House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 7 November 1656

Friday, the 7th of November, 1656.

Preachers thanked.

ORDERED, That Mr. Greenhill have the Thanks of this House for his great Pains taken in his Sermon preached before this House at Margarett's, Westminster, on the Fifth of November; being a Day set apart for publick Thanksgiving: And that he be desired to print his Sermon; and that he have the like Privilege in printing, as hath been formerly allowed in like Cases.

And that Major-general Haynes do give him the Thanks of this House, accordingly.

Ordered, That Mr. Sterry have the Thanks of this House for his great Pains taken in his Sermon preached before the House at Margarett's, Westminster, on the Fifth of November; being a Day set apart for publick Thanksgiving: And that he be desired to print his Sermon; and that he have the like Privilege in printing, as hath been formerly allowed to others in like Cases.

Registers.

Ordered, That Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Margetts, Mr. Bedford, Colonel White, Mr. Edward Nevill, MajorGeneral Packer, Major Wagstaff, be added to the Committee for Registers.

Recusants.

Ordered, That Colonel Blake, Mr. Sheild, Sir Richard Lucy, be added to the Committee for Recusants.

Peyton's Estate.

An Act, enabling Robert Peyton, Esquire, and Algernon Peyton his Brother, to sell Part of their Lands, for Payment of their Debts, was this Day read the Third time; and, upon the Question, passed.

Resolved, That the Lord Protector his Highness' Consent be desired to this Bill.

Spanish War.

Colonel Sidenham reports, That his Highness the Lord Protector was, according to the Order of this House, acquainted with the Order for an Account to be brought in, what will probably be necessary for carrying on the Spanish War for the Year ensuing; and how far the Revenue will reach to the defraying of that Charge.

And also reports an Estimate of the Charge for carrying on the Spanish War for the Year ensuing, from the First of November 1656; and of the Revenue coming in towards defraying that Charge.

Resolved, That the Consideration of this Report be taken up on Monday next; and that the House be then resolved into a Grand Committee of the whole House, upon this Business.

Excise.

Captain Baines reports from the Committee for the Arrears of the Excise, the Excise due from several Merchants, &c. with the Opinion of the said Committee in several Resolutions, as followeth;

THAT it be reported to the Parliament, That this Committee (upon Conference with the Commissioners for Excise) do find, That an Hundred and Fifty Merchants and Importers of Exciseable Commodities have been summoned, according to the Twenty-fifth Article of the Act of Parliament of the 14th of August 1649, to give an Account unto them of the Goods and Merchandizes remaining on their Hands; but none of them appeared: Whereupon the said Commissioners proceeded to give Judgment against them for several great Sums, amounting in the Whole to 103,144£. 3s. 2¾d.

That there are about One thousand Three hundred and Fifty Merchants and Importers more, whose Accompts lie open, many of which have not been as yet summoned nor adjudged to pay, according to the foresaid Article: Nor are the said Commissioners, in a Capacity to give Judgment as to the Monies which shall be due on their Accompts; nor discover what Abatements would have been demanded by the Merchants, against whom Judgment is given, for the Goods resting on their Hands, or otherwise, if they had appeared respectively, upon Summons to account:

Therefore, for the Ease of the said Merchants Importers in the Balance of their respective Accompts; and that a Sum of Money may speedily be brought in, by the said Merchants Importers, for the Service of the Commonwealth; this Committee are humbly of Opinion,

1. That all and every the Merchants and Importers of Exciseable Commodities, who have any Accompts depending in the Excise-Office, be required within Days next ensuing to give in to the Commissioners for Excise, or their Deputies, a perfect Accompt, upon Oath, of all Exciseable Goods resting on his or their Hands, for which Excise hath not been duly paid at the Time of giving such Accompt or Accompts; together with what they have respectively exported since the Beginning of such Accompt in that Office: And that such Remains be the Rise and Beginning of a new Account, with each Merchant and Importer respectively.

2. That thereupon the said Commissioners or their Deputies, do, with all convenient Speed, balance each Merchant's and Importer's Accompts out of the ExciseBooks; deducting the said Remains and Exports so brought in; and send Copies of the Balance thereof to each Merchant and Importer respectively; who shall, within Days after, pay, or cause to be paid, into the Treasury of the Excise, a Part of what shall appear to be due upon the said Accompt, so balanced, as aforesaid.

3. That the said Commissioners, or their Deputies, be impowered thereupon to hear what each Merchant and Importer hath to plead in Equity, for Abatement of what so appears to be due upon his or their Accompts respectively; and to make Abatement of so much thereof as they the said Commissioners, or their Deputies, shall judge equitable: Provided, that such Abatements exceed not of what so appears to be due for Tobaccoes and leaking Commodities; and of all other Exciseable Commodities.

4. That in extraordinary Cases, where the said Commissioners, or their Deputies, shall find Cause for greater Abatements, they, or any Three or more of them, shall certify the same, with their Reasons, to the Commissioners for Appeals, and regulating the Excise: And that they thereupon be impowered to make such further Abatements as they, or any Three or more of them, shall judge equitable.

5. That when such Abatements are made, the Commissioners for Excise, and their Deputies respectively, be required to issue their Warrant, or Summons in Writing, to each Merchant and Importer respectively, to be delivered to them, or left at the Place of their respective Abode, with some Person of the Family, to pay, or cause to be paid, into the Treasury of Excise, the Remainder of the Sum due upon each of their Accompts, after such Abatements and Deductions made, as aforesaid: Which Sum and Sums shall be paid into the Treasury within Days next after the Serving of such Warrant, or Summons.

Excise.

Lastly, That the said Commissioners for Excise, and their Deputies, be required to proceed vigorously in and upon such Merchants and Importers Accompts, and put the Laws of Excise in due Execution against them that shall not observe and perform (on their Parts) the Rules and Directions aforesaid; or that shall not pay, or cause to be paid, into the Treasury of Excise, the Monies which shall be payable (and at the Time) as is before directed.

Which said Report was first read at large; and, after, by Parts.

And the first Resolution being read;

The Question being propounded, That the Time for the Port of London shall be within Twenty Days;

And the Question being put, That this Question be now put;

It passed in the Affirmative.

And the main Question being put; It was

Resolved, That the Time for the Port of London shall be within Twenty Days.

Resolved, That the Time for the Out-Ports shall be within Thirty Days.

And the said Article, so amended, It was, upon the Question,

Resolved, That all and every the Merchants and Importers of Exciseable Commodities, who have any Accompts depending in the Excise-Office, be required, such as are within the Port of London, within Twenty Days; and such as are in the Out-Ports, within Thirty Days, next ensuing; to give unto the Commissioners for Excise, or their Deputies, a perfect Account, upon Oath, of all Exciseable Goods resting on his or their Hands, for which Excise hath not been duly paid at the Time of giving in such Accompt or Accompts; together with what they have respectively exported since the Beginning of such Accompt, in that Office: And that such Remainder be the Rise and Beginning of a new Accompt with each Merchant and Importer respectively.

The second Resolution of the Committee being read;

Resolved, That the first Blank in this Vote be filled up with the Word "Ten."

Resolved, That the second Blank be filled up with the Word "Sixth."

And the Whole, so amended, being put to the Question, . . . was

Resolved, That thereupon the said Commissioners, or their Deputies, do, with all convenient Speed, balance each Merchant's and Importer's Accompts out of the Excise-Books; deducting the said Remains and Exports so brought in; and send Copies of the Balance thereof to each Merchant and Importer respectively; who shall, within Ten Days after, pay, or cause to be paid, into the Treasury of the Excise, a Sixth Part of what shall appear to be due upon the said Accompt, so balanced, as aforesaid.

Resolved, That the further Debate on this Report be adjourned till Tuesday Morning next.