House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 4 January 1697

Lunæ, 4 die Januarii ;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Address for stopping a Pardon.

MR. Pocklington reported from the Committee apapointed to consider how the Abuses of Prisons, and other pretended privileged Places, may be regulated, That they having received Information, That there is a Pardon passing for one Thomas White, who was a Prisoner in the Fleet Prison; and in whose Chamber was found Crucibles, and other Instruments for Coining and Clipping; and who has since been convicted and attainted for the said Crime, and is now a Prisoner in Newgate; they had directed him to move the House, That an humble Address may be made to his Majesty, to put a Stop to the said Pardon.

Resolved, That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, by such Members of this House as are of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council, That he will please to put a present Stop to the Pardon, which, this House is informed, is passing for the said Thomas White, convicted for Clipping and Coining, and now Prisoner in Newgate.

Prisons and pretended privileged Places.

Ordered, That Mr. Harcourt, Sir John Austen, Mr. Jennings, Mr. Ryder, Mr. Daniell, be added to the Committee to whom it is referred to consider how the Abuses of Prisons, and other pretended privileged Places, may be regulated.

Stockley's Estate.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, to enable Mary Stockly, an Infant, to sell Lands in the County of Chester, to pay the Debts of Jeffery Stockley, her Father, deceased: And that Mr. Shackerly and Sir John Kay do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Ease of Sheriffs.

Ordered, That Mr. Vaughan and Colonel Osborne be added to the Committee, to whom the Bill for the Ease of Sheriffs in passing their Accounts, and Execution of their Offices, is committed.

Prohibiting India Silks, Callicoes, &c.

A Petition of the Master, Wardens, and Assistants, of the incorporate Company of Clothiers, in the City of Worcester, was presented to the House, and read: setting forth, That the Bill, now depending in the House, to restrain the Wearing all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East-India, and all Callicoes printed or stained, will be of great Benefit to the Petitioners; a great Consumption of our Woollen Manufactures, which are bartered for unthrown Silks brought from Turkey; and an Employment for the Petitioners: And praying, That . . . said Bill may pass into a Law.

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

Petition respecting a Member.

A Petition of the Lady Katherine Moor, Sir William Strickland, Baronet, and Sir William Waller, was presented to the House:

And the same relating to Christopher Lyster, Esquire, a Member of this House; who not being in the House;

Ordered, That the said Mr. Lyster do attend, in his Place, To-morrow Morning: And that the said Petition be then read.

Ryegate, &c. Roads.

A Petition of several Gentlemen, and others, in the Counties of Surrey and Sussex; and of the Inhabitants . . . the Parishes of Rygate and Horley, in the County of Surrey; was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Lanes, called Horshill and Bonehurst, being the Roads betwixt Towns of great Trade in the said Counties, are become so ruinous, that they are not passable without Danger; nor can they be repaired by any Law now in force; for that the Charge will far exceed any legal Assessments: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill for the better Repairing and Amending the said Lanes, by a Toll.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition: And that Sir Richard Onslow do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Warner's Estate.

A Petition of Benjamin White was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That Edmund Warner, deceased, was indebted to the Petitioner, by Assignment from Samuel Sowton, 100 l. for so much insured on the Ship, called the St. John of Stockholm, which was lost: That there is a Bill depending in the House, for explaining a former Act of Parliament, intituled, An Act for enabling Trustees to sell Part of the Estate of Edmund Warner, deceased; which if it should pass, the Petitioner will be thereby deprived of his Debt: And praying, That some Provision may be made therein, for satisfying his said Debt.

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

Attainder of the Conspirators.

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; was, according to Order, read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill.

Brecknock Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ, for electing a Knight to serve in this present Parliament for the County of Brecknock, in the room of Edward Jones Esquire, deceased.

Call of the House.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Order for the Call of the House this Day be now read;

It passed in the Negative.

Supply; Deficiency of Funds.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to the Order of the Day, reported from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiency of Parliamentary Funds, 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 some new Duties be granted, for raising the Sum of 840,000 l. charged upon the Duties laid upon Salt, and upon Coals and Culm, and Tonage of Ships, taken away the last Session of Parliament; for which the Provision then made has proved defective.

The said Resolution, being read a Second time, was, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Ways and Means.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Thursday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of Ways and Means for raising the 840,000 l. charged upon the Duties laid upon Salt, and upon Coal and Culm and Tonage of Ships, taken away the last Session of Parliament; for which the Provision then made has proved defective.

Call of the House.

Ordered, That the Call of the House be adjourned till this Day Sevennight: And that such Members as shall not then attend, be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.

Ways and Means.

Resolved, That this House, will, upon Friday 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 of the Provision for Payment of the Interest of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland.

Bringing in Plate to be coined.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill for encouraging Persons to bring their wrought Plate into the Mints, to be coined.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

The Lord Coningsby took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

The Lord Coningsby reported from the said Committee, That they had made a further Progress in the said Bill; and had directed him to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will upon Thursday 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 To-morrow Morning, Nine a Clock.