House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 23 February 1698

Mercurii, 23 die Februarii;

Decimo Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

African Trade.

APETITION of the Mayor, Aldermen, CommonCouncil, and Merchant-Adventurers, of the City of Bristoll, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Support of the Plantations in America, is of great Concern to the Trade and Wealth of this Kingdom, which is carried on by the Strength of Negroes imported from Africa into the Plantations: And praying, That there may be an open Trade to Africa, from Cape Blancho to Angola, for Negroes.

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

Ayre and Calder Navigation.

A Petition of the Justices of the Peace, and Grand Jury, at the General Quarter-Sessions of the Peace holden at Wakefeild, in and for the West-Riding of the County of York, the 13th Day of January 1697, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Towns of Leeds and Wakefeild are the principal Markets for the Northern Cloth, and are fituate upon the Rivers Ayre and Calder; which being made . . . . would much redound to the Advantage of all the Towns concerned in the Northern Cloth-Trade, being now forced to carry their Goods many Miles by Land, at great Charge: And praying, That a Bill may pass for making the said Rivers navigable.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Bill for making the said Rivers, in the County of York, navigable, is committed.

Ayre and Calder Navigation.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Kirkburton, in the West-Riding of the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Towns of Leeds and Wakefeild are the principal Markets for Northern Cloth, and are situate upon the Rivers Ayre and Calder; which if made navigable, will be of great Use and Advantage to all the Towns adjacent: And praying, That a Bill for making the said Rivers navigable may pass.

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

Ditto.

A Petition of the Town of Keighley, in the WestRiding of the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Towns of Leeds and Wakefeild are situate very commodiously on the Rivers of Ayre and Calder; which are the principal Markets in the North for Cloth; and, if the said Rivers were made navigable, it would be to the great Advantage not only of the said Towns, but also to all the Towns concerned in the Northern Cloth-Trade: And praying, That the said Rivers may be made navigable, it being for a publick Good.

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

Ditto.

A Petition of the ancient Town of Selby, in the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their Situation is so convenient on the River Ouze, that great Quantities of Corn, and other Provisions, are daily carried by Water to and from several remote Parts, by Help of the said River, whereby the Petitioners, and their Families, are supported; and in case the Rivers Ayre and Calder should be made navigable, as is intended by a Bill in the House, the River Ouze will be thereby drained, and made useless; and the Petitioners be deprived of that Benefit, which they and their Predecessors have enjoyed for many Generations: And praying, That the said Rivers may not be made navigable.

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

Evesham Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ, for the electing a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Evesham, in the County of Worcester, in the room of Sir James Rushout Baronet, deceased.

Seamen's Arrears.

A Petition of Richard Smith, Quarter-master, Richard Pitman, Corporal, Thomas Smith, and Morgan Morgans, Foremast-men, late belonging to his Majesty's Ship the Portsmouth Gally, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is due to them Four Years Wages; and the Gally being taken in 1696, by the French, and the Captain and Commission-Officers tried at a CourtMartial, they were mulct their Wages, for being wanting in their Duty: After which, some of them, in Revenge, swore, That the Men deserted their Posts, and so involved the whole Ship's Company in their Crimes; for which the Petitioners Wages hath been stopped, though they never stirred from their Posts: And praying their Case may be considered, and the Petitioners relieved therein.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petitions of several Officers and Seamen belonging to Ships taken as Prizes are referred.

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Petition be rejected.

Godolphin's Will

Mr. Travers reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for confirming and establishing the Administration of the Goods and Chattels of Sir William Godolphin Knight; deceased, was committed, that they had examined and considered the same; and made some Amendments; 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 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.

Army Arrears.

Ordered, That the Committee, to whom the Petitions of the Soldiers of Colonel Rosse's Regiment is referred, have Leave to sit To-morrow Morning, but not beyond Ten a Clock.

Russia Trade.

The House being informed, That the Russia Company, and the Petitioners for the Bill for encouraging and improving the Trade to Russia, attended;

They were called in; and heard, at the Bar, against, and for, the said Bill.

And then they withdrew.

And the Bill was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed.

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

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Saturday Sevennight, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill; and nothing to intervene.

Supply Bill; Land Tax.

Mr. Lowndes, according to Order, presented to the House, a Bill for granting to his Majesty an Aid, by a Land-Tax, for One Year, to raise Money for disbanding Forces, paying Seamen, and other Uses therein mentioned: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

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