House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 18 January 1696

Sabbati, 18 die Januarii ;

7° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Warner's Estate.

AN ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act for enabling Trustees to sell Part of the Estate of Edmund Warner, deceased, for Payment of his Debts; and for preserving the rest for the Benefit of his Heir; was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Duty on From imported.

A Petition of the Merchants, Ironmongers, and other Traders and Inhabitants, of the City of Bristoll, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Wealth of this Nation doth chiefly arise from the Labour of its People; and whatever hinders the making their Manufactures, doth so far put a Stop to, and lessen, the Trade and Profit of the Kingdom: That Iron being the Foundation of many Manufactures, and the Quantities thereof raised at home not being sufficient to furnish our own Expence, and the Necessities of the Plantations, the Overplus was formerly supplied from other Countries, in Returns for our Woollen Manufactures sent thither; but since the making of an Act of Parliament, in the Second Year of King William and Queen Mary, a Duty being thereby laid upon all unwrought Iron and Rod-Iron imported, much above what those Commodities were able to bear, very little thereof hath been imported; and the Petitioners are sufficiently experienced, the Iron raised here will not near answer the Occasions of the Nation; for that they could not be supplied with One Half of the Iron Manufactures they should have sent to the Plantations lately, from the Port of Bristoll; and the Want of Iron from abroad will yearly increase, unless the said Duty be taken off; the Continuance whereof hath tended more to the Advantage of the Iron-masters at home, than to the Increase of his Majesty's Revenues: That the Dutch have, since the said Act, furnished Spain and other Markets, with Nails, cheaper than we could do; and will, in a short time, beat us out of that Trade: And praying the House to consider the Mischiefs which attend the Trade of the Nation by the Continuance of the said Duties any longer.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for continuing several Duties, granted by former Acts, upon Wine and Vinegar, and upon Tobacco, and East-India Goods, and other Merchandizes, imported, for carrying on the War against France, is committed.

Privilege.

A Complaint being made to the House, That John Diodate, a menial Servant to Thomas Dore Esquire, a Member of this House, hath been arrested, upon mesne Process, by William Pettingale, James Aly, Cornelius Johnson, and Richard Bowgan; and is detained in Prison; in Breach of the Privilege of this House;

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Elections, to examine the Matter of the said Complaint; and to report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Ordered, That the said John Diodate be discharged out of Prison, the said Mr. Dore affirming him to be his menial Servant.

Duties on Tobacco.

A Petition of divers Merchants, and others, in and about the City of London, trading in Tobacco, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That * * * *

That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for continuing several Duties, granted by former Acts, upon Wine and Vinegar, and upon Tobacco and EastIndia Goods, and other Merchandizes, imported, for carrying on the War against France, is committed.

Servants Wages.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for Ascertaining of Servants Wages; and for the more easy Recovery of the same: And that Sir Henry Dutton Colt, Sir William Williams, and Sir Thomas Littleton, do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Wye and Lugg Navigation.

A Petition of the Gentlemen, Freeholders, and Inhabitants, of the Town and Parish of Ledbury, in the Hundred of Radlo, in the County of Hereford, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill depending in the House, for the making of the Rivers of Wye and Lugg, in the County of Hereford, navigable; which will be a great Damage to the Petitioners: And praying a Time to shew their very great Reasons against the said Navigation.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the said Bill is committed.

Encouragement of Privateers.

Mr. Harcourt, according to the Order of the Day, reported from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for Encouraging of Privateers was committed, the Amendments, made by the Committee, to the said Bill; which they had directed him to report to the House; and which he read in his Place; 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, some of them disagreed, and the Residue agreed, unto by the House; and other Amendments made to the Bill, at the Table.

A Clause was offered, to be added to the Bill, for preserving the Jurisdiction of the Admiralty:

And the same was twice read:

And the Question being put, That the same be made Part of the Bill;

It passed in the Negative.

Another Clause was offered, to be made Part of the Bill, for saving the Jurisdiction of the Cinque-Ports; and enacting the same:

And the same was twice read; and, by Leave of the House, withdrawn.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, for saving the Rights of the Cinque-Ports:

And the same was twice read; and, by Leave of the House, withdrawn.

Another Clause was offered, to be added to the Bill, for allowing Salaries to the Officers of the Custom-house:

And the same was once read:

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

It passed in the Negative.

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

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke and Sir Robert Legard:

Mr. Speaker,

Haynes' Estate.

The Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act to enable Richard Haynes Esquire to settle a Jointure on his now Wife; and to exchange Lands with the Trustees of Thomas Stevens Esquire, deceased: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House. Also,

Regulating Elections.

The Lords have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act for preventing Charge and Expence in Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, with some Amendments: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Ditto.

The Amendments to the said Bill were twice read; and agreed unto by the House; and are as followeth; viz.

1 Skin, 23 L. instead of "this," read "the;" and, after "Kingdom," insert "of England, Dominion of "Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed."

34 L. the same Amendments.

Ordered, That Sir William Williams do carry the Bill to the Lords, and acquaint them, That this House hath agreed to the said Amendments.

Supply Bill; Duties on Wine, &c.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for continuing several Duties, granted by former Acts, upon Wine and Vinegar, and upon Tobacco, and East-India Goods, and other Merchandizes, imported, for carrying on the War against France.

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 some Progress in the Matter to them referred; and had directed him to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

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

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be adjourned.

And then the House adjourned till Monday Morning, Nine a Clock.