House of Commons Journal Volume 1: 06 June 1604 (2nd scribe)

Mercurii, 6o Junii, 1604

Pennynge.

1. THE Bill, touching Pennynge: - The first Reading.

Assignments.

Bill of Assignments, delivered to Sir Ro. Oxenbridge.

Scandalous Ministers.

The Bill against scandalous Ministers, &c. - The first Reading.

Recusants.

Sir Ro. Wrothe bringeth in the Bill, touching Recusants Children restored. The Amendments twice read ; and ordered, Ingrossetur.

Ministry.

Sir Geo. Moore, Committee in the Bill, touching a godly and learned Minister, bringeth in the Bill, and sheweth the Amendments, and a Proviso added. The Amendments twice read, and the Proviso also. - Ordered to be ingrossed.

Another Question.

Sir Jo. Highem, - touching Toleration for some, not Graduates, to be provided which are sufficient Men.

Sir Tho. Hobby followeth, and agreeth with Sir Jo. Higham; with many Reasons, and Instances of his own Knowledge : Concludeth to have the Bill re-committed, to be amended in some few Points.

Propounded by Mr. Speaker, to have a Question.

Quest. Whether, " or being no Graduate," to -

Ordered, upon the Question, To stand in the Bill.

Trinity College, Cambridge.

Mr. Fra. Moore reporteth the Bill touching Exchange between the Master, Fellows, and Scholars, of Trinity College in Cambridge, with a Proviso : - Twice read: Ordered to be ingrossed.

Warren's, &c. Decree.

Mr. Winche maketh Report of the Bill, touching Warren, &c.

Which being opened unto the House by the said Mr. Winche; upon many Reasons therein shewed, it was, upon the Question, dashed.

Popish Books.

LL. 2. The Bill for Reformation of Abuses, in bringing into this Land of Popish Books: - The second Reading; and, upon the Question, and Division, ordered to be committed. - Committee infra.

Mr. Wynche: - Two Parts in the Bill: First, in printing vain, idle, &c. Secondly, bringing over Popish Books, &c. -

Restraining only of Popish Books. English Popish Books, from beyond Sea, restrained in the Bill. -

Restraining of Popish Books to be printed.

Mr. Tey: - Will blow all away, that the former Speaker moved.

Bishops have licensed Popish Books, and against the State: If none other will, some of themselves -

Mr. Alforde: - The Gentleman that spake last save one, recited all the good Parts of the Bill, and concludeth against the same.

Sir E. Grevill argueth, that Freedom is taken away; and concludeth against the Bill.

Serjeant Dodridge argueth for the Bill - Spanyards: -

No Book there printed, unless by a special Council assigned do allow it. - Monopolies of printing Books, in all Places and Kingdoms.

Sir E. Mountague: - To have it committed, that the Good be not lost.

Sir Jo. Hollice: - In Italy only by the Inquisitors ; whereby they have left out somewhat out of the Fathers, and so robbed them.

Sir E. Hobbie: - To have it committed.

Sir Henry Beamont: - To set up an Inquisition : -

And so against it.

Mr. Solicitor, - reciting many Inconveniences in the Abuse of printing - Not to have every one to print. - A great many Popish, of his Knowlege. -

Some Course : Either this committed, or some other framed.

Upon the Question, whether to be committed, or no; upon the Doubtfulness of the Question, and Division of the House, ordered to be committed.

With the Yea, for committing, 135.

With the Noe, 125. -

All the King's Privy Council, Sir Francis Hastings, Sir Ed. Hobbie, Mr. Winche, Serjeant Dodridge, Mr. Solicitor, Sir Rob. Wroth, Mr. Nath. Bacon, Sir Ro. Wingfield, Sir Ro. Oxenbridge, Sir Jo. Hollice, Sir H. Beamont, Sir William Strowde, Mr. Crewe, Mr. Yelverton, Sir Chro. Perkins, Sir Da. Dunne, Sir E. Lewkenor, Mr. Martyn, Serjeant Hubberd, Mr. Hicham, Mr. Brocke, Sir Jo. Savill, Sir Ro. Wilbraham, Sir Ro. Aston, Sir Herbert Croft, Sir Jo. Scott, Sir Tho. Hobby, Mr. Recorder of London, Mr. Tey, Sir Morrice Barkley, Sir Geo. Moore, Sir E. Tyrrell, Sir E. Sands, Sir Barnard Whetstone, Sir Fr. Barington, Sir W. Cope, Mr. Alforde, Sir Jero. Horsey, Sir Jo. Thynne, Sir Jo. Bennet, Mr. Edw. Jones. - To meet Saturday, Chequer Court, in the Afternoon.

Statutes.

Continuance of Statutes, and Committtees Names, delivered to Sir Ro. Wroth, to be delivered over to Mr. Fr. Moore.

Tonage and Poundage.

Mr. Fra. Moore bringeth in the Bill of Tonage and Poundage, Yesterday recommitted: Bringeth in the Bill, with few Amendments, and a Proviso: - Twice read.

Proviso in the Bill of Tonage, twice read ; and ordered to be ingrossed, upon the Question.

Mr. Glaseor touching Chester: - For the Grants to be brought.

Saturday, for the Charter of Chester to be brought, and considered of by the House.

Free Trade.

Sir Ro. Maunsell argueth, touching the Bill of Trades. - It partly concerneth his own Element. The Interlopers he sent unto, but they durst not come unto him, for fear of the Merchants. - Monster, Monopoly of the Kingdom ; for so he must call -

If a Monopoly de facto; Time to look to them. -

Merchants not so welcome to the foreign, as those, that he calleth Interlopers. -

Our Charity not so great in Trades with us, as in foreign Parts. -

Great Ships are not the Nurseries of Mariners. Our Strength in Sailors, and small Ships. - Not only London, &c. but Harwiche, and Ypeswich. -

He could make all Men's Heares [a] here to stand, and Hearts to ache, if they knew that, he knoweth, in these Matters. -

Charity touching Strangers in an Argument, heretofore made the last arguing. - Concludeth with the Bill. -

Plague.

Bill and Committees Names, in the Bill for Relief.

Places infected with the Plague,delivered to Sir Jo. Thynne.

Free Trade.

Sir Tho. Hobby, - for the Merchants Adventurers, and against the Bill. -

That the Statute of 5 Eliz. confirmeth the Merchants ; and not only their Corporation -

Sir Ry. Bulkley: - Merchants of London have all Trades. They have East Indies, West, North. - He will begin, and go round about the World. - Not to go to South, to

Barbary, and infinite Numbers of other Places: All Trade of Asia, Aphrica, or Grecia, No Man will, as he thinketh, but such as will not offend -

Mr. Carelton: - Neither with the last, nor altogether with the first. -

Merchants decay; Decay of Customs, Shipping : None of all these better -

Disease only in the West Country, in Decay of the Trade with Spayne. -

If this Trade may be restored; for nothing may be impossible.

No Orders in Fraunce, in Merchandize; and therefore they are ready, many of them, to give over. - Concludeth, to respite it until the next Session.

Mr. Tey - against the Bill; and maintaining the Corporation of Merchants. - Doth not like the Imputation of the Name of Monopoly to be given to the Merchants of London: Concludeth, that Order must be had, otherwise Decay cometh. It is a Matter of State.

Sir Wm. Morrice, - touching a Monopoly (as he supposed) in the Country, where hath Experience, viz. Shrewsburie: Touching an Act, heretofore granted unto them, but since repealed.

Sir Henr. Beamont, - for the Bill: - For free and liberal Traffique. -

No Question, but the Merchants of London are a Monopoly. -

He that doubteth in this Law, ought to be with the Bill, maintained by many Reasons. -

He runneth with Violence, with the Liberty of the People.

Propounded, whether any will speak against the Bill. None offered against the Bill.

Mr. Hoskins: A great Personage, that knoweth the Number of Wools, - that the Merchants have made Stay of Cloths, for a Time, for their Gain. -

An Islander born: It is proper unto him to traffique. -

Whether better in a Family, or else in a Confederacy,

- Concludeth to have it put to the Question.

Sir Wm. Strowde: - Some Men, that are here, that have Parts, &c. - Concludeth to have it put to the Question.

Sir Tho. Holcroft -

Serjeant Snigg: - Susanna's Judges, &c. - Pocket Dagg.

- Some Committees in the Bill, that since have reported it to be full of Faults, never shewed any, whereby it might be amended, during the Time it was in Committee.

After many long Arguments in the Bill, touching free Trade, it is, upon the Question -

Mr. Solicitor, - for the Bill, with a little Amendments. -

Some Manner of Amendment needful; but may be mended, without any new Bill -

Of Opinion, to enhance our own Commodities. -

Poor Clothier must sometimes go without ready Money, except they sell for Time, Six Months. -

Foreign Commodities, the Prices have not fallen: - Silks, &c. -

Merchants only buy, and bring in Wares. Few or none carry Cloth in any Port Towns : Almost all in London.

Ancient Society of Merchants as in old Times; as it stood then, no Monopoly -

No Word of Monopoly in the old Law of H. VII. used. - To be considered. -

No undue Means. -

The Words, in this Act, doth not follow the Words of the Statute of 12 H. VII. - Is to be considered.

Sundry Words of Amendments, recited, which seemeth necessary to be amended ; and a Proviso. - Concludeth, Bill, with the Amendments, to be very good and necessary.

Mr. Hyde - with the Bill: And saith, it is not an Overthrow to the Merchants Corporation. -

To continue for a Dozen Year, and the next Parliament. -

Some Addition of Words, - Concludeth, a good Bill.

Upon the Question, propounded, Whether Words of Addition : - Ordered to be put in; and were put in.

Upon the Question for Twelve Years, or no; ordered to continue for ever.

Question, Whether the Word "Clothier" should be put out, or no. - Not to be put out.

Bill for free Trade, passed, upon the Question.

Coopers.

Coopers Bill delivered to Sir Ro. Wrothe, being a Committee in the same,