House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 29 December 1690

Lunæ, 29 die Decembris; 2° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Trade with France.

A BILL for the more effectual putting in Execution the Act for prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with France, was read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Major Vincent, Sir John Bancks, Mr. Buscawen, Sir Wm. Pritchard, Sir John Guise, Mr. Burrard, Mr. Arnold, Sir Orl. Gee, Mr. Waller, Mr. Cary, Mr. Bridges, Sir Wilfred Lawson, Lord Marquis Winchester, Lord Cornbury, Mr. Gwyn, Colonel Beaumont, Mr. England, Captain Pitt, Mr. Kenyon, Sir Jerv. Elwes, Sir Rob. Dashwood, Mr. Parker, Serjeant Wogan, Sir Math. Andrews, Major Perry, Sir Cha. Keymish, Mr. Blowfeild, Mr. Greenfeild, Mr. Trelawny, Mr. Papillion, Mr. Reignolds, Sir Rob. Rich, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Vincent, Mr. Scoble, Sir Bour. Wray, and all the Members that serve for the City of London, and Sea Ports: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Ordered, That the said Committee have Power, and do consider of an effectual Way for the prohibiting the Importation of all French Brandy.

Priority of Supply Bills to private Business.

Ordered, That no private Business be proceeded upon after Ten of the Clock, until the Bills for their Majesties Supplies be finished.

African Company.

A Bill for the settling of the Affrican Trade, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Raising Militia.

Mr. Harcourt reports from the Committee to whom the Bill for raising the Militia for the next Year, although the Month's Pay formerly advanced and paid is not yet repaid, was committed, That they had agreed upon several Amendments to be made to the Bill, and several Clauses to be added thereunto; which they had directed him to report to the House: And which he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the said Amendments and Clauses were once read throughout: And then the said Amendments being read a Second time, one by one; they were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Then Clause A being read a Second time, being for to enable the respective Lieutenants, or their Deputies, to nominate and appoint any fit and able Person to serve as a Horse or Foot Soldier for such Persons as are rated and chargeable so to do, but are not able to procure Persons to serve as aforesaid, at the Rate of Two Shillings and Sixpence for a Horseman, and One Shilling for a Foot Soldier, the Person so charged paying the same;

And the Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee therein;

It passed in the Negative.

Then Clause B being read a Second time, after an Amendment proposed and agreed unto by the House (the said Clause being, That the Officers and Soldiers of the Militia shall pay no greater or other Rates in their Quarters for their Diet, Small Beer, Hay and Straw, than the Officers and Soldiers of their Majesties Army are to pay by one Act of this present Sessions made for punishing Officers and Soldiers, who should mutiny and desert their Majesties Service; and for punishing false Musters);

The Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee in the said Clause so amended;

It passed in the Negative.

Then Clause C being read a Second time, after an Amendment proposed and agreed unto by the House (the said Clause being to acquit and indemnify such Lieutenants, or their Deputies, who have, during the Invasion, by their Majesties Orders, raised and levied any Sum for the Soldiers Pay, or have continued the same in actual Service for any longer time than by the several Statutes in that Case made is allowed);

The Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee in the said Clause so amended;

It passed in the Negative.

Then a Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That all Persons who have taken the Oaths to their Majesties, might arm themselves in Cases of Invasion and Insurrection:

And the Question being put, That the said Clause be read;

It passed in the Negative.

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

Supply Bill; Brandy and Low Wines

An ingrossed Bill for the discouraging the Distilling of Brandy and Spirits from Corn, and for laying several Duties on Low Wines, and Spirits of the first Extraction, was read the Third time.

And an Amendment being proposed to be made in the Bill, in Press 6, Line 9, by leaving out "above-mentioned, and other Duties of Excise;" and, instead thereof, inserting, "and being subject to all Fines and Penalties, as other Distillers are;" the same were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House: And the Bill amended accordingly.

Then an ingrossed Clause was offered as a Rider; That the Duty of Eight-pence per Gallon imposed by this Act shall not take Effect before the Twenty-fifth Day of March 1691; but that the same, from and after the Twenty-fifth Day of March, shall be charged with the Duty of per Gallon, and no more.

Resolved, That the Clause be read.

The Clause was read the First time.

And the Question being put, That the Clause be read the Second time;

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for the encouraging the Distilling of Brandy and Spirits from Corn, and for laying several Duties on Low Wines, and Spirits of the first Extraction.

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

Mr. Solicitor General, according to Order, presented to the House Enacting Clauses for the Building of Ships.

And the same were twice read.

Resolved, That the said Clauses be committed to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for doubling the additional Duty of Excise upon Beer, Ale, and other Liquors, to begin from the Time that the Act for doubling the Duty of Excise for One Year doth expire, is committed.

Then a Clause was offered to be added to the said Bill, That no Brewer or Retailer shall raise the Price of the Drink, or lessen their Measures, for or by reason of the doubling the Duty of Excise, upon Pain to forfeit for every such Offence the Sum of; one Moiety to the Poor, and the other to the Informer.

And the same was once read.

And the Question being put, That the same be read a Second time;

It passed in the Negative.

Then a Clause was ordered, for Victuallers and Retailers to be at Liberty to brew the Beer and Ale to be uttered and sold by them, without being subject to the Penalty of One hundred Pounds in the Act for doubling the Excise.

And the same was twice read.

Resolved, That the said Clause be committed to the same Committee of the whole House.

Then Sir Hen. Ashurst, according to Order, presented to the House an Accompt, What the additional Duties of Excise have produced net, since the same were granted, and the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

The gross Produce of the additional Excise, at Ninepence per Barrel, &c. from the Twenty-fourth July 1689, at which time the said additional Excise began by Act of Parliament, to Twenty-fourth July 1690, being One Year, did amount to the Sum of Two hundred Two thousand Eight hundred Twenty-one Pounds and Four pence Halfpeny.

The gross Produce of the said additional . . . . from said Twenty-fourth July 1690, to the Twenty-fifth Dec. 1690, is not known; because all the Accompts are not yet transmitted to the Excise Office, London, from the Country.

Memorandum, It is not yet known, What Part of the said Sum may be lost by Arrears, and bad Debts, which are now in Collection, or in Prosecution.

There hath been actually paid into the Exchequer, for the Use of the Dutch, out of the aforesaid Produce, and out of what the said additional.... hath produced since the 29 Septembris 1689, to the Twenty-fifth of December 1690, the Sum of Two hundred Fifteen thousand Five hundred Sixty-three Pounds Eighteen Shillings and One Peny Farthing.

Then Sir Rich. Temple, according to Order, presented to the House an Accompt, what the Customs appropriated to pay the States General of the United Provinces the Six hundred thousand Pounds for their Charges for his Majesty's Expedition into this Kingdom, have produced, since the same were granted.

And the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Duty on East India Goods.

Ordered, That a Clause be brought in, for supplying a defect in the Clauses of Credit in the Bills for granting the New Impositions upon East India Goods, and other Merchandizes, and upon Wines, Vinegar and Tobacco; that distinct Accompts be kept of what the same shall produce.

Supply Bill; Excise.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning at Ten of the Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for doubling the additional Duties of Excise, to begin from the Time that the Act for doubling the Duty of Excise doth expire.

Trade with France.

Ordered, That the Committee to whom the Bill for the more effectual putting in Execution the Act for prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with France is committed, have Power, and do consider of an effectual Way for the prohibiting the Importation of all French Brandy.

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