House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 29 December 1696

Martis, 29 die Decembris ;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Rede's, &c. Nat.

MR. Bridges reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill to naturalize Frederick Christiaen Baron de Rede, Lord Agrim, and Godart Adriaen Baron de Rede, Sons of the Earl of Athlone, and others, was committed, That they had made several Amendments; 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 once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

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

Vexatious Suits.

Mr. Harcourt, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill to prevent frivolous and vexatious Suits in Law: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Colonel Wharton have Leave to go into the Country for Three Days, upon extraordinary Occasions.

African Company.

A Petition of the Clothworkers of the Town of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Royal African Company labouring under great Difficulties, for want of having their Trade secured to them against Interlopers, the Petitioners, who have their Dependence on the said Company, will be impoverished for want of Employment, without some speedy Relief: And praying, That the Traffick of the said Company may be preserved, in such manner as the House shall think fit.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for settling and regulating the Trade to Africa is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Weavers in and about Kidderminster, in the County of Worcester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners, and many Hundred Families in Worcestershire, who have their chief Dependence upon the African Company, must go a begging, in case the Trade to Africa be not secured to the said Company from Interlopers: And praying, That the said Trade may be preserved to the said Company.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for settling and regulating the Trade to Africa is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, and CommonCouncil-men, together with the Inhabitants, of the City of Exon, and Parts adjacent, in the County of Devon, on behalf of themselves, and others employed in and about the Making and Dressing of Woollen Manufactures, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That heretofore, when the Trade to Africa was open, the Petitioners sold vast Quantities of the Woollen Manufactures; which employed and maintained many Thousand Families; but since the said Trade has been confined to a Company, there has been but One Buyer, who will give but a very low Rate; so that they must lose by their Commodity, or let it lie a dead Stock, as they have done, the said Company not vending the same; though other Merchants would, if they might, trade to Guinea; which would revive the Petitioners Trades, and keep the Poor employed: And praying, That the Trade to Africa may be open and free for all Persons for the future; or otherwise settled, as may be for the Advantage of our Woollen Manufactures.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for settling and regulating the Trade to Africa is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Merchants, and others Traders of the City of Bristoll, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Support of the Plantations in America is of great Advantage to this Kingdom, the Product of which is raised by the Strength of Negroes; and, according to the greater or lesser Number of Slaves there, the Plantations flourish: And praying, That the House will lay open the Trade to Africa, for Negroes, from Acra to Angola, as the House shall think fit.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for settling and regulating the Trade to Africa is committed.

Excise Duties.

A Petition of John Cripps, in behalf of himself, and the rest of the common Brewers inhabiting within the King's Town and Parish of Maidstone, and Places adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have, with great Difficulty, paid several great Sums of Money for Excise; but, by reason of the Hardships laid upon them by several Acts of Parliament, and particularly the late Act, for laying several Duties upon low Wines, &c. they cannot carry on their Trades, if the same be continued: And praying, That the House will hear their Grievances, and relieve them therein.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Company of Brewers of the City of London is referred.

Smith's Accounts.

A Petition of Aaron Smith was presented to the House' and read; setting forth, That, by Order of this House, the Petitioner was, by the 1st of January next, to make up his Accounts before the Commissioners of Accounts; which he hath not as yet been able to do: And praying time till the 16th of January next; by which time he shall be able to finish the same.

Ordered, That the Time for the said Aaron Smith to make up his Accounts be inlarged till the 16th Day of January next.

Discount on Bank-Notes.

A Petition of the Clothiers, Cloth-workers, and others belonging to, or depending on, the Cloathing Manufacture in the Borough of Tamworth, in the Counties of Warwick and Stafford, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their Manufacture, though it be but small, yet the Country doth not consume it; so that they send it to London, and employ Factors to sell it; who inform them, That they took Bank-Notes for most of the Goods, of about 3,000 l. Value, sent to London since Christmas last; the Discount of which, for ready Money, is so great, that it eats up their Profit, and, consequently, must ruin the Petitioners, and those poor Workmen employed by them, who already suffer extremely, if this Grievance be not speedily remedied: And praying the Relief of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table.

Coparcenary Lands.

A Bill for the more easy obtaining Partitions of Lands in Coparcenary, Joint-tenancy, and Tenancy in common, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Hoblyn, Colonel Trelawney, Sir Wm. Wogan, Mr. Jacob, Lord Coningsby, Sir Wm. Coriton, Mr. Onslow, Mr. Manly, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Pudsey, Sir Henry Colt, Sir Wm. Lowther, Mr. Colt, Mr. Sloan, Mr. Mounstevens, Mr. Pocklington, Mr. Pendarvis, Mr. Foley, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Norris, Mr. Mountague, Sir John Bucknall, Mr. Boscowen, Mr. Mansell, Mr. Phillipps, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Methwyn, Mr. Farrer, Mr. Denz. Onslow, Mr. Lowther; and all the Members that serve for the Western Counties, and that are of the Long Robe: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Leave of Absence.

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

Fenwick's Attainder.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Richard Holford and Mr. Pitt:

Mr. Speaker,

The Lords have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act to attaint Sir John Fenwick Baronet of High Treason, without any Amendments.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Prisons and privileged Places.

Mr. Pocklington reported from the Committee appointed to consider how the Abuses of Prisons, and other pretended privileged Places, may be regulated, That the said Committee had made an Order, That George Taylor Esquire, Marshal of the Prison of the King's-Bench, and Christopher Blower, the Deputy-Marshal, should produce their Books, and give an Account to the said Committee, of all Prisoners that were in the Custody of the preceding Marshal; and that though the said Marshal and Deputy, had due Notice of their said Order, yet they had refused to produce their Books, or give in such Account, to the said Committee.

Ordered, That the said George Taylor be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for his Contempt, in not obeying the Order of the said Committee.

Ordered, That the said Christopher Blower be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, for his Contempt, in not obeying the Order of the said Committee.

Hammered Money.

A Petition of the Merchants and Traders of the City of London, in behalf of themselves, and others, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners understand, such a Construction is put upon an Act of this present Session, for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom, as debars them, contrary to the Meaning of the said Act, from paying Customs, already granted, in hammered Silver Money, at 5 s. 8 d. per Ounce, after the 1st Day of February next: And praying the House to explain the said Act so, as they conceive the Meaning of it was, that they may have time till the 1st of June 1697, to discharge such Customs, in the hammered Money, at 5 s. 8 d. per Ounce.

Ordered, That the Committee, to whom the Bill for the encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined, is committed, do receive a Clause, or Clauses, for the more certain Passage of hammered Money, and explaining the Doubts in the said late Act for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom.

Privilege.

The House being acquainted, That Joseph Blow and Thomas Clark were not the Persons that arrested Colonel Lutterell, a Member of this House, although their Names were given in to the said Mr. Lutterell, by those that did arrest him; and that the Persons who really arrested the said Colonel Lutterell, and detained him in Custody, in Breach of the Privilege of this House, were Solomon Lince, Anthony Morin, and James Anderson, belonging to Jacob Broad, a Bailiff;

Ordered, That the said Solomon Lince, Anthony Morin, and James Anderson, be, for the said Breach of Privilege, taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.

Ordered, That the said Joseph Blow and Thomas Clark be discharged out of Custody, without paying Fees.

Excise Duties.

Ordered, That Sir Joseph Herne, Sir John Bolles, Mr. Colt, Mr. Hoblyn, Sir Wm. Scawen, Mr. Machell, Sir Robert Clayton, be added to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Company of Brewers of London is referred.

Supply; Transport Debt.

Mr. Norris, according to Order, reported from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of a Motion made for a Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of the Provision for Payment of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland, the Resolution of the said Committee; 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 was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That a Supply be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of the Provision for Payment of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland.

An Amendment was proposed, before "Transport," to add, "Interest of the:"

And the same was, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, so amended, That a Supply be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of the Provision for Payment of the Interest of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland.

Ways and Means.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of Ways and Means for raising the said Supply.

African Company.

Resolved, That this House will, upon this Day Sevennight, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for settling and regulating the Trade to Africa.

Supply; Deficiency of Funds.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of Parliamentary Funds.

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 they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of Parliamentary Funds.

Sir Thomas Littleton also reported from the said Committee, That he was directed to move the House, That the Governor and Directors of the Bank of England may attend the said Committee.

Ordered, That the Governor and Directors of the Bank of England do attend the said Committee Tomorrow Morning.

Tavistock Election.

Ordered, That Francis Cuningham do attend the Committee of Privileges and Elections upon Monday, the 11th Day of January next, at Three of the Clock in the Afternoon, to testify his Knowledge, touching the late Election of a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Tavistock, in the County of Devon.

Committees.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That all Committees be revived;

It passed in the Negative.

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