House of Lords Journal Volume 19: 11 July 1713

DIE Sabbati, 11 Julii.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

Walker versus New Church in The Strand, Bill.

Upon reading the Petition of John Walker and Morgan Randyll Esquires, which said Morgan Randyll is Trustee for the Wife of the said John Walker and their Younger Children; praying, "That they may be heard, in relation to the Bill for vesting in the Commissioners for building Fifty new Churches as much of the Ground, near The May Pole in The Strand, as shall be sufficient to build One of the said Churches upon:"

It is Ordered, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said Petition do lie on the Table, until the said Bill be read a Second Time.

Messages from H. C. with Bills.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Medlicote and others:

With a Bill, intituled, "An Act for explaining the Acts for licensing Hackney Chairs;" to which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Annesley and others:

With a Bill, intituled, "An Act to enable the Right Honourable Charles Lord Weston, and Earl of Arran in the Kingdom of Ireland, to take the Oath of Office, as Master of Her Majesty's Ordnance in the Kingdom of Ireland, before the Barons of Her Majesty's Court of Exchequer at Westminster; and to qualify himself for the legal Enjoyment of the said Office;" to which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

E of Arran's Bill.

Hodie 1^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act to enable the Right Honourable Charles Lord Weston, and Earl of Arran in the Kingdom of Ireland, to take the Oath of Office, as Master of Her Majesty's Ordnance in the Kingdom of Ireland, before the Barons of Her Majesty's Court of Exchequer at Westminster; and to qualify himself for the legal Enjoyment of the said Office."

Roper versus Hewet:

This Day being appointed, for hearing Counsel, upon the Petition and Appeal of Edward Roper Esquire, from a Decree made in the Court of Chancery the Twentyfifth of February last; and it being prayed, on Behalf of the Appellant, "That the Hearing of the said Appeal may be adjourned to some further Time:"

Appeal put off, and Chancery to proceed.

It is Ordered, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said Appeal be not heard until the next Parliament; and that the said Court of Chancery do, in the mean Time, direct the said Decree to be carried into an Execution; and that, if the Real Estate shall be sold, in Pursuance of the said Decree, before the said Appeal shall be heard, the said Court of Chancery do thereupon order Satisfaction to be forthwith made to the Mortgagees for Four Thousand Pounds, and to the Schedule and other Creditors, and to the Legatees, of what shall be due to them respectively, with Interest and Costs, and other Costs of Suit, to be paid according to the said Decree; but that the Surplus of the Money (after Satisfaction shall be made to the said Mortgagees, and to the said Schedule and other Creditors, and to the said Legatees, and of such Costs of Suit, as aforesaid) decreed to be paid to the Respondents Radcliffe and Constable, be secured as the said Court shall think most proper; the same being to wait the Determination of this House, upon hearing the said Appeal.

Report concerning Port Books in Queen's Remembrancer's Office in the Exchequer.

The Lord Halifax reported from the Lords Committees, appointed to inquire into the State and Condition of the Queen's Remembrancer's Books and Port Books, &c. as follows; (videlicet,)

"That, in Obedience to the Orders of the House, their Lordships have summoned Mr. Stevens, Deputy to the Queen's Remembrancer, several Times. They have spoke with some of the Commissioners of the Customs, and the Patent Officers in the Port of London; and, by the Informations they have received from them, the Lords Committees find,

That, in Hilary and Trinity Term every Year, there are sent, from the Office of the Queen's Remembrancer, Blank Parchment Books, under the Seal of the Exchequer, to the Patent Officers in the several Ports of England and Wales; in which Books the said Patent Officers are to make Entries of all the Goods and Merchandizes imported and exported, and of Goods carried Coastwise between Port and Port; which Books are to be returned in Michaelmas and Easter Terms, and delivered in upon Oath by the said Officers, that they have made all true Entries in the same, which Oath is to be taken in open Court, or before One of the Barons.

"These Books were very ancient, and were particularly regulated by Orders made by Queen Elizabeth under the Great Seal. These necessary Records, wherein only the Entries of the Customs appear upon Oath, have been of late much neglected: The Lords Committees went themselves, to see in what Manner they were kept; and found them laid together in Two upper Rooms behind the Court of Exchequer, without any Distinction of Years or Ports, in the greatest Disorder and Confusion.

"There are some Books in the Time of Henry the VIIIth, and in all the succeeding Reigns; there are few from 1648 to 1660, and those chiefly of Goods carried Coastwise.

"Mr. Stevens, by Order of the Lords Committees, had caused most of the Port Books from 1660, of the Ports of London and Southampton, to be laid in some Order: But it will require Time and Charge to lay the other Out Port Books in such Order, as Extracts may be taken from them of the Trade and Commerce with any Foreign Nation; for some of the Port Books of those Years have been found in a Ground Room under Part of the Court of Exchequer, intermixed with several other Books and Papers; some of which other Records, Books, and Papers, may be of public Use and Service, if they were likewise put in Order."

Which Report being read by the Clerk, and Consideration had thereof:

Address for putting the Port Books in Order.

It is Ordered, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, "That Her Majesty will be pleased to give Order, that the Port Books, in the Remembrancer's Office in the Court of Exchequer, may be placed and kept in such Order, as may render them most useful for Her Majesty's Service; and that Her Majesty will please to direct that an Extract be made, out of the said Books, of the Value of the Exports and Imports between England and France, from Michaelmas. 1662 to Michaelmas 1663, and from Michaelmas 1665 to Michaelmas 1666."

Ordered, That the said Address be presented to Her Majesty by the Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain.

New Church in The Strand, &c. Bill.

Hodie 2^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act to vest in the Commissioners for building Fifty new Churches in and about London and Westm'r, and Suburbs thereof, as much of the Street near The May Pole in The Strand, in the County of Middlesex, as shall be sufficient to build One of the said Churches upon; and for restoring to the Principal and Scholars of King's Hall and College of Brazen-Nose, in the University of Oxon, their Right of Presentation to Churches and Chapels in Stepney Parish."

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Bill be committed to the Lords following; (videlicet,)

Their Lordships, or any Five of them; to meet on Monday next, at Ten a Clock in the Forenoon, in the Prince's Lodgings near the House of Peers; and to adjourn as they please.

Ordered, That the Petition of John Walker and Morgan Randyll, which was ordered to lie on the Table until the Second Reading of the said Bill, be referred to the Consideration of the said Committee.

Hackney Chairs, Bill.

Hodie 1^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act for explaining the Acts for licensing Hackney Chairs."

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque ad et in diem Lunæ, decimum tertium diem instantis Julii, hora undecima Auroræ, Dominis sic decernentibus.