House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 10 May 1689

Veneris, 10 die Maii;1° Willielmi et Mariæ

Prayers.

New Sarum Writ.

ORDERED, That Mr. Speaker do grant his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to issue out a new Writ for the Electing a Citizen to serve in this present Parliament for the City of New Sarum in the County of Wilts, in the room of Gyles Eyres, Esquire, now One of the Justices in the Court of King's Bench.

Northamptonshire Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do grant his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to issue out a new Writ for the Electing a Knight of the Shire to serve in this present Parliament for the County of Northampton, in the room of Edward Harby, Esquire, deceased.

Aulnage Duty.

A Petition of the Merchants, Drapers, and Mercers, Warehouse-men and Retailers of the Woollen Manufactures in the City of London, was read; complaining, That the Duty of Aulnage is received of them who are Buyers and not Makers of Stuffs, by the Aulnagers, as the Petitioners conceive, contrary to Law: And, that there is great Abuses in the said Aulnagers and Deputies; who come into the Shops and Warehouses of the Petitioners, and seize and carry away their Goods, under Pretence that the Subsidy of Aulnage is not paid; and force the Petitioners to exorbitant Compositions, and to allow them yearly Rents; which is no Advancement to the Crown, but an Oppression to the Petitioners, and an Obstruction to Trade.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee, to whom . . . . divers Clothiers of the County of Gloucester, complaining of divers Abuses committed by the Aulnagers, was the Fifteenth of March last referred; to examine the Matter of the said Petition; and report the same, with their Opinions therein, to the House.

A Petition of the Bay and Say-makers in Colchester, Sudbury, Long Melford, Cavendish, Bocking, Brantree, Coggishall, and other adjacent Towns in the Counties of Essex and Suffolke, in the Behalf of themselves and the rest of the Bay and Say-makers within those Places, was read; thereby setting forth, That the Petitioners, making great Quantities of Bays and Says, have, of late Years, been greatly oppressed by the Officers of the Office of Aulnage, who have seized their Bays and Says, and made them pay Monies for Seals, and other Things, to the great Discouragement of the Trade, and Impoverishment of the Petitioners: Whereas, that Trade was not used in England, till the latter End of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, and was brought in by Dutchmen; who, by their Industry, improved it: So that, at the making the Acts for Aulnage, no such things were made, and so cannot be liable to the Impositions laid by those Acts; and that Office is altogether useless, for that no Persons do search or measure any Cloaths, for which the Office was anciently constituted: And praying Relief therein.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of divers Clothiers of the County of Gloucester, complaining of divers Abuses committed by the Aulnagers, was the Fifteenth Day of March last referred; to examine the Matter of the said Petition; and report the same, with their Opinions therein, to the House.

Prideaux's Claim on Lord Jeffreys.

A Bill for to charge the Manors of Dalby and Broughton in the County of Leicester, with the Payment of Fourteen thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Pounds, and Interest, to Edm. Prideaux, Esquire, was read the first Time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Speke's Prosecution.

A Petition of George Speke, Esquire, was read; setting forth, That he being, about Four Years since, accused for several treasonable Practices, an Information was preferred by Mr. Burton and Mr. Graham, in Hillary Term 1685, against him; to which he pleaded Not-guilty: And that, after Issue was joined and entered upon the Roll, in order to a Trial, they, finding several Mistakes, persuaded Justice Holloway to give an Order in his Chamber, in the Vacation Time, without Rule of Court, or Consent, that the Clerk of the Crown should alter the Record in several Things contrary to Law and Practice of the Court: And that thereupon, the Petitioner was tried, and convicted, and fined Two thousand Marks: And that Mr. Burton, Mr. Graham, and their Agents, designing to extort a greater Sum, procured some indigent Persons, by Menaces of taking away their Lives, and by Promises of great Rewards, to swear against his Wife: And that, thereupon, a Bill of High Treason was found against her: And afterwards, upon a Proposition of Payment of Five thousand Pounds for the King's Pardon for the Petitioner and Family; and, if refused, Threats of his being indicted also; the Petitioner thought fit to pay the Five thousand Pounds: All which were, to the Petitioner's Damage, above Ten thousand Pounds: And praying the Consideration of the House, and Relief therein.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to examine the Matter of the Fact of the Petition, and report the same to the House.

And it is referred to Lord Fitzharding, Mr. Colt, Sir Trevor Williams, Mr. Reighnalds, Mr. Trenchard, Mr. Ellwell, Colonel Tipping, Sir Walter Young, Sir Jos. Tredenham, Mr. Paul Foley, Mr. Arnold, Lord Falkland, Sir Wm. Honeywood, Mr. Coningsby, Sir Robert Cotton, Sir John Thomson, Sir Tho. Clarges, Mr. Dolben, Mr. Fenwick, Sir FraRussell, Mr. Niccolls, Sir Cha. Raleigh, Sir Ralph Dutton, Sir Philip Skippon, Sir Tho. Littleton, Mr. Tho. Foley; and all the Members that serve for the Counties of Somersett and Dorset: And they are to meet in the Speaker's Chamber, To-morrow in the Afternoon, at Four of the Clock: and are impowered to send for Persons, Papers, and Records: And they are to make Report to the House, with all convenient Speed.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. James Russell have Leave to go into the Country, for a Month.

Ordered, That Colonel Windham have Leave to go into the Country, for Three Weeks.

Ordered, That Mr. Thomas Hobby have Leave to go into the Country, for a Fortnight.

Chettle's Estate.

A Bill to enable Thomas Chettle to sell Lands to pay his Debts, and provide for his Wife and Children, was brought in, and laid upon the Table.

Privilege-a person reprimanded and discharged.

The adjourned Debate touching the Discharge of Richard Janeway, in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, was resumed.

Resolved, That the said Richard Janeway be called in to the Bar, and receive a Reprimand from the House; and then be discharged out of Custody, paying his Fees.

And he was brought in to the Bar, and received a Reprimand from the Speaker accordingly.

Privilege-Petition from Persons in custody.

A Petition of Edward Barradell, and others, in the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending the House, was presented to the House.

Supply.

The House then resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of a Way of raising the Monies already voted by the House, and to proceed further in the Consideration of the Supply for the Navy.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Mr. Hamden took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Hamden reports from the Committee of the whole House, That they, having taken the said Matters into their Consideration, had agreed upon a Resolution, which they had directed him to report to the House: And he read the same in his Place; and afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same was read; and is as followeth:

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That a Subsidy be granted to their Majesties, of Twelve-pence in the Pound, for One Year, upon all Lands and Houses in the Cities, Boroughs, and Towns, according to the present true intrinsick Value: As, likewise, Twelve-pence in the Pound for One Year, according to the true yearly Profit, upon all personal Estates, other than Household Goods and Stock upon Land; and also, upon Offices and Employments of Profit, other than Military Offices in the Army and Navy.

The said Resolve being read a Second time;

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee, That a Subsidy be granted to their Majesties, of Twelve-pence in the Pound for One Year, upon all Lands and Houses in Cities, Boroughs, and Towns, according to the present true intrinsick Value: As, likewise, Twelve-pence in the Pound for One Year, according to the true yearly Profit, upon all personal Estates, other than Household Goods and Stock upon Land; and also, upon Offices and Employments of Profit, other than Military Offices in the Army and Navy.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

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