House of Lords Journal Volume 13: 2 November 1678

DIE Sabbati, 2 die Novembris.

REX.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

Neffo's Papers to be delivered to him.

Whereas, upon Perusal of the Papers of Mr. Neffo, which have been seized and examined by Order of this House, the House is satisfied that there are not among them any Papers relating to the horrid Design against His Majesty, now under Examination:

It is ORDERED, That the Clerk of the Parliament be, and is hereby, authorized to re-deliver to the said Mr. Neffo all such Papers as were seized and examined as aforesaid; and for so doing, this shall be his Warrant.

Coleman's Clerks to attend the Committee.

ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the Four Clerks, and all other Servants, belonging to Mr. Edward Coleman, be, and are hereby, required to appear before the Lords Committees appointed to examine the horrid Design against His Majesty's Person, on Monday next, at Eight of the Clock in the Forenoon, in the Prince's Lodgings near the House of Peers.

Committee to examine Lords in The Tower.

ORDERED, That the Lords Committees who were appointed to examine Mr. Coleman and other Prisoners in Newgate, for Treason, be, and are hereby, appointed to go to The Tower, and examine the Lords who are Prisoners there for Treason:

Garter to bring in a new List of Peers.

Whereas Sir William Dugdale, Garter Principal King of Arms, was required to bring in a new List of the Nobility of England against Wednesday next, which Day this House was appointed to be called; but, by reason of the late Death of some of the Nobility, and the Difference about the Precedency and Ranking some others of them, as the said Sir William Dugdale (in his Paper read this Day) suggesteth, he cannot complete the said List; and prayeth the Direction of this House:

It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That it be, and is hereby, referred to the Lords Committees for Privileges, to hear the said Sir William Dugdale, and consider what Directions are fit to be given him, and make Report thereof unto the House; and that the intended Call of the House is hereby deferred till further Order.

Guards to be removed from Mrs. Thompson's House.

Upon reading the Petition of Mary the Wife of Nathaniell Thompson, a Printer; praying, "That the Guard put upon her House, when her Husband now Prisoner in The Gatehouse was seized on, may be taken off:"

It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the Guard of Soldiers now at the House of the said Mary Thompson be immediately removed from the said House.

Smith, Schoolmaster at Islington, License to be taken from him; and to attend the Bp. of London.

Upon the Petition of William Smith, Schoolmaster of the Free School at Islington, now in the Custody of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, praying the Favour of this House, that he may be discharged from the said Restraint, which, as he alledged, will be to the Ruin of himself and his Family:

It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said William Smith shall have Liberty to attend the Lord Bishop of London, to give an Account to his Lordship of what he can do which may deserve the Favour of this House; and that in the mean Time his License to be a Schoolmaster be revoked and taken from him.

Report concerning Mrs. Saunders, &c.

The Lord Chief Justice reported, "That, according to the Order directed to him, he hath sent for and examined Mrs. Saunders; who faith, "She hath kept the House Five or Six Years; and that Whitebread and Micho are there; she knows no other. She hath heard of Fenwick; and she hath seen Otes in the Spring of the Year come to Whitebread." But is obstinate, and will confess nothing more than what your Lordships knew before.

"That the Master of The White Horse Taverne in The Strand is dead, and his Wife is married again to one that is no Vintner; and they are gone from thence.

"That he hath heard of a Drawer in that Tavern who is a Papist; and his Lordship will send for him, and examine him."

Report concerning digging near the Parliament House.

The Earl of Essex reported from the Committee, to enquire after the Noise of digging in the Night, "That, upon the Report of Sir Christopher Wren and Sir Jonas Moore, That the Vaults and Cellar under and near this House are of such a Nature, that there can be no Assurance of Safety; and the only Remedy at present is, that the Cellars of the Houses near this House and the Court of Requests may be cleared, and a Passage made out of one into the other, so that Soldiers and Centinels may walk Day and Night there, and have a trusty Officer over them."

Hereupon the House made this ensuing Order:

Order for Vaults and Cellars near the Parliament House to be cleared, and for a Guard there.

"Upon Report made by the Earl of Essex from the Lords Committees appointed to enquire into the Insecurity of this House, by reason of the Vaults and Cellars under and near it, of what hath been offered to them for the better securing of the Sitting of the Parliament: It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That all the Cellars and Vaults under and near adjoining to the House of Peers, Painted Chamber, and Court of Requests, be forthwith cleared; and that all Timber, Fire-wood, Coals, or other Materials of what Kind soever, be removed out of the said Cellars and Vaults; and that Passages be forthwith made through all the said Cellars and Vaults, to the End that Soldiers and Centinels, with trusty Officers over them, may continually, Night and Day, walk to and fro, and watch in the said Cellars and Vaults, till further Order; and that Mrs. Dehaure, who liveth in a Brick House in The Old Palace Yard adjoining to the Court of Requests, be, and is hereby, required forthwith to quit her Habitation in the said House, to the End that a Guard may be kept therein, till further Order: And it is further ORDERED, That it be, and is hereby, recommended to the Lord Great Chamberlain of England, or, in his Absence, to the Surveyor General of His Majesty's Works, to take special Care, that the said Cellars and Vaults, and the House in which the said Mrs. Dehaure liveth, be speedily cleared; and that the said Passages be made in the said Cellars and Vaults for the Purposes aforesaid."

Commissaries Report, that the Officers of the Guards have taken the Oaths, and Papists are cashiered.

Commissary John Baynes, being sworn, gave the House this Account: "That he knows not of any Soldier in the Three Troops of Horse Guards, who hath not taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and received the Sacrament according to the Usag of the Church of England."

And Commissary David Crawford, upon Oath, said, "That all the Officers of Foot in the Guards have taken the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, and Test; but they had no Order concerning the Private Soldiers."

They both said, "That some Popish Officers are cashiered, who have not taken the Oaths; and that they cannot give any Account of any others come into the Places of the Popish Officers that are removed, till the next Muster."

They gave in the Names of several Under Muster-masters, who are not in Town, but residing at their several Charges.

King to be moved for this House, and the House of Commons, to be repaired.

Sir Christopher Wren, at the Bar, gave the House an Account of the Weakness and Craziness of the Roof of the House of Commons, of which there might be Danger of falling in stormy Weather; and likewise that the Roof of this House is bad.

Hereupon it is ORDERED, That the Lords with White Staves do attend His Majesty, from this House, humbly to acquaint Him with what Sir Christopher Wren, Surveyor General of His Majesty's Works, hath informed this House, concerning the Weakness and Decay of the Buildings both of the House of Peers and House of Commons.

King's Answer.

The Lord Treasurer reported, "That he and the other Lords have attended His Majesty with their Address; and His Majesty returns this Answer: That He will give Order for repairing the Roofs of both Houses; and that, in the mean Time, the Court of Requests shall be fitted for the Accommodation of the House of Commons, if they desire it."

Message to H. C. for a Conference about it.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir William Beversham and Sir Samuell Clerke:

To desire a present Conference, in the Painted Chamber, upon somewhat that concerns both Houses.

The Messengers return with this Answer:

Answer.

That the House of Commons will give a Conference, as is desired.

The Lord Chancellor, the Lord Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seal, the Earl of Bridgwater, and the Earl of Essex, were appointed to manage this Conference; and to acquaint them with the Information of Sir Christopher Wren, and the Address of this House to His Majesty, and His Majesty's Answer thereunto.

The House was adjourned during Pleasure, and the Lords went to the Conference; which being ended, the House was resumed.

Report of the Conference.

Then the Lord Privy Seal reported, "That the Managers of this Conference had performed what this House had given them in Command."

Disabling Papists from sitting in Parliament, &c. Bill.

Hodie 2^a vice lecta est Billa, "An Act for the more effectual preserving of the King's Person and Government, by disabling Papists from sitting in either House of Parliament."

ORDERED, That the Consideration of this Bill is committed to a Committee of the whole House; to be proceeded in on Thursday next.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in post meridiem hujus instantis diei, hora quarta, Dominis sic decernentibus.

post meridiem.

REX.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem Lunæ, 4^um diem instantis Novembris, hora decima Aurora, Dominis sic decernentibus.

Hitherto examined, this 4th of December, 1678, by us,

J. Bridgewater.
Craven.
N. Duresme.