House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 2 January 1697

Sabbati, 2 die Januarii ;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Privilege—Petition from a Person in custody.

A PETITION of George Taylor, Marshal of the Prison of King's-Bench, and Christopher Blower, his Deputy, in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, was presented to the House.

And the Question being put, That the Petition be read;

It passed in the Negative.

Prisons and pretended privileged Places.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to consider how the Abuses of Prisons, and other pretended priviledged Places, may be regulated, have Power to inspect the Books of the King's-Bench Prison; and to inquire further into the Abuses of Prisons, and other pretended privileged Places.

Payment of Duties in hammered Money.

Mr. Harcourt reported, from the Committee to whom the Consideration of the Petition of several Merchants in London, on behalf of themselves, and divers other Merchants, and Traders, inhabiting in the Cities and trading Towns in the respective Counties of England, was referred, relating to the Commissioners of Excise accepting Payment of Bills of Exchange to them due, at 5 s. 8 d. per Ounce, That the said Committee had examined and considered the same; and had directed him to report the Matter of Fact to the House; 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.

That the Petitioners were heard by their Counsel; who agreed, That they were not intitled to any Relief by the late Act for further remedying the ill State of the Coin; but said, They conceived they lay under greater Hardships, by reason of that Act.

That, upon Examination of the Particulars contained in the said Petition, these several Matters of Fact appeared to be true;

1. That several considerable Sums of hammered Money had been received, in Tale, by several of the Petitioners Correspondents, from divers Collectors of Excise, in the Country; for which, their Correspondents had drawn Bills, payable by the Petitioners to the Commissioners of Excise, before the said Act passed: That all such Sums have been demanded by the Bill-Men of the Commissioners of Excise, either of the Persons, by whom the Bills were payable, or at their Houses, several times, after they were payable, whilst hammered Money was current in Tale; but that Payment had been always denied, or deferred.

2dly, That divers other Sums of hammered Money have been received, in the Country, by the Petitioners Correspondents, in Tale, from the Collectors of the Excise, before the 18th of November last; for which, Bills were drawn on several of the Petitioners, some payable since the said 18th Day of November, and other since the said Act passed: That, in all such Cases, the Petitioners are willing, and have tendered their Bills in hammered Money, at 5 s. 8 d. per Ounce; but the Commissioners have refused such Payment, not thinking it pursuant to the said late Act of Parliament.

Debts of Goldsmiths.

Mr. Whitaker, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the better enforcing Goldsmiths, and others, who receive Money payable upon Demand, to pay their Debts; and likewise for the better Discovery of their Effects: 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 Mr. Francis Godolphin have Leave to go into the Country for Five Days, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Ordered, That Mr. Burdet have Leave to go into the Country, his Father being very ill.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That Sir Richard Temple have Leave to stay in the Country for Ten Days longer, upon extraordinary Occasions.

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Prohibiting India Silks, Callicoes, &c.

A Petition of the Churchwarden, Overseers of the Poor, and ancient Inhabitants, of the Hamlet of Mile-end New Town, in the Parish of Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the major Part of the Inhabitants of the said Hamlet are Weavers, and their Dependents; whose Trades are so decayed, by the great Importation of EastIndia wrought Silks, and Commodities, of late, that they are reduced to very great Necessities, for want of Work; which before was a comfortable Support for their Families: And praying, That the House will find out some speedy Means for the Encouragement of the WeavingTrade, which will be a Relief to the Petitioners.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill to restrain the Wearing of all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East-India, and all Callicoes printed or stained there, is committed.

Duty on Glass.

A Petition of Peter Thompson, Glass-maker, of the Town, and County of the Town, of Nottingham, on behalf of himself, and his Servants, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner being unable to carry on his Glass-works, by reason of the Duty laid upon all Glass-wares, the Petitioner, and his Servants, are thereby reduced to a very low Condition.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Glass-makers of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, is referred.

Preventing Exportation of Wool.

A Complaint being made to the House, That, notwithstanding the Committee appointed to inspect the Laws for preventing the Exportation of Wool, and to consider of the most effectual Means for preventing the Exportation of Wool, were to sit de die in diem; and that the Petitioners were in Town ready to prove the Allegations of the Petition referred to the said Committee, . . . . . . . . have adjourned till Monday Sevennight.

Ordered, That the said Committee do sit de die in diem notwithstanding the said Adjournment.

Commissioners of Account.

Resolved, That this House will, upon this Day Sevennight, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for examining, taking, and stating, the publick Accounts of the Kingdom, to commence from the Expiration of the present Commission; and then proceed to a new Election of Commissioners.

Ways and Means

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of Ways and Means for raising the Supply granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency in re-coining hammered Money; and the Recompence to be given for bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined.

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 to be 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 come to a Resolution; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be made upon Monday Morning next.

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, upon Tuesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of Parliamentary Funds; and of that Part of his Majesty's Speech which relates to the Credit of the Nation.

Attainder of the Conspirators.

Mr. Solicitor-General, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill to attaint such of the Persons, concerned in the late horrid Conspiracy to assassinate his Majesty's Royal Person, who are fled from Justice, unless they render themselves to Justice; and for continuing several others of the said Conspirators in Custody: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time upon Monday Morning next.

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