House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 2 February 1698

Mercurii, 2 die Februarii ;

Nono Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

CHarles May, Esquire took the Oaths appointed, in order to his Naturalization.

May's Nat.

A Bill to naturalize Charles May Esquire was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Sir Rowland Gwyn. Mr. Thornhagh, Mr. Stockdale, Mr. Thompson, Sir Wm. Coriton, Mr. Lambton, Sir Robert Cotton, Mr. Mountstevens, Sir Wm. Bowes, Mr. Vincent, Sir John Kay, Sir Tho. Roberts, Mr. Bromly, Mr. Shackerly, Mr. Pierpoint, Mr. Newport, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Rowney, Sir John Bucknall, Sir John Cotton, Sir Wm. Cowper, Mr. Mountague, Lord Coningsby, Mr. Gery, Lord Ashley, Mr. Guy, Sir Henry Colt, Mr. Pagit, Sir Marm. Wivell, Mr. Woodroffe, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Mawdit, Mr. Slater, Mr. Manly, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. Burrington: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Salmon Preservation.

Ordered, That the Bill for the Increase and Preservation of Salmon, and the Fry of Salmon, in the Rivers of this Kingdom, be read a Second time upon Friday Morning next.

Duties on Leather.

A Petition of the Tanners, Shoemakers, Sadlers, Curriers, and Bridle-cutters, within the Borough of Leominster, in the County of Hereford, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by the Imposition upon Leather, their Trade is brought to Ruin, and themselves and Families to Poverty: And praying to be eased of the Burden thereof.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Aldermen, Stewards, and Company of Fellmongers, 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.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Tanners, Curriers, Shoemakers, Sadlers, and other Traders in Leather, Inhabitants of the Towns of Pontefract, Wakefield, and Barnsley, in the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by reason of the Duty laid upon Leather, the Trades therein are in a Manner become useless; and if the Duty be not taken off, the Petitioners will be forced to lay down their Trades: And praying Redress in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Aldermen, Stewards, and Company of Fellmongers, 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.

Ditto.

A Petition of the several Tanners within the WestRiding of the County of York was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That since the Duty laid upon Leather, many of the Petitioners are forced to leave off their Trades, to their great Impoverishment; which is a great Prejudice to the Leather-Manufacture, and lessens the Price thereof: And praying the Consideration of the House 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 Fellmongers, 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.

Woollen Manufactures.

A Petition of the Baymakers, Perpetuanamakers, and Saymakers, of Colchester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Inhabitants of the said Town chiefly depend on the Woollen Manufactures; which have met with such Discouragements, by a Sort of Men called Wool-jobbers, who ingross great Quantities of Wool, and advance the Price thereof, that that Trade is greatly prejudiced thereby; and the Petitioners conceive, the Importation of Wool from Ireland would be a great Encouragement to the said Trades: And praying, That Colchester may be made one of the Ports into which the Wool from Ireland shall be imported.

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.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the ancient Town of Ottery, in the County of Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the said Town chiefly subsists by the Manufacture of Serges; but has been very much impoverished of late by the Increase of the Irish Woollen Manufactures, which can be sold cheaper than the English; so that many Masters of Ottery have been forced to lay down their Trades: And praying the Consideration of the House in the Premises.

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.

Aire and Calder Navigation.

A Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Citizens, and Inhabitants, in the City of Lincolne, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Towns of Leeds and Wakefield, in Yorkshire, are the principal Markets for the Northern Cloth, and are situate upon the Rivers Aire and Calder; which are capable of being made navigable; and which will much redound to the Advantage of all the Cloathing Towns in the North: And praying, That the Bill depending in the House, for making navigable the Rivers Ayre and Calder, may pass into an Act.

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

Ditto.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Almondbury, 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 chief Markets in the North for Cloth, and are situate on the Rivers Ayre and Calder; the making of which navigable will be an Advantage and Improvement of Trade: And praying, That a Bill may pass for making the said Rivers navigable, the same being capable thereof.

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

Quartering Soldiers on Victuallers.

A Petition of Robert Taylor, John Debman, John Hitchcock, Thomas Fowle, and Richard Sanderson, Inhabitants and Victuallers in the Tower Hamlets, in behalf of themselves, and the rest of the Victuallers within the same, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Justices of the Peace there had commanded the Petitioners to continue Subsistence to the Soldiers of Colonel Tidcomb's Regiment, quartered upon the Petitioners, on pain to have their Licences suppressed; though there is due to the Petitioners above 3,338 l. the Want of which hath reduced them to extreme Poverty: And praying the Relief of the House in the Premises.

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

And it is referred to Sir Rowland Gwyn, Mr. Newport, Sir Christ. Musgrove, Mr. Shackerly, Sir Marm. Wivell, Mr. Cornwallis, Sir John Parsons, Mr. Arnold, Colonel Perry, Lord Castleton, Sir Wm. Honywood, Mr. Norris, Mr. Pagit, Mr. Gerrard, Mr. Henly, Mr. York, Lord Ashley, Sir Edw. Seymour, Lord Digby, Sir Wm. York, Sir Jacob Ashley, Mr. Blathwaite, Sir Hen. Colt, Mr. Hoblyn, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Moncton, Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Colt, Sir Jos. Jekyll, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Harley, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. Mountstevens, Colonel Wharton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Daniel, Sir John Kay, Sir Rich. Onslow, Mr. Dolben, Mr. Harcourt, Sir Fra. Masham, Mr. Baldwyn; and all the Members that serve for the Counties of Devon, Cornwall, and Hereford: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Privilege of Member in a Suit.

A Petition of Henry Vaughan Esquire was presented to the House:

And the same relating to Sir William Williams, a Member of this House; who not being in the House:

Ordered, That Sir William Williams do attend in his Place To-morrow Morning: And that the said Petition be then read.

Deficiency in Million-Adventure Tickets, &c.

A Petition of several of the Proprietors of the Million-Adventure Tickets, and Annuities, on Tonage of Ships, on behalf of themselves, and other the Proprietors thereof, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Deficiency in Payment of the said Tickets due at Lady-day 1697; and of the Annuities of Tonage of Ships from Michaelmas 1695, to Lady-day 1697: And praying, That the said Deficiencies may be supplied out of the first Aids to be granted to his Majesty.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, who are to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty; and of Ways and Means for providing for the Deficiencies.

Army Debts.

A Petition of John Darrell was presented to the House, and read: setting forth, That Colonel Cullembine's Regiment being denied Credit in their Quarters, the Petitioner subsisted them in 1696, and 97, with upwards of 200 l.; and the Regiment going to Flanders, the Petitioner staying behind to secure his Money, which yet is due to him, the Colonel put his Son into the Petitioner's Place; for want of which, and his said Money, the Petitioner is reduced to great Extremity: And praying the House to consider his Case, and give him Relief.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Inhabitants and Victuallers in the Tower Hamlets is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Counterfeiting Coin.

Mr. Clark, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the better preventing the counterfeiting, clipping, and other diminishing, the Coin of this Kingdom: And the same was received; and read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Supply.

Resolved, That this House will, after this Day, upon every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty; and of Ways and Means for raising the same.

Grants from the Crown.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, taken into Consideration the Accounts of the Grants from the Crown, laid before the House.

Mr. Lowndes, according to Order, presented to the House an Account or Abstract of the Grants made from the Year 1660, to the Year 1679.

And the Title thereof was read; the Account or Abstract itself being a great Volume.

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

Money lent on Vote of Credit.

Mr. Lowndes also presented to the House an Account of what Money hath been lent upon the late Vote of Credit.

And the same was received, and read; and is as followeth: viz.

Woollen Manufactures.

Then the House according to the Order of the Day resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of 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.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Sir John Ellwill took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir John Ellwill reported from the said Committee, That they had made a considerable 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, upon Saturday Morning next, 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.