been with a Blank;

Ordered, That the Bill be withdrawn: And that Mr. Culliford do prepare, and bring in, another Bill to the House, To-morrow Morning.

Land Tax.

Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, from the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, presented to the House, according to Order, an Account of several Sums returned into the Exchequer, charged upon the several and respective Counties, upon Land, Offices, and personal Estates, in each County, in pursuance of an Act made in the First Year of their Majesties Reign, intituled, An Act for a Grant to their Majesties of an Aid of Two Shillings in the Pound, for one Year.

Wigan Writ.

Ordered, That the Clerk of the Crown do take care, that the Writ, for electing of a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Wigan in the County of Lancaster, be, without further Delay, sealed To-morrow; and be immediately after sent to the Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster.

Disfranchising Stockbridge Borough.

Mr. Smith, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill to disable the Borough of Stockbridge, in the County of Southampton, to send Burgesses to serve in Parliament: And the same was received; and read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time, upon Thursday Morning next, after Eleven a Clock.

Call of the House.

Ordered, That the Call of the House be adjourned until Monday Morning next, Ten a Clock.

London Orphans Fund.

Resolved, That this House will, upon To-morrow Sevennight, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Council, of the City of London, relating to the Orphans of the said City.

Tryals for Treason.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Saturday Morning next, at Eleven a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for regulating of Tryals in Cases of High-Treason, and Misprision of Treason.

New East-India Company.

Mr. Papillion, according to the Order of the Day, reported from the Committee of the whole House, who were to consider of the Petition of several Merchants, and others, in and about the City of London, relating to the East-India Trade; and for erecting a new East-India Company; and to whom was referred the Examination and Consideration of the Petition of several Merchants, and others, concerned in the Ship Redbridge; That the Committee had proceeded to examine, and consider, the Matter of the said Petition, touching the said Ship: The which he reported specially to the House, as followeth; viz.

That Three of the Petitioners, James Bateman, Benjamin Rookby, and William Heathcot, attended: And,

Mr. Bateman said, That the said Ship was, by Order of Council, the One-and-twentieth of October last, stopped from going her Voyage until the Ninth of November; and that Four Ships more, which were obliged to go with that Ship, lay in the Downes for some time also; but that Orders were given afterwards to those Ships to sail; and they did so, with the Streights Fleet.

That he produced, and delivered in, to the Committee, a Copy, as he said it was, of the Petition of the East-India Company to her Majesty (taken out by his Solicitor, and marked, to be examined by him the Thirtieth of October last,) informing her Majesty, "That there had been lately obtained of their Majesties in Council, and the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord HighAdmiral of England, a Permission and Protection for the said Ship Redbridge, with Fifty Seamen, to proceed on a pretended Voyage to Alicant in Spain; and that they had had Notice, that the said Ship was really bound, not for Alicant, but to the East-Indies, or other those Parts and Places, the sole Trade whereof was granted to the Company by their Majesties Charter; and that the said Proceedings were as well in contempt of their Majesties Government, and the known Laws of this Kingdom, as to the very great Prejudice of the Company: And therefore prayed, That a Stop might be put to the said Ship, till her Majesty should be satisfied where she was really bound." And also,

A Copy of an Order, taken out, and marked, in like manner, made upon the said Petition; whereby it was ordered by her Majesty in Council, "That the said Ship should be immediately stopped from proceeding in her pretended Voyage to Alicant, or elsewhere, until further Order from the Board; and that the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and Commissioners of the Admiralty, should give necessary Directions accordingly."

Mr. Heathcott being asked, Whether the said Ship was not, before the new Charter was granted to the East-India Company, designed, or intended, for the East-Indies? He said, He was only an Owner, and did not think it any Sin to trade to the East-Indies; and would trade thither, till there was an Act of Parliament to the contrary.

And that thereupon the Committee came to a Resolution; which they had directed him to report to the House: and which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Table: Where the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That, upon Examination of the Matter touching the stopping the Ship Redbridge, it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the stopping of the said Ship is a Grievance, a Discouragement to Trade, and contrary to the known Laws of this Kingdom.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That this Matter be re-committed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That this Matter be re-committed to the Committee of the whole House, which is to sit upon Wednesday Morning next, to consider further of the Petition of several Merchants, and others, in and about the City of London, relating to the East-India Trade; and for erecting of a new East-India Company.

The Certificate presented to the House, from the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, was read.

Ordered, That the same do lie upon the Table.

Supply Bill; Land Tax

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for granting to their Majesties an Aid, for carrying on a vigorous War against France.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Sir Thomas Littleton took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Thomas Littleton reported from the said Committee, That they had made some 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, To-morrow Morning at Eleven a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the said Bill.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be adjourned.

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