House of Commons Journal Volume 8: 24 March 1662

Lunæ, 24 Martii, 14° Car.

Privilege of a Member in a Suit.

UPON Information, That an Order of this House of the Thirteenth of February last being made, whereby a Suit brought by one William Bridgwater in the King's Bench, against one John Hocking and others, and prosecuted by one John Richards an Attorney, in which the Title of Thomas Robinson, a Member of this House, was concerned, contrary to the Privileges of Parliament; his Attorney was ordered to withdraw the Actions; and Mr. Speaker to desire the Lord Chancellor to issue forth a Supersedeas, to stay all further Proceedings in the said Actions: That, since that Time, the said Bridgwater, haveing waved his Actions in the King's Bench, doth prosecute other Actions against one Edward Oliver and others, upon the same Title, in the County Court, in which the said Mr. Robinson, a Member of this House, is concerned;

Ordered, That the said former Order of the Thirteenth of February last be enlarged: And that the said Actions brought by the said Bridgwater in the County Court, or elsewhere, against Edward Oliver and others, be also withdrawn: And, if there shall be Occasion, the Lord Chancellor, upon Notice thereof from Mr. Speaker, is to be desired to issue a Supersedeas to supersede the said Actions.

Baths and Bath-stoves.

A Bill for Erecting and Using of Baths and Bathstoves in the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, was this Day read the First time.

E. of Huntington's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill for Confirmation of the Sale of certain Lands made by Ferdinando late Earl of Huntington, for Payment of his own and his Father's Debts, was this Day read the Third time.

Resolved, That the said Bill be agreed to: And that the Title thereof, being, An Act for Confirmation of the Sale of certain Lands made by Ferdinando late Earl of Huntington, for Payment of his own and his Father's Debts, be also agreed to.

And Sir Clifford Clifton is to carry up this Bill to the Lords.

Skinners.

The Lord Angier reports from the Committee to which the Bill for regulating and settling the Corporation and Trade of Artizan Skinners, was committed, some Amendments to be made, and several Provisoes to be added to the said Bill: Which he read, with the Coherence, in his Place; and after delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table. And the said Amendments and Provisoes being twice read; and, upon the Question, all severally agreed to, saving a Clause in the last Proviso, against which some Exception was taken, that it might prejudice the Rights of other Corporations;

Resolved, That a Proviso be brought in for saving the Rights of, and preserving the said Trade, in other Corporations of the Kingdom, as well as in the City of London.

London, &c. Streets.

Sir Robert Howard reports from the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in some Amendments to be inserted into the ingrossed Bill for repairing the Streets and Highways, in and near the Cities of London and Westminster, and Parts adjacent, the Amendments which the Committee had prepared: Which being, upon the Question, agreed to, and inserted into the Bill; and thrice read, and agreed to;

Resolved, upon the Question, That these Words, "and the like Rates from and to any other Place within the Places before-mentioned," be inserted into the Bill.

Which was done accordingly; and the Words thrice read, and agreed to.

Resolved, upon the Question, That the Word "Royal" be inserted before the Word "Exchange" and the Word "old" razed out.

Which was done; and the Word thrice read, and agreed to.

Resolved, upon the Question, That these Words "and other Holidays," be inserted into the Bill after the Word "Sundays."

Which was done accordingly; and the Words thrice read, and agreed to.

And some Question then arising, upon the enumerating and ascertaining in the Bill the Places and Streets which should be enlarged; these several Streets and Passages, hereafter named, were, upon the Question, severally agreed to be numerated in the Bill to be the Places intended to be enlarged; viz. The Street or Passage at or near the Stocks in London; The Street and Passage from Fleet Conduit to St. Paul's Church in London; The Passage through the White Hart Inn from the Strand into Convent Garden; The Street and Passage by and near Exeter House and the Savoy; The Passage and Street of St. Martin's Lane out of the Strand; The Passage or Street of Field Lane, commonly called Jack-an-apesLane, going between Chancery Lane and Lincoln's Inn Fields; The Passage and Gatehouse of Cheapside into St. Paul's Churchyard; The Passage against St. Dunstan's Church in the West, being obstructed by a Wall; The Street and Passage by and near the West End of the Poultry in London; and the Passage at Temple Bar.

And it being referred to the same Committee, to withdraw, and consider where the Place before-mentioned might most properly be inserted into the Bill; which they having done; and Sir Robert Howard making Report thereof to the House; and the same being, upon the Question, agreed to; and being inserted accordingly: And being afterwards thrice read, and upon the Question, agreed to;

Resolved, That the said Bill, with the Amendments agreed to, do pass: And that the Title shall be, An Act * * * *.

And Sir Robert Howard is to carry up this Bill to the Lords.

Message from Lords.

A Message from the Lords, by * * * *.

* * * *.

The Question being put, That this House do sit this Afternoon, at Three of the Clock; To-morrow Morning, at Nine of the Clock; and To-morrow in the Afternoon, at Three of the Clock; in Compliance to the Message from the Lords;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went out.

And so it passed in the Negative.

Lindsey Level.

The Question being put, That the Committee concerning Lindsey Level have leave to sit on Wednesday next;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went out.

And so it passed in the Negative.

Privilege-Libellous Publication.

Upon Information, That George Withers had been the Author and Publisher of a scandalous and seditious Pamphlet, to enrage the People, and to vilify and defame the Members of this House, and to blemish the Honour and Justice of this House, and their Proceedings; and was now a Prisoner in Newgate;

Ordered, That the said George Withers be brought, in the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, or his Deputy, to the Bar of this House, at Four of the Clock this Afternoon, to be examined touching the Matters objected against him: And the Keeper of Newgate, or his Deputy, is to cause him to be brought accordingly.

Resolved, That this House do adjourn till Three of the Clock this Afternoon.

Post Meridiem.

Woollen Manufactures.

MR. Knight reports from the Grand Committee of Trade, touching the Woolen Manufacture, the Opinion of the Committee, That the House be moved, that Liberty be given to all Merchants to transport and carry out of this Kingdom any of the English Manufactures made of Wool, to any Port or Place beyond the Seas, lying within the Limits and Bounds of the Merchant Adventurers Patent, until the Twenty-fifth of November next.

The Question being put, That the Debate of this Matter be adjourned till the First Monday of the Meeting of this House, after this Recess;

It was resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That the Petitions of the City of London and Inhabitants of Gloucester be taken into Consideration the same Day.

Privilege-Libellous Publication.

George Withers being then brought, in Custody, to the Bar of this House; and the scandalous seditious Libel, with which he stands charged, being shewn unto him; the same being in two distinct Papers; upon View of the first of them, he declared, That the same might be his Hand, but that it was but Parcel of what he intended: And the other Writing being shewn unto him, he confessed the same to be of his own Hand-writing.

And Two Witnesses being called in; viz. Henry Northrop and Robert Heybourne; and testifying, That they took the said Papers from under Mr. Withers his Hand; and that he was writing Part of them just when they were taken from him, and that he did, upon his Examination before Mr. Attorney General, confess the said Papers to be of his own Contriving and Drawing;

Resolved, upon the Question, That George Withers, who was this Day brought from the Prison of Newgate, to the Bar of this House, be sent Prisoner, and delivered into the Custody of the Lieutenant of the Tower; there to be kept in close Custody, and be denied Pen, Ink, and Paper, and debarred from having any Company to come unto him.

And it is referred unto Mr. Pryn, Mr. Serjeant Charlton, Mr. Solicitor General, Serjeant Maynard, Dr. Birkinhead, Mr. Thurland, Mr. Smith, Mr. Vaughan, and Mr. Clifford, or any Three of them, to peruse the seditious infamous Libel by him contrived; and draw up an Impeachment against him; and report it to the House at their next Meeting.

Privilege-Libellous Words.

Upon Complaint made, That one * Johnson Esquire, a Barrister of the Temple, had uttered scandalous Words against the Committee to which the Bill concerning Leathen was committed: saying, That they were a packed Committee; and that they had been bribed;

Ordered, That the said Mr. Johnson do appear the next Day of the Sitting of this House; to answer such Matters as shall be objected against him.

Privilege.

Ordered, That one Richard Chase, who was committed for a Breach of Privilege in seizing and detaining Mr. Whorwood, a Member of this House, shall upon Security given to the Serjeant at Arms for his Appearance the First Day of the next Sitting of this House, have his Liberty in the mean Time.

Newport Election.

A Petition of Henry Ford Esquire, touching the Election of a Member to serve for Newport in Cornwall, was this Day read.

Ordered, That the said Petition be admitted: And that it be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Elections, to take the same into Consideration at their next Meeting after this Recess.

Northampton Election.

Upon Report, made by Serjeant Charlton, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, That a Petition was delivered in to the said Committee, on the Behalf of Sir William Dudley, on Saturday last, touching the Election for the Town of Northampton; but, by reason of the Adjournment of that Committee, the Petition was not delivered in by the precise Time limited by the Rule of this House;

Resolved, upon the Question, That the said Petition be admitted to be received, as if the same had been delivered in due Time: And the Committee to proceed thereupon, as they have appointed.

Bedford Level.

Ordered, That the Committee concerning Bedford Level have Liberty to sit on Wednesday next only, both in the Forenoon and Afternoon; notwithstanding the Adjournment of the House.

Resolved, upon the Question, That this House be adjourned till Thursday next-come-Sevennight, being the Third Day of April 1662.