House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 16 December 1690

Martis, 16 die Decembris; 2° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Baines' Estate.

AN Ingrossed Bill for the vesting several Messuages and Tenements in the City of London, late the Estate of John Baines, Gentleman, deceased, in Trustees, to be sold for Payment of Debts, was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for the vesting several Messuages and Tenements in the City of London, late the Estate of John Baines, Gentleman, deceased, in Trustees, to be sold for Payment of Debts.

Ordered, That Mr. Brewer do carry the Bill to the Lords; and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

Serle's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for selling the Estate of Henry Serle, Esquire, was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill, with the Amendment, do pass: And that the Title be agreed to.

Ordered, That Mr. Ogle do carry the said Bill to the Lords; and acquaint them, That this House hath agreed to the same, with the said Amendment; and desire their Lordships Concurrence to the said Amendment.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Cooke, Mr. Arnold, and Sir John Fowell, have Leave to go into the Country.

Duty on Low Wines.

A Petition of the Company of Distillers of London, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have and do use many Thousand Quarters of Malted Corn in a Year, for making English Brandy, which they brew into Drink for that Purpose: And that, by a Bill before this House, Twelve-pence per Gallon is laid on Low Wines, supposing thereby to advance the Price of Corn, and to consume greater Quantities than is done by the Petitioners: But that the Petitioners are ready to make appear, That, if the said Bill do pass, it will not only lessen their Majesties Revenue, but hinder the Consumption of Corn: And praying to be heard at the Bar of this House, before the said Bill doth pass.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for laying several Duties on Low Wines, or Spirits of the First Extraction, is committed.

Distillation of Brandy.

A Petition of the Merchants trading to, and Planters concerned at, his Majesty's Sugar Plantations, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by the Bill brought into this House for the encouraging the Distilling of Brandy from Corn, tending wholly to destroy the Use of Melasses or Treacle in Distilling of Spirits, a great Prejudice will happen to their Majesties, and Ruin to the Petitioners, and give Advantage to France in the Improvement of their Plantations: And praying to be heard before the Passing the said Bill.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for laying several Duties on Low Wines, or Spirits of the First Extraction, is committed.

Aulnage Duty.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee to whom the Bill for transferring the Duty and Subsidy of Aulnage to the Custom-house, was committed, be made To-morrow Morning at Ten of the Clock; and nothing to intervene.

Earl of Salisbury's Estate.

Ordered, That the ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for the limiting the Power of James, now Earl of Salisbury, to cut off the Intail of his Estate, be read the Third time To-morrow Morning.

Dorchester Election.

Mr. Gray reports from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, to whom was referred the Matter touching the Election of Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dorchester in the County of Dorsett, the State of the Case, as it appeared to the Committee: The which he delivered in at the Clerk's Table, in Writing: Where the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Upon the Petition of Tho. Trenchard, Esquire, complaining of an undue Election, and Return of Sir Robert Napier, to serve for Dorchester;

That, upon the Poll, the Numbers were thus;

And that the Majority was allowed to be with the Petitioner.

That, for the Sitting Member, it was insisted, That the Petitioner was a Minor.

And that it was proved, that That Objection was made to the Petitioner at the Time of the Election; and a Certificate produced to that Purpose.

A Certificate was produced to the Committee, That Thomas the Son of Tho. Trenchard, Esquire, and Ann his Wife, was baptized 14 Februarii 1671: Neither was the Minority of the Petitioner opposed by his Counsel.

That, thereupon the Committee came to several Resolutions: Which Mr. Gray read in his Place; and afterwards, delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read; and are as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That Thomas Trenchard, Esquire, had the Majority of Voices at the Election of Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dorchester.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Matter of the said Thom. Trenchard's being a Minor be specially reported to the House.

The First Resolution being read a Second time;

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That Thomas Trenchard, Esquire, had the Majority of Voices at the Election of Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dorchester.

The Second Resolution being read a Second time;

And the Question being put, That Sir Robert Napier is duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dorchester in the County of Dorsett;

It passed in the Negative.

Then the Question being put, That Thomas Trenchard, Esquire, is duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dorchester in the County of Dorsett;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That the Clerk of the Crown do attend this House To-morrow Morning, to amend the Return of Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dorchester, according to the said Resolution.

Supply Bill; East India Goods.

Then the House, according to the Order of Yesterday, resumed the adjourned Debate upon the appropriating Clause to the Bill for granting certain new Impositions to their Majesties upon all East-India Goods, and other Goods and Merchandizes imported.

And several Amendments were proposed to be made in the said Clause; Which were agreed unto by the House.

And then the Question being put, That the said Clause be agreed unto;

It passed in the Negative.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed.

Supply Bill; Low Wines, &c.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning at Eleven a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for laying several Duties on Low Wines, or Spirits of the First Extraction; and also to consider of the Bill for appointing and enabling Commissioners to take the publick Accompts.

Chippenham Election.

A Petition of Sir Humphry Edwyn was read; setting forth, That the Petitioner was duly elected by a Majority of the Burgesses for the Borough of Chippenham in Com. Wilts; notwithstanding many Practices used by Sir Bazill Firebrasse, and Mr. Lord, Bailiff of the said Town, as the murdering one of the Petitioner's Messengers, and turning one, that appeared for the Petitioner, out of his House, and put another therein to vote for Sir Bazill; besides many other riotous Proceedings; and bribing the Electors, he prevailed with the Bailiff to return him, in Prejudice of the Petitioner: And praying the Consideration and Relief of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Merits of the Election for the Borough of Chippenham be heard at the Bar of this House upon this Day Three Weeks.

Supply Bill; Wine Duties, &c.

Resolved, That this House do immediately resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for continuing the Impositions upon Wine, Vinegar, and Tobacco, to their Majesties.
Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Mr. Solicitor General took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.
Mr. Solicitor General reports from the said Committee, That they had agreed upon several Amendments to be made to the said Bill; which they had directed him to report to the House: And which he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and afterwards, delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

And a borrowing Clause being, according to Order, offered to the House, to be added to the Bill, the same was twice read; and, after some Amendments proposed, and agreed unto by the House; the same was, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House, to be made Part of the Bill.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the Amendments and Clause, be ingrossed.

Ways and Means.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Thursday Morning next, at Eleven a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of further Ways and Means for raising the Supplies to be granted to their Majesties.

York Buildings Water Company.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee to whom the Bill for encouraging, carrying-on, and settling the Waterworks in York Buildings, was committed, be re-committed to the same Committee: And that Mr. Holt and Mr. Machell be added to the said Committee.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Leave for Members to attend Lords.

Ordered, That Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Finch have Leave to attend the Lords, as Counsel, in a Cause between Sedgwick and Hitchcock.

And then the House adjourned till To-morrow Morning, Eight of the Clock.