House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 27 February 1695

Mercurii, 27 die Februarii;

7° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Howland's Estate.

AN ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act to enable Elizabeth Howland, the Widow of John Howland Esquire, deceased, to settle Lands upon the Marriage of his sole Daughter and Heir; and for settling Lands upon the said Widow Howland, for her Life, in lieu of Dower; and for indemnifying Sir Josias Child, and the Widow Howland, Grandfather, and Mother, of the said Heir, in disposing of the personal Estate belonging to her, upon her Preferment in Marriage, she being under the Age of One-and-Twenty Years; was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Chaitor's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act to vest certain Lands of Sir William Chaitor Baronet, in Yorkshire and Durham, to be sold, for Payment of Debts charged thereon, and to secure Portions for younger Children, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Assize of Bread.

A Bill for regulating and better ascertaining the Assize of Bread was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Ordered, That Sir Ra. Dutton, Sir Cha. Raleigh, Sir John Bolles, Mr. Brockman, Mr. Mawdit, Mr. Colt, Sir Cha. Bloys, Sir Robert Eden, Mr. Dolben, Mr. Gould, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Bickerstaffe, Mr. Burdet, Sir Tho. Haslerigg, Mr. Fuller, Sir Jervas Elwes, Mr. Speke, be added to the Committee appointed to prepare, and bring in, a Bill for the better regulating of Printing, and Printing-Presses.

Red-lion Square (St. Andrew's Holborn) new Parish.

A Petition of the several Inhabitants in and near Redlion Square, and the Streets adjacent, in the Parish of St. Andrew's, Holborn, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Parish of St. Andrew's, Holbourn, is very great, and much increased by new Buildings; and of late is become so populous, that the Care of so many Souls cannot be well discharged by one Person: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill for making the said Square, and Streets adjacent, a distinct Parish from St. Andrew's, Holbourn; and to build a Church near the said Square.

Ordered, That the Examination and Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee: And that they do report the Matter, with their Opinion therein, to the House:

And it is referred to Sir Tho. Littleton, Sir Richard Middleton, Dr. Barbon, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Lutterell, Mr. Nicholas, Sir Tho. Vernon, Mr. Dolben, Mr. Christy, Sir Cha. Sidley, Sir Sam. Barnardiston, Mr. England, Mr. How, Mr. Clark, Sir Matth. Andrews, Mr. Stonehouse, Mr. Blofeild, Sir John Kay, Mr. Brown, Colonel Perry, Mr. Brewer, Sir Ra. Dutton, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Freke, Sir Tho. Dyke, Mr. Robinson, Sir John Bolls, Lord Pawlet, Mr. Mawdit, Mr. Cocks, Sir Wm. Drake, Mr. Brockman, Sir Row. Gwynn, Mr. Burdet; and all that serve for the County of Middlesex and City of Westminster: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber: And have Power to send for Persons, Papers, and Records: And to give such Notice, that the Inhabitants may be heard.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir William Thomas have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

Ordered, That Sir William Cook have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

Ordered, That Mr. Pawlet have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Ordered, That Mr. Mordant have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

Ordered, That Sir Tho. Miller have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

Ordered, That Sir Nath. Nappier have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Tonage Duties.

Mr. Hungerford reported from the Committee appointed to consider of the Act, passed the last Session, for laying several Duties upon the Tonage of Ships, as it relates to the Isle of Wight, and Town and County of Southampton, and the Town of Portsmouth, and to all the Coasting-Trade; and of the Doubts and Complaints relating thereunto; That they had considered the same accordingly, and the several Petitions which were referred to the said Committee; and had directed him to make a Report thereof to the House; which be read in his Place; and afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

That the Duty of Tonage, charged by the Act, upon Coasting-Vessels, is likewise charged upon, and exacted of, all Hoys or Vessels, that carry Corn, Cattle, or Provisions, from the Isle of Wight to the Port of Southampton, or to Portsmouth, a Member thereof, or to any other Member thereof; and likewise upon such Vessels as receive Goods by Waggon from London, for the Use of the said Island (although the Duty charged by the Act is thereby charged only upon Vessels used and employed in the CoastingTrade, from Port to Port, in England, Wales, or Berwick upon Tweed); and the Goods complained of are carried from one Member or Creek of the same Port to another, and not coast-wise, these Ports being all land-locked; which is likewise the Case of Chester, Leverpoole, Anglesey, Carnarvon, and several other Head and MemberPorts of England and Wales.

That the like Duty of Tonage is expected, and exacted, of the Market-Boats, Passage-Boats, Hoys and Troughs, trading and passing between Bristoll and other Towns up the River Severne, and between Bristoll and Wales; and so likewise, of Boats passing or trading between several Towns upon the River Thames, Medway, Humber, and several other navigable Rivers in England and Wales.

That when Vessels carry Goods from London to Portsmouth, several Parcels of which are to be sent by other Vessels or Boats to other Member-Ports or Creeks upon that Coast, the Duty of Tonage is twice exacted; which is likewise done in carrying of Goods by Sea from Spalding, a Member-Port of Boston; and from other MemberPorts thereof to Boston, to be from thence carried to London, or elsewhere.

That in all the Cases above-mentioned, and in all the Coasting-Trade, the full Duty of Tonage is exacted, although the Vessels or Boats charged with it have but One, Two, or Three Tons of Goods on board; which is a great Discouragement to Navigation, Seamen being by that means the less employed; a Diminution of the King's Customs, Masters of Ships being unwilling to take any Loading at all, unless they can be full Loaden; a great Detriment to Merchants and Traders, for that by this means their Goods, in Expectation of making up a full Freight, are often left in damp and inconvenient Warehouses, where they are much prejudiced, and very often utterly spoiled; and will be likewise a Means to lessen the Consumption of such Goods as are usually carried coastwise.

That by this means likewise of exacting the full Tonage, when the Ships are not full loaden, the Trade of importing Goods from Holland to Newcastle, Scarborough, and other Northern Ports, is almost lost, and the Coal-Trade from thence to Holland very much lessened; Holland being, since this Act, mostly supplied with Coals from Scotland.

That, as the Act is now executed, Passage-Boats, MarketBoats, and other Vessels and Boats, passing and trading upon navigable Rivers, pay in a Year as much Tonage as any ship from the East-Indies, or any other foreign Port doth; these Boats and Vessels passing and repassing Six or Seven times in a Week, and sometimes twice in a Day.

That though there be a Clause in the Act, whereby Barges . . . . . Sand, Lime, or Slat Stone, are exempted from paying of Tonage; yet in case these Goods are carried in a Vessel having a Deck, as a Hoy, as they are usually between Appledore, Biddiford, Barnestable, and other Places upon the Coast; or if Lime-stone be carried in any Sort of Vessel; yet the Duty of Tonage is exacted; although Lime-stones seem to have been intended to be excepted out of the Act; Lime being excepted, and burnt or wrought Lime being seldom or never carried by Water.

That a Doubt hath arisen upon the Act, What Duty Goods imported from Jersey and Guernsey shall pay, these Places not being named in the Act: And likewise, Whether Goods of the Growth of France, taken as Prize, and brought from Jersey and Guernsey, shall pay any Duty at all; the Act seeming to lay no Duty at all upon French Goods till after the War; and then they are to pay as Goods from Portugall.

That the Way of Admeasurement, prescribed by the Act of Parliament, is, to multiply the Length by the Breadth, and the Product of that Multiplication by the Depth; which differs from the Way of Admeasurement used by Shipwrights and Carpenters; which is, to make the Second Multiplication by half the Breadth.

That the Way of Admeasurement, prescribed by the Act of Parliament, is unequal, it being used upon no other Occasion; and Ships being always sold, and lett to Freight, as well to the King as others, by the other Way of Admeasurement.

That the Way of Admeasurement, prescribed by the Act of Parliament, makes the Tonage of Ships, one with another, amount to above One Fourth Part more than the other Way doth; and in Truth more than the Ship can actually carry Tons of Goods.

That the Way of Admeasurement, prescribed by the Act of Parliament, is of greater Advantage to foreign than it is to English-built Ships; foreign Ships, especially the Dutch, being usually built more bulgy, with fewer Decks, and with less Rate, than the English are; which makes the Way of Admeasurement, prescribed by the said Act, less prejudicial to such foreign than it is to Englishbuilt Ships; and is a great Discouragement to the Building of defensible Ships; such Ships paying more in proportion than slight or single-decked Ships do.

Mr. Perry, Merchant, said, That, for the Ship called The Perry and Lane, he paid the Carpenter for 345 Ton; but, according to the Admeasurement of the Custom-house Officers, he paid to the King for 419 Ton and Three Quarters.

The Ship called The Bird was lett to the King for 221 Ton; but paid Tonage, by the Act, for 281 Ton.

The Ship called The Joseph paid to the Builder for 350 Ton; was lett to the African Company for 310 Tons; but pays Tonage to the King for 397 Ton.

Mr. Sheppard said, That the Ship called The Katherine paid to the Carpenter for 208 Ton; brought home from Alicant no more than 160 Ton; but, according to the Admeasurement made for the King, be paid for 264 Ton.

The Bird brought from Virginia 158 Ton, full loaden; but paid to the King 181 Ton.

Sir Thomas Grantham said, That The Kendall Frigate was measured by the Carpenter at 318 Ton; she brought home 109 Ton, full loaden; but, by the Admeasurement for the King, she was forced to pay for 391 Ton.

All the Witnesses complain of the Admeasurement prescribed by the Act; and say, That most of the MerchantShips, built since the Act, are built but with one Deck; which make them less serviceable, and less defensible: And that since this Act Ships are fallen 40l. per Cent.

That, by this Way of Admeasuring, they are forced to pay Tonage for all the Places in the Ship, the Gun-rooms, the Decks, and Places where they put Provisions; and for the Thickness, and for the Outside of the Ship.

That by building Ships with single Decks, it is a very great Discouragement to Merchants, and endangers the Loss of their Goods, when such single-decked Ships are in any Stress of Weather, or attacked by an Enemy.

Mr. Martin said, That he paid foreign Tonage for a Ship put into Port, where she unladed a small Part of her Cargo for the King's Use, and reladed some Part of the same Goods again; and paid Tonage again when she put into the Port of London, where she unladed all her Cargo.

Richard Rogers said, That he paid for full Tonage of his Vessel, when but half laden.

That there is no Way of Admeasurement prescribed by the Act of Parliament for Ships that have not a Deck; yet open Barges, which have none, are obliged to pay.

John Davis said, He paid Tonage for carrying Limestones from Appledore to Biddiford; which is in the same River.

The King's Measurers, Officers of the Customs, and Shipwrights, and Carpenters, all agree, That the Way of Admeasurement, prescribed by the Act of Parliament, makes the Tonage of Ships, one with another, amount to One Fourth Part more than that used by the Shipwrights, and Builders of Ships, by which the King takes Ships to freight.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Report be referred to a Committee of the whole House.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Report.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke and Sir John Franklyn:

Mr. Speaker,

Marquis of Tavestock's Marriage Settlement.

The Lord have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act for settling divers Manors and Lands upon the Marriage of the Marquis of Tavestock, Grandson of William Duke of Bedford: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Suppression of Cursing and Swearing.

Mr. Bowyer reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for the more effectual suppressing profane Swearing and Cursing was committed, That they had considered the same; and made several Amendments thereunto; which they had directed him to report; and which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Sevennight, take the said Report into Consideration.

Preventing Export of Wool.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the Report from the Committee, to whom the Bill for the better preventing the Exportation of Wool, by altering the Penalty; and for the Preservation of the publick Market at Blackwell-hall; and for Relief of the Workmen employed in the Woollen Manufactures, in Payment of their Wages; was committed; be adjourned until Saturday Morning next.

Report of Conference with Lords.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the Report of the Conference with the Lords, upon Saturday last, be adjourned until Friday Morning next.

Ways and Means.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supply, to be granted to his Majesty, for carrying on the War against France with Vigour.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Sir Thomas Littleton took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Thomas Littleton reported from the said Committee, That they had made a further Progress in the Matter to them referred; and had directed him to move, That an Account of the Importation of Tobacco, from 1681, to 1689, may be laid before the House.

Ordered, That the Commissioners of the Customs do lay before this House an Account of the Importation of Tobacco, from One thousand Six hundred Eighty-one, to 1689.

Sir Thomas Littleton also acquainted the House, That he was directed by the said Committee to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for carrying on the War against France with Vigour.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees, except such as are by Adjournment to sit To-morrow Morning, be adjourned.

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