House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 12 March 1698

Sabbati, 12 die Martii;

10° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Tone Navigation.

A PETITION of divers of the principal Inhabitants of the Town and Borough of Taunton, in the County of Somerset, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the bringing of Sea-Coal, and other heavy Goods, from Bridgwater, to the Town of Taunton, by Water, would be a vast Advantage to the Inhabitants of Taunton, and Parts adjacent, by encouraging Trade, and employing the Poor: And praying, That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill to make the River Tone navigable, from the Town of Bridgwater, up to the Town of Taunton, making Satisfaction to such Persons as shall be prejudiced thereby.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition: And that Mr. Clark do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Copper Coinage.

A Petition of several Tradesmen, Labourers, and many others, of the Town of Ware, in the County of Hertford, and Places adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the great Quantities of Copper Half-pence and Farthings, now current amongst them, being much under the intrinsick Value, are a great Loss and Hindrance to their Trades; and, Day-Labourers being paid in that Coin, to their great Damage and Impoverishment: and praying a Remedy against the said Inconvenience.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Grocers, Cheesemongers, Mealmen, Bakers, Victuallers, Market-people, and Retailers in general, of the great and populous Borough of Southwark, is referred.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Price have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Suppressing House-breakers.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for the better Discovery and Suppressing of House-breakers: And that Mr. Evelyn and Mr. Gwynn do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Lloyd's Nat.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for naturalizing William Lloyd Esquire.

Leave of Absence.

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

Tiverton Work-houses.

Mr. Hoblyn reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for erecting Hospitals and Work-houses in the Town of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, for the better employing and maintaining the Poor there, was committed, That they had examined and considered the same; and made several Amendments thereunto; which they had directed him to report to the House; 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, several of them were agreed, and the Residue of them disagreed, unto by the House.

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

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Harcourt have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Ordered, That Sir Scroop How have Leave to go into the Country for Three Weeks, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Resumption of Grants.

A Petition of John Lord Kingston was presented to the House, and read; setting forth; That the Petitioner never was in Arms, but, in his Absence was outlawed, in Ireland; which was reversed by his Majesty's Order; and a Pardon granted under the Great Seal, for his better Security: And praying, That the Benefit of the said Reversal and Pardon may be reserved to him by the Bill, depending in the House, for vacating all Grants of Estates, and other Interests, forfeited in Ireland, since the 13th Day of February 1688; and for appropriating the same to the Use of the Publick.

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

Ditto.

A Petition of Agmondisham Vesey, and Charlott his Wife, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That upon the Marriage of William Sarsfeild, the Petitioner Charlott's Father, with Mary Sister of the late Duke of Monmouth, King Charles the IId, as a Marriage-Portion, granted to William Sarsfeild, and his Heirs, the Manor of Lucan, and other Lands, forfeited in 1641; which Grant was, in Trust, for the said Mary, and her Children: That Wm. Sarsfeild died in 1675, leaving Mary his Widow, and Three small Children, Two whereof died Infants, without Issue; and the Petitioner Charlott is Daughter, and Heir, to her said Father, and Brothers: That Colonel Patrick Sarsfeild; younger Brother of the said William, taking Advantage of the Petitioner Charlott's Infancy, by Violence, in the late Rebellion in Ireland, got Possession of the said Estate; and, upon Application to the King, her Title being made out, was pleased, by Letters of Privy-Seal, dated in April 1696, to restore her to her paternal Estate; which she has quietly enjoyed ever since: And praying, That the Bill for vacating all Grants of Estates, and other Interests; forfeited in Ireland, since the 13th Day of February 1688, may not prejudice the Petitioner's Title to the said Estate.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the said Committee of the whole House.

Ditto.

A Petition of Ann, Wife of the late Baron Slane, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, in 1690, her said Husband made a Settlement of his Estate, and particularly 200 l. per Annum, on the Petitioner for her separate Use; and 800 l. per Annum, for her Life, after his Death: That, in 1691, her said Husband was outlawed; and the Treason laid, was alleged to be committed before the said Settlement, which was grounded upon Marriage-Articles, made in the Infancy of the said Baron, long before the Treason; but, in 1692, his whole Estate was granted to the Earl of Athtone; without any Provision for the Petitioner, and her Daughter: And praying, That some Provision may be made for them by the Bill, depending in the House; for vacating all Grants of Estates, and other Interests, forfeited in Ireland, since the 13th of February 1688; and appropriating the same to the Use of the Publick.

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

Hudson's Bay Company.

A Petition of the Company of Feltmongers, London, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill depending in the House, for the Continuance of a former Act, for confirming to the Governor and Company of Hudson's Bay their Privileges and Trade: But the Company having acted contrary to the Rules prescribed to them in a late Act for that Purpose, now expiring, to the great Prejudice of the Petitioners; they therefore pray, That the said Bill may not pass; and that they may be heard against the same.

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

Ditto.

Ordered, That Sir William Ashurst, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Clark, Mr. Arnold, Sir John Bucknall, Mr. Stonehouse, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Pendarvis, Mr. Cox, Mr. Johnson, be added to the Committee, to whom the Bill for Continuance of a former Act, for confirming to the Governor and Company of Hudson's Bay their Privileges and Trade, is committed.

Colchester Channel.

A Bill to cleanse, and make navigable, the Chanel from the Hythe at Colchester to Wivenhoo, was, according to Order, read a Second time.

Resolved, . . . . . . . Mr. Whitaker, Sir Richard Onslow, Sir Fra. Masham, Mr. Philips, Sir Isaac Rebow, Mr. Culliford, Sir John Philipps, Mr. Colt, Sir Walter Young, Mr. Lowther, Sir John Bolls, Mr. Clerk, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Hedger, Sir Wm. Ashurst, Mr. Newport, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Mountstevens, Mr. Moore, Sir John Elwill, Mr. Duke, Sir Wm Lowther, Sir Tho. Middleton, Mr. Colt, Sir Robert Rich, Sir Tho. Roberts, Mr. Cowper, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Chase, Mr. Blofeild, Sir John Mordent, Mr. Mountague, Sir Rushout Cullen, Mr. Morgan, Sir Ralph Dutton, Mr. Kendall, Mr. Mawdit, Mr. Mordaunt, Mr. Baldwyn, Sir Jacob Ashley, and all the Members that serve for the Counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and York: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Paper to be re-delivered.

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do, by a Schedule, deliver to Mr. Nicholas Baker such Papers as are in his Hands, relating to the Prosecution of Mr. Duncomb, to be made use of at the House of Lords, as there shall be Occasion.

Suppressing Profaneness &c.

A Bill for the more effectual suppressing of Blasphemy and Profaneness was; according to Order, read a Second time.

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

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That this House will, upon Tuesday Morning next, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Punishing Knight, &c.

The House, according to Order resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bills for punishing John Knight Esquire, and Barth. Burton Gentleman.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

The Lord Marquis of Hartington took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

The Lord Marquis of Hartington reported from the said Committee, That they had gone through the Bill to punish Mr. Knight; and had made several Amendments thereunto; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be made upon Monday Morning next.

The Lord Marquis of Hartington also reported from the said Committee, That they had also gone through the Bill to punish Mr. Burton; and made several Amendments thereunto; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be made upon Monday Morning next.

African Trade.

Resolved, That this House will, upon this Day Sevennight, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill to settle the Trade to Africa; and nothing to intervene.

Supply Bill; vacating Grants in Ireland.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Sevennight, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House to consider further of the Bill for vacating all Grants of Estates, and other Interests, forfeited in Ireland, since the 13th Day of February 1688; and for appropriating the same to the Use of the Publick.

Regulating Elections.

Ordered, That the Bill for the further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament be read a Second time upon Monday Sevennight.

Army Debts.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee, to whom the Petition of Mr. Dorrell was referred, be taken into Consideration upon Monday Morning next.

Army Arrears.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Soldiers of Colonel Rosse's Regiment was referred, be made upon Tuesday Morning next.

Freedom of Elections.

Ordered, That the Bill for the further securing the Freedom of Elections of Members to serve in Parliament be read a Second time upon this Day Fortnight.

And then the House adjourned till Monday Morning, Nine a Clock.