House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 24 February 1699

Veneris, 24 die Februarii;

11° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Burnett's Nat.

A PETITION of George Burnett, Captain-Lieutenant in the late Queen's Regiment of Foot, commanded by the Honourable Brigadier Trelawney, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner is of Scotch Parents, but born in France, and has been in the Service of this Kingdom 26 Years; having nothing but his said Employment for his Subsistence: And praying, That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill for his Naturalization.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition: And that Brigadier Trelawney and Mr. Hoblyn do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Hamborough Company.

A Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, Clothiers, Sergemakers, and others of Taunton, Wellington, Wiveliscombe, Bishop-Hull, Hill-Farrance, Oak-Milverton, Bradford, Langford, Budville, Culmstock, and Burlescombe, concerned in Wool, and the Woollen Manufactures, in the Counties of Somerset and Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That Foreigners having, of late Years, had equal Liberty with the King's Subjects of exporting our Woollen Manufactures, they have almost wholly gotten that Trade into their Hands; who cause the Manufactures to be debased, and export them, in a manner, unmanufactured; to the Prejudice and Discredit of England: And that the Trade to Holland, Flanders, and Germany, is almost lost to English Merchants: And praying, That Provision may be made for encouraging his Majesty's natural-born Subjects to export our Woollen Manufactures to Germany, and keeping the said Trade from falling under the Government of Foreigners.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the Report relating to the Hamborough Company be taken into Consideration.

Duty on Leather.

A Petition of the Tanners of the County of Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Duty upon Leather is very grievous; for which they pay a Tax, not only by the Act that imposes the same; but also by the Land-Tax and Poll Acts; and many Restraints and Inconveniencies are incident to their said Trade, by the Act for the Duty upon Leather, occasioned by their frequent Attendance upon the Excise Officers, in Compliance with the said Act; and, by reason they cannot sell their Leather but at Fairs and Markets, they often lose a Sale to Merchants, when their Vessel is ready to sail, for want of a Market-Day: And praying, That the said Duty may be lessened, and laid on raw Hides and Skins, as an expedient to redress the Petitioners Grievances.

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

Ship Charles.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, That the Ship Charles Fly-Boat, of Exeter, may trade as a free Ship: And that Mr. Fortescue do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Aliens Children to inherit.

Sir Edward Hussey reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill to enable his Majesty's natural-born Subjects to inherit the Estate of their Ancestors, lineal or collateral, notwithstanding their Father or Mother were Aliens, was committed, That they had considered the same; and had directed him to report the same to the House, without any Amendment: And he delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table.

Ordered, That the Bill be ingrossed.

Improving Woollen Manufacture.

A Petition of the Clothiers of the County of Gloucester was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That many unexperienced Persons in making Cloth, being of other Callings, as Shopkeepers, Bakers, Maltsters, Shoemakers, &c. have of late made base and deceitful Cloth, and set other Mens Marks to the same; which hath brought a Disreputation upon our Cloth, in foreign Markets; and will, if not prevented, be a Means to drive great Part of our Trade into foreign Nations; and, besides, such Persons compel the poor People they employ to take such Commodities as they sell, for their Work; to the great Disadvantage of the said Poor, and those who pay them in current Money: And praying, That the Woollen Manufacture Trade may be established, by reviving former good Laws relating thereunto; and that henceforth all Clothiers shall pay their Work-folks in current Money.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Bill for the better Improvement of the Woollen Manufacture, by making the Act, in the 8th and 9th Years of his Majesty's Reign, to restore the Market at Blackwell-hall to the Clothiers; and for regulating the Factors there; more effectual; is committed.

St. Eloy's Nat.

A Petition of Captain Isaac Gouquett St. Eloy was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner hath faithfully served his Majesty for Ten Years last past, in Sir Bevill Granvill's Regiment of Foot; and hath a numerous Family; and is a Refugee, and hath no Home to go to: And praying, That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill for his Naturalization.

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

Apprehending Felons.

Mr. Dyott, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the better Apprehending, Prosecuting, and Punishing of Felons, that commit Burglary, or Housebreaking, or Robbery in Shops and Warehouses: And the same was received; and read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Lloyd's, &c. Nat.

A Petition of William Lloyd, Cornelius de Witt, and Godfrey Loyd, Gentlemen, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have served, the First Five Years, the Second Ten Years, and the other Eight Years, in English Regiments, and were born of English Parents, but out of the King's Allegiance, their Parents then attending King Charles the IId in his Exile: And praying, That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill for the Petitioners Naturalization.

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

Abuses in King's Bench and Fleet Prisons.

A Petition of Thomas Garthwaite was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That one John Nelms being, in Hilary Term last, charged in Execution in the Fleet Prison, at the Petitioner's Suit, for 40 l. the Warden of the Fleet hath suffered Nelms to escape; and refuseth to give the Petitioner any Satisfaction, or Account, therein: And praying the Relief of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of John Goodall is referred; and who are to inquire into the ill Practices and Abuses of the Prisons of the King's-Bench, and Fleet: And that they do examine the Matter thereof, and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Army Arrears.

A Petition of Richard Whiteby, and others, in behalf of themselves, and all others reduced and discharged out of his Majesty's Regiment of Light-Horse, now under the Command of the Right Honourable Charles Earl of Arran, and late commanded by the Honourable Colonel John Coy, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That although his Majesty ordered, that all reduced Troopers should have their Horses and Accoutrements, or their Value, yet their Officers disobey the same; neither are those that served in Ireland paid their Arrears, nor had any Account of their Off-reckonings; but were loaded with about 24 l. a Man, in 1693, when their Accounts were stated, for Regiment deductions and Contingencies; the whole Charge being generally laid on the private Men, the Officers and Servants going free: That Recruit-Horses are charged but 1,080 l. which is but 4 l. 1s. 11¼ d. per Man; and yet they are charged 11 l. odd Money, per Man: That out of their Subsistence in Flanders, they have lost 2s. 10d. out of every 20s. and their Officers stopped Six Stivers a Day a Man, during the Campaigns in 1694, 95, 96, with other Deductions for Tents, Clerks Fees, Charge of Money, &c.; the Whole amounting to between Eight and 10 l. per Man, per Annum: And praying the House to relieve them in their just Complaints.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Soldiers of Colonel Coote's Regiment is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Distillation from Corn.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday next, at Twelve a Clock, take into Consideration the Amendments, made by the Lords, to the Bill to prohibit the excessive Distilling of Spirits, and low Wines, from Corn, and against the Exporting of Beer and Ale; and to prevent Frauds in Distillers.

Philipeneau's, &c. Nat.

A Bill to naturalize John Philipeneau, Sieur de Montargier, was, according to Order, read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time, Tomorrow Morning.

Papists Protestant Heirs.

A Bill to prevent Settlements made by Papists, from disinheriting their Protestant Heirs, was, according to Order, read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Sir Richard Cocks, Sir Wm. St. Quintin, Lord Cornbury, Mr. Perry, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Price, Mr. How, Mr. Freeman, Sir Richard Onslow, Mr. England, Mr. Dyott, Sir Wm. Villers, Mr. Thornhagh, Sir John Mordant, Mr. Mountague, Sir Fran. Blake, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Cowper, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Ryder, Mr. White, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Ireton, Mr. Smith, Sir Rich. Temple, Sir Robert Eden, Sir Barth. Shower, Sir Steph. Leonard, Sir Robert Cotton, Sir Wm. Ashurst, Mr. Worsley, Mr. Bullock, Sir Walt. Young, Lord Powlett, Mr. Ogle, Mr. York, Mr. Mason, Mr. Vane, Mr. Gott: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Old East India Company.

A Petition of the Governor and Company of Merchants trading into the East Indies was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have been intitled to the sole Trade to India, by several Charters; and to the Inheritance of divers Lands and Privileges, purchased of Indian Princes; and, upon the 7th of October 1693, his Majesty, and the late Queen, granted the Petitioners a new Charter, and another upon the 11th of November 1693, framed pursuant to the Regulations agreed in the House of Commons; and new Subscriptions were made to 744,000 l. by near 800 new Adventurers, who have had no Advantage thereby; and the said Charters were confirmed only for 21 Years, and, by another Charter of the 28 September 1694, the same were subjected to a Three Years Warning, if it should appear to the King, That the said Charters were not profitable to him, or the Nation: That, since the said new Subscriptions, the Company have paid in Customs and Taxes above 500,000 l. and, last Year, being in great Disorders abroad, by Interlopers and Pirates, proposed a Loan of 700,000 l. in order to procure a Settlement by Authority of Parliament; but just then a Subscription was set on foot, in London and Westminster, to raise Two Millions, on an undoubted Fund of 8 l. per Cent. and the sole Trade to India, without any Regard to the Petitioners Right in the said Trade: Which Subscriptions being received in Parliament, the Company did, in Two General Courts, resolve to raise the Two Millions, for the Publick Service, and to deposit 200,000 l. to make good the subsequent Payments; which Offer, the Petitioners are ready to make appear, was more advantageous to the Publick by above 60,000 l. than what will be raised by the new Subscribers: That the Petitioners subscribed 315,000 l. to the said new Fund for raising Two Millions; but, on the same Day the Subscription was made they were served with his Majesty's Sign Manual, to dissolve their Corporation after three Years; and, on the 27th of October last, the same was served on them by Privy Seal: According to which, if they must be dissolved, it will be the Company's certain Ruin; because, in that time, they cannot adjust their Affairs with their Factors, and others; nor can the said 315,000 l. being the Property of 1,200 Persons, be well managed but in a Corporation: That the principal Reason given, why the Petitioners Proposal should not be accepted, was, because the Trade would be confined to a Joint Stock, which was adjudged prejudicial to the Nation; and therefore, to ascertain what separate Traders should pay towards Defraying of publick Charges, it was resolved, That 5 per Cent. ad valorem, upon all Returns from India, be paid by the Importer, to be placed to the Account of the Subscribers, towards the Charge of sending Ambassadors, and other extraordinary Expences; whereby it appears, that all the Traders were to have proportionable Benefit in the said Payment of 5 per Cent. yet it is now pretended, the same is to be paid only to the new Joint Stock; which seems contrary to all Justice; for that the Petitioners are the Persons that maintain Forts, Castles, and Factories, in India, for Preservation of the East-India Trade; and therefore conceive they ought not to pay the said 5 per Cent. And praying, That their Case may be taken into Consideration; and that the House will provide, that their Corporation may subsist for the Residue of the Term of 21 Years; that the Payment of the said 5 per Cent may be adjusted, so as it may not remain a Burden upon the Petitioners; and that such further Considerations may be had for their Relief, and for the Preservation of the East-India Trade, as shall be thought meet by the House.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, take the said Petition into Consideration.

Ordered, That Mr. Dalby Thomas, Mr. Freeman, Mr. Green, Clerk to the Distillers Company, and Mr. Plaisted, do attend this House immediately.

Officers sitting in the House.

A Bill to restrain the Number of Officers sitting in the House of Commons, 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, upon Wednesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill.

Poor Laws.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee, to whom it was referred to consider of Ways for the better providing for the Poor, and setting them on Work, be made To-morrow Morning.

Persons to attend.

Ordered, That Mr. Dalby Thomas, Mr. Freeman, Mr. Green, and Mr. Plaisted, do attend this House To-morrow Morning at Ten a Clock.

State of the Navy.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the State of the Navy.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

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