House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 27 January 1698

Jovis, 27 die Januarii ;

Nono Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Duties on Leather.

A PETITION of the Tanners, Shoemakers, Fellmongers, Sadlers, Whit-tawers, and Glovers, residing in and near the City of Peterborough, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That they so extremely suffer by the great Duty laid upon Leather, that a Stop is put to their Trades thereby: And praying some Relief and Ease therein.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Aldermen, Stewards, and Company of Fell-mongers, Leather-dressers, and Glovers, in the City of Chester, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Dun Navigation.

A Petition of the Gentlemen, Tradesmen, and Inhabitants, of the Town of Doncaster in the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there being a Bill depending in the House to make the River Dun, in the County of York, navigable, at the Charge of such Persons as shall undertake the same, the Petitioners conceive it will be for a publick Good, and very advantageous to the adjacent Countries, to make the said River navigable, which, in a great measure, is so already: And praying, That the said Bill may pass.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the said Bill be read a Second time.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses, of the Borough and Soke of Doncaster, in the County of York, and other Gentlemen, Freeholders, and Inhabitants, within the said Borough and Soke, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill in the House for making the River Dun, in the County of York, navigable, at the Charge of the Undertakers; which, if it should pass, will greatly prejudice those who live about the said Town, and more especially the Corporation; by destroying their Mills, for which they pay a considerable yearly Rent to the Crown, and have lately been at 1,000 l. Charge in repairing them and the Dams; and it will also prejudice their Market, and lessen the Rents of Houses and Lands there: And praying to be heard against the said Bill.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the said Bill be read a Second time.

Grants of Irish Forfeitures.

The Clerk of the Crown, according to Order, presented to the House Copies of such Bills as passed under the Great Seal of England, to be passed into Acts of Parliament in Ireland, for confirming of Grants of forfeited Estates there.

Ordered, That the said Bills do lie upon the Table, to be perused by the Members of the House.

Woollen Manufactures.

A Petition of the Merchants, Fullers, Clothiers, Woolcombers, and other Traders relating to, and depending upon, the Woollen Manufacture of Serges in the City of Exon, and Parts adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That since the Port of Exon has been shut up by Act of Parliament from receiving Wool . . . . Ireland, the Petitioners have been forced to buy their Wool at a Third or Fourth Market; which has so enhanced the Price of that Commodity, that the Petitioners cannot carry on their Trades; so that many of their Work-folks are gone into Ireland, where they have set up the Manufacture of Serges, to the great Detriment of that Trade in England: And praying, That the Port of Exon may be opened, as it anciently has been; and that Consideration may be had, that the Woollen Manufactures of Ireland may not prejudice those of England.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill to encourage the Woollen Manufacture in England; and to restrain the Exportation of Woollen Manufactures from Ireland into Foreign Parts; and for the better preventing the Exportation of Wool from England and Ireland; is committed.

Privilege.

Ordered, That Mr. Morris, who was ordered to attend this House upon Monday come Sevennight, touching the Complaint made against him for intercepting the Letters of Christopher Tankard Esquire, a Member of this House, do attend this House upon Monday Fortnight.

Privilege of a Member in a Suit.

A Petition of Andrew Young Gentleman, Administrator of William Prettyman Esquire, and of Sir Charles Porter Knight, who was Administrator, and principal Creditor, of the said William Prettyman, was presented to the House.

And the same relating to Sir Edward Hungerford, a Member of this House; who not being in the House;

Ordered, That Sir Edward Hungerford, do attend in his Place upon Saturday Morning next: And that the said Petition be then read.

Transport Debt.

A Petition of the Merchants, and several Masters of Ships and Vessels, belonging to the Town of Bideford, and Places adjacent, in the County of Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners entered into Charter-parties with his Majesty's Commissioners for Transport-Service in 1693, to receive one Month's Pay in Hand, which was performed, for Freight of their Ships; and what more became due, as soon as they should be discharged his Majesty's Service, or Interest for it; but they have not received one Peny, besides the said first Month's Pay, though there is due to them 70,000 l. or upwards: And praying, That Consideration may be had of the Petitioners, in relation to their said Debt.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the select Committee, to whom the several Estimates, States, and Accounts, presented to the House, are referred.

Duty on Pipes.

A Petition of the poor Pipemakers, Inhabitants in the West-Riding in the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Duty upon Pipes being the highest laid upon any Commodity whatsoever, and the Trade the meanest of any Manufacture, and the Petitioners the poorest Sort of People, they are reduced to Beggary, by reason their Trade is in a manner become useless: And praying Relief in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Glass-makers of the Town of Stourbridge is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

A Person to attend.

Ordered, That Mr. Huddleston, Receiver of Westmorland, do attend this House To-morrow Morning.

Army Debts.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Officers, Innkeepers, and Clothiers, that served in, quartered, and cloathed, the Army raised by an Act of Parliament in 1677, and disbanded by another Act in 1679, was referred, be received upon Tuesday Morning next.

Lassell's Estate.

Mr. Whitaker reported from the Committee, to whom the ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act to enable Rebecca Lassells, Widow, to sell Copyhold Lands and Houses in Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, was committed, That they had examined and considered the same; and had directed him to report the same to the House, without any Amendments: And he delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table.

The Bill was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass.

Ordered, That Mr. Whitaker do carry the Bill to the Lords, and acquaint them, That this House hath agreed to the same, without any Amendments.

Inland Bills of Exchange.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for the better Payment of Inland Bills of Exchange: And that Sir William St. Quintin and Sir William Ashurst do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Army Arrears.

A Petition of several Soldiers discharged out of the Lord Judbrough's Regiment of Dragoons, now in the Spanish Low Countries, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there being an Order from his Majesty for discharging 14 Men out of each Troop, the Petitioners were thereupon discharged, and their Horses and Accoutrements taken from them, without any Satisfaction; also 3d. a Day hath been stopped out of their Subsistence, on the Account of Horses for Three Campaynes; nor have they received that Subsistence, which was ordered by his Majesty since their Reducement: And praying the House to put them into a Way . . Examination and Redress, touching the Monies due to them.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of Thomas Oldershaw and John Williams, on behalf of themselves, and the rest of the Troopers who served in Colonel Langston's Regiment during the Wars of Ireland, and since incorporated into several Regiments in Flanders, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Executing Judgments in Wales.

A Bill to execute Judgments and Decrees saved in a Clause in the Statute made in the First Year of the Reign of his present Majesty and the late Queen Mary, intituled, An Act for taking away the Court holden before the President and Council of the Marches of Wales, was read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Baldwyn, Sir Robert Burdett, Mr. Price, Mr. Guy, Mr. Whitaker, Sir Wm. Lowther, Sir Fra. Winington, Mr. Dolben, Sir Richard Onslow, Sir Fra. Masham, Mr. Newport, Mr. Foley, Sir Wm. Lowther, Sir Robert Cotton, Sir Tho. Littleton, Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Mansell, Lord Pawlett, Sir Marm. Wivell, Mr. Bertie, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Morgan, Sir Wm. Williams, Mr. Devereux, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Perry, Sir Geo. Hungerford; and all the Members that serve for North and South-Wales: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Ordered, That it be an Instruction to the said Committee, That they, who have Power to execute the said Judgments and Decrees, may examine, reverse, execute, or avoid, the said Judgments and Decrees.

Exporting Watches.

A Bill to explain the Act in the Seventh and Eighth Years of His Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act to encourage the bringing Plate into the Mints to be coined, and for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; so as to give Leave for the exporting Watches, Sword-hilts, and other Manufactures of Silver; was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

May's Nat.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to naturalize Charles May Esquire.

Malt Duty.

Mr. Clark, according to Order, presented to the House an Account of the Duty of the Stock of Malt in Hand, the 20th of April 1697.

And the said Account was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Dl. Lawrence.

Privilege.

A Petition of Dame Jane Salusbury, the Widow of Sir John Salusbury Baronet, deceased, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner, and Arthur Owen Esquire, are Coheirs of Sir Wm. Williams Baronet, deceased, and had peaceable Possession of his Estate at Vaenoll; but John Evans, and many others, obtruded on their Possession for Sir Bouchier Wray, an Infant, on Pretence of a Will made by Sir Wm. Williams; which they failing to obtain, deliver Declarations in Ejectment to Mr. Owen, without Notice to the Petitioner; and, in Michaelmas Term, had Judgment; and, by Rewards and Force, Possession delivered by the Sheriff, without the Petitioner's Defence at the Tryal on the Ejectment: And praying Relief in the Premises.

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

Leave of Absence.

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

Privilege.

A Complaint being made to the House, That Cadwallader Wyn, Thomas Bulkly, and Charles Allonson, Esquires, John Evans, Hugh Evans, and others, had challenged, and menaced, Arthur Owen Esquire, a Member of this House; and had proceeded against him at Law; entered upon Possession of his Estate, and distrained his Tenants; rescued Distresses made by him, by Force, and armed Persons in great Numbers, and assaulted and wounded his Agents and Servants; in Breach of the Privilege of this House;

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

Preventing Corruption of Juries.

A Bill to prevent the Corrupting of Juries was, according to Order, read a Second time.

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

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

Ordered, That it be an Instruction to the said Committee, That they have Power to receive a Clause for the better preventing the Corrupting of Witnesses.

A Prisoner desires further Time for his Defence.

A Petition of Charles Duncomb Esquire, Prisoner in the Tower, was presented to the House; and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner being fallen under the Displeasure of this House, it has increased his Distemper of the Gout; in which Condition he has received the Order of this House, for putting in his Answer and Defence to the Charge against him, upon Friday next; which, he apprehends, is Matter of Law and Time: And, the Time being very short, he prays, That he may have Counsel to advise him, in order to such his Answer and Defence.

Ordered, That Mr. Duncomb have further Time, until Tuesday next, to put in his Answer and Defence.

Then a Motion being made, and the Question being proposed, That Mr. Duncomb have Counsel to advise with, in order to his Answer and Defence;

The previous Question was put, That that Question be now put:

And it passed in the Negative.

Memorandum, That when the previous Question, for allowing Mr. Duncomb Counsel to advise with, was put, the House were unanimously inclined to leave it to him, whether he would put in any Answer, or not; because they conceived he had made an Answer in his Place already; and therefore, if the Orders of the House would have allowed, they would have added, to the Question of further Time, these Words, "if he thought fit to put in any Answer:" But that Order being made before the Sense of the House therein was perceived, the Speaker, by Leave of the House, declared it to be their Sense, That Mr. Duncomb had his Election, whether he would put in any Answer, or not.

Acts relating to Exchequer Bills, &c.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of the several Acts relating to the Exchequer-Bills, and MaltTickets, be made To-morrow at Twelve a Clock.

Grants from the Crown.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday Morning next, take into Consideration the Account of Grants from the Crown, laid before this House.

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