House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 24 January 1694

Mercurii, 24 die Januarii;

5° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Rye Writ.

ORDERED, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ for electing of a Baron to serve in this present Parliament for the Port of Rye, in the room of Sir John Darell Knight, deceased.

Essex Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ, for electing of a Knight to serve in this present Parliament for the County of Essex, in the room of John Lemot Honywood Esquire, deceased.

Royal Mines.

Ordered, That the ingrossed Bill, to prevent Disputes and Controversies, concerning Royal Mines, be read the Third time, To-morrow Morning, after Eleven a Clock.

African Company.

A Petition of the Royal African Company of England was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Trade to Guinea, on the African Coast, cannot be maintained without Forts and Castles: And therefore other Countries, that trade thither, have, by their Laws established the Management of that Trade to particular Societies, finding it unpracticable to preserve it safe in the way of a joint Stock, and subjecting all other their Subjects, who shall disturb them, to severe Penalties: That that Trade is of more Importance to England, than any other State, by the Exportation of the Woollen and other Manufactures; the Returns whereof are in Gold, Elephants Teeth, Dying Wood, and supplying their Majesties Plantations with Negroes: That the Petitioners have, for some Years past, been at about 20,000l. per Ann. Charge, in maintaining several Forts and Castles; and have lately taken from the French the Castles of Senegall, and Goree, their only Places of Trade in the North of Africa; and have sustained great Losses at Sea since the War: That, unless the Petitioners are encouraged, they will shortly be disabled to maintain their Forts and Castles; so that the Trade to Africa will be in Danger of being totally lost to this Kingdom: And praying, That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill for the preserving and establishing the African Trade, according to the Charters granted to the said Company; or with such Alterations, as may be thought necessary: And submitting the whole Matter to the Wisdom of the House.

Resolved, That the Examination and Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee: And that they do report their Opinion therein to the House.

And it is referred to Mr. Harley, Mr. Mountague, Mr. Clark, Mr. Ryder, Sir John Knight, Mr. Shackerley, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Foley, Mr. Hawtry, Sir Tho. Dyke, Mr. Brewer, Sir Tho. Clarges, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Blofield, Sir Eliab Harvey, Sir Walter Young, Mr. England, Mr. Gray, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Burdet, Sir Fr. Massam, Mr. Wilmot, Mr. Onslow, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Goldwell, Mr. Cook, Mr. Fenwick, Mr. Hungerford, Sir Fran. Guibon, Mr. Perrey, Sir Robert Davers, Sir John Fleet, Mr. Lewes, Mr. Morris, Mr. Fuller, Sir Sam. Dashwood, Mr. Arnold, Sir Tho. Vernon, Sir John Key, Sir Wm. Pritchard, Mr. Palmer, Sir Geo. Willoughby, Mr. Henley, Sir Steph. Evans, Mr. Holt, Mr. Etterick, Mr. Bear, Mr. Waller, Mr. S. Smith, Mr. Gwyn, Sir Ma. Andrews, Sir Rob. Eden, Sir Roger Puleston, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Hedger, Sir Richard Onslow, Sir Isaac Rebow, Mr. Travers, Sir John Moreton; and all the Members of the House that serve for the Sea-Ports: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber: And have Power to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.

Trade of the Nation.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to consider of the Trade of the Nation; and how the same may be preserved from Decay, and improved; and to report their Opinion therein to the House.

And it is referred to Mr. Harley, Sir Walt. Young, Sir Chr. Musgrave, Sir Math. Andrews, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Onslow, Sir Richard Hart, Mr. Sandford, Colonel Holt, Mr. Pollexfen, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. Boscawen, Mr. Hutchinson, Sir S. Bernadiston, Sir Charles Bloys, Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Booth, Sir John Knight, Mr. White, Sir Tho. Dyke, Mr. Goldwell, Sir Jona. Jennings, Sir Thom. Vernon, Mr. Papillion, Mr. Palmes, Mr. Dyot, Sir Ben. Newland, Mr. Palmes, Sir Eliab Harvey, Mr. Lutterell, Mr. Bromley, Lord Coningsby, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Biddulph, Mr. Travers, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Smith, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Hungerford, Mr. Hedger, Mr. Slater, Mr. Waller, Sir Jos. Tredenham, Colonel Perry, Lord Willoughby, Mr. Burdet, Mr. Fenwick, Mr. England, Sir Richard Onslow, Mr. Culliford, Sir Edward Seymour, Sir John Moreton, Sir William Yorke: And all that come are to have Voices: And they are to meet To-morrow at Four of the Clock in the Afternoon, in the Speaker's Chamber: And are impowered to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.

Private Business.

Ordered, That no private Business be proceeded upon after Ten a Clock.

Irish Forfeitures.

Mr. Boyle, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill to vest the forfeited Estates in Ireland in their Majesties, to be applied to the Use of the War: And also,

English Forfeitures.

A Bill to vest the forfeited Estates in England in their Majesties, to be applied to the Use of the War.

And the same were received.

Ordered, That the said Bills be read To-morrow Morning at Ten a Clock.

Pensions &c. Members.

Ordered, That the Commissioners for stating the publick Accounts do, upon Saturday Morning next, lay before this House, according to the Order of the 21st of November last, an Account of the Pensions, Salaries, and Sums of Money, paid or payable to Members of Parliament out of the publick Revenue, or otherwise.

Woollen Manufactures.

A Bill for reviving the Act made in the First Year of their Majesties Reign, to prevent the Exportation of Wool, and encouraging the Woollen Manufactures of this Kingdom, was, according to the Order of the Day, read the Second time.

And the Question being put, That the Bill be committed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House;

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Sir Edward Seymour, Mr. Fenwick, Sir Walt. Young, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Palmes, Mr. Newport, Sir Robert Davers, Colonel Perry, Mr. Boscawen, Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Hutchinson, Sir Sam. Dashwood, Mr. Slater, Sir John Turner, Mr. Travers, Mr. Wilmot, Mr. England, Mr. Scobell, Sir Ra. Carr, Mr. Ogle, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Bear, Sir Tho. Dyke, Mr. Smith, Mr. Foley, Mr. Fuller, Sir Cha. Sidley, Mr. Gwyn, Sir Rich. Onslow, Mr. Price, Sir John Guise, Lord Pawlet, Sir Tho. Littleton, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Jeffryes, Sir Tho. Mompesson, Mr. Sanford, Sir Wm. Strickland, Sir Edward Chisnall, Sir John Brownlow, Sir Math. Andrews, Mr. Kenyon, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Buller, Mr. Tilney, Mr. Pelham, Sir Br. Stapleton, Mr. Waller, Sir Wm. Langham, Mr. Fawkes, Sir Fra. Guibon, Sir Ro. Cotton, Mr. Mountague, Mr. Freke, Sir Edward Hussey, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Onslow, Sir John Moreton, Sir John Key, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Hopkins: And all that come are to have Voices: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber: And are to have Power to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.

And it is to be an Instruction to the said Committee, That they do take into their Consideration, the Transporting of Wool to the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.

Ordered, That the Examination and Consideration of the Petition of the Gentlemen, Clothiers, and others, of the County of Gloucester, presented to the House, and read, the 23d Instant, be referred to the said Committee.

Woollen Manufactures.

A Petition of the Clothiers, and others, concerned in the Woollen Trade in the North of this Kingdom, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners are very much impoverished, their Trade being much decreased since the Expiration of the Act for a free Trade to Flanders, Germany, and Holland; so that great Numbers of poor People, who then got their Subsistence in the Woollen Trade, are now kept by their respective Parishes: And praying, That a free Trade to Flanders, Holland, and Germany, may be continued.

Ordered, That the Examination and Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Bill for reviving the Act made in the first Year of their Majesties Reign to prevent the Exportation of Wool, and encouraging the Woollen Manufactures of this Kingdom, is committed.

Supply Bill; Million-Act Deficiency.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to the Order of the Day, reported from the Committee of the whole . . . . . to whom the Bill for supplying the Deficiency of the Million-Act was committed, That they had considered the same; and also the Petition of divers Persons, on behalf of themselves and others, who have advanced Money on the Credit of the Million-Act, to receive Annuities for Lives, after the Rate of Fourteen Pounds per Cent.; the Consideration whereof was referred to the said Committee: And that they had made several Amendments to the Bill; which they had directed him to report to the House; which he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were once read throughout; and then a Second-time, one by one: And the same were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House, except Clause B; which was to relieve such as had omitted to name their Nominees in time.

And, in relation to the Matter thereof, another Clause was offered to the House, as more proper; and read the First time.

Whereupon the Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee, in the said Amendment of Clause B;

It passed in the Negative.

Then the other Clause, being read a Second time, was, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That, upon the Death of every Nominee, when reduced to Seven, his Share shall be equally divided amongst the Survivors.

And the Question being put, That the Clause be read;

It passed in the Negative.

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

Impeachment of Lord Coningsby, &c.

The Order of the Day, for the adjourned Debate upon the Articles against the Lord Coningsby, and Sir Charles Porter, being read;

Resolved, That the said Debate be adjourned till Monday Morning next.

Ordered, That the Lord Coningsby, and Sir Charles Porter, do take their Places in this House, until the said Debate be resumed.

Woolcombers, &c. Trade.

Ordered, That Sir Joseph Williamson, and Mr. Hungerford, be added to the Committee, to whom the Examination and Consideration of the Petition of the Wool-combers, and Traders in the Woollen Manufactures, in the Counties of Suffolk, Norfolke, Essex, Cambridge, and Isle of Ely, is referred.

Leather-cutting.

Ordered, That Sir Edward Abney, Sir Gilbert Clarke, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Tilney, be added to the Committee, to whom the Bill for making more effectual a Statute made in the First Year of King James the First, concerning Tanners, Curriers, Shoemakers, and others, occupying the Cutting of Leather, is committed.

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