House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 9 April 1695

Martis, 9 die Aprilis;

7° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

African Company.

ORDERED, That Sir John Kay, Mr. Bale, Mr. England, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Clark, Mr. Cook, Sir Walt. Yong, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Stokes, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Culliford, Mr. Gold, Mr. Stonehouse, Sir * Drake, be added to the Committee, to whom the Examination and Consideration of the Charter of the Royal African Company of England, and the several Petitions relating to the Sale of Red-wood, is referred.

Buying and selling Offices.

A Petition of Percival Brunskill Gentleman was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner, as an Attorney, was obliged to take the established Oaths of 3° Jac. I. which enjoined him to discover what he knew was done in Wrong to the Crown and People: Whereupon, in 1674, the Petitioner discovered many undue Practices in buying and selling of Offices, and proposed Remedies; which were agreed to be good Service, and worthy of Reward, as the Certificates of several learned Men, to whom the Petitioner was referred, shew: That King Charles the Second did grant to the Petitioner, the Office of Surveyor-General of the Green-wax Fines; and a Commissioner's Place in the Alienation-Office: But, by the Management of the then Judges, the Petitioner made little or no Advantage of his Preferments; and, after King Charles's Death, they were soon granted to others: That, since this Revolution, his Majesty hath signified, that the Petitioner should be restored to his Offices; yet others have been preferred thereto; and the Petitioner could never obtain a Hearing before his Majesty, nor any Relief for Payment of his Debts, contracted to make out his said Discoveries: That the Petitioner was, upon a Hearing before the then Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, in Sept. 1690, directed to make his Application to the Parliament, as within the Petition of Rights, 3° Car.: That the Honour, Wealth, and Safety, of the Nation depends on Officers faithful Discharge of Oath and Duty: And the Petitioner's Case, with the Report of the Committee's Resolutions thereon, 30 December 1690, were laid before this House; but no Relief was given the Petitioner, by reason of a Debate that arose upon a Resolution preceding: So the Petitioner's Case was adjourned; and, in the Interim, the House broke up: And praying the Consideration of the House; and such Relief in the Premises, as the House shall think fit.

Ordered, That the Examination and Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee: And that they do report the Matter to the House.

And it is referred to Mr. Arnold, Sir Cha. Bloys, Mr. England, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Stokes, Mr. Blofield, Sir Jerv. Elwes, Sir Robert Cotton, Mr. Waller, Mr. Dryden, Sir Fra. Molineux; Sir Cha. Raleigh, Sir Sam. Barnardiston, Lord Cornbury, Sir Rich Onslow, Mr. Bockland, Mr. Hedger, Mr. Carr, Mr. Brockman, Mr. Christy, Major Vincent, Sir John Banks, Major Holmes, Mr. Colt, Mr. Brewer, Sir Tho. Vernon, Mr. Burrard, Sir John Barker, Sir Tho. Clarges, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Lampton, Sir Matth. Andrews: And they are to meet To-morrow in the Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Newark upon Trent Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ, for electing a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Newark upon Trent, in the County of Nottingham, in the room of the Lord Eland, now Marquis of Hallifax.

Measures and Prices of Coals.

A Bill for enforcing, and making more effectual, the Laws for regulating the Measures and Prices of Coals, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed, upon the Debate of the House, to Sir Tho. Vernon, Sir Jervas Elwes, Mr. Boscawen, Mr. Clark, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Brewer, Sir Cha. Bloys, Mr. Waller, Mr. Christie, Sir Fra. Molineux, Mr. Blofield, Sir John Lowther, Sir Ra. Carr, Mr. Colt, Mr. Nicholas, Sir John Barker, Mr. Dryden, Sir Robert Cotton, Mr. Cook, Colonel Titus, Mr. Bulkley, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. England, Sir Tho. Littleton, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Bertie, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Foley, Sir Fra. Massam, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Bockland, Colonel Perry, Mr. Holt, Sir Tho. Dyke, Sir Wm. Cooker; and all that serve for the Sea-port Towns: And all that come are to have Voices: And they are to meet To-morrow in the Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Punishing T. and E. Pauncefort.

A Petition of Edward Pauncefort was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner is informed, a Bill is brought into this House against his Brother Tracy Pauncefort; to which Bill the Petitioner is made a Party concerned in the deducting a certain Sum of Money from Colonel Hastings' Regiment: And praying, That he may be heard by his Counsel, at the Bar of this House, or otherwise, as to the House shall seem meet, before the Bill against him be proceeded upon.

Ordered, That the said Mr. Edward Pauncefort be heard by his Counsel, at the Bar of this House, upon his said Petition.

French Refugees.

A Petition of the poor French Refugees was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their Condition is now more deplorable than ever it was; their Number, which last Year was 3,300 Persons, being much increased, and the publick and private Charities almost wholly exhausted: And praying, That their deplorable Condition may be taken into Consideration.

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 his Majesty, will be graciously pleased to take the Case of the poor French Refugees into his princely Consideration, and vouchsafe them some Relief.

Complaint from Inhabitants of Tanger.

Ordered, That Sir Jos. Tredenham, Mr. Tredenham, Sir Steph. Fox, Mr. Fox, Sir Benj. Newland, Sir Hen. Johnson, Sir Tho. Pope Blount, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Harcourt, be added to the Committee, to whom the Examination and Consideration of the Petition of the late Inhabitants of Tanger is referred.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Supply Bill; Duties on Glass, &c.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Friday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill for granting to his Majesty certain Duties upon Glass Wares, Stone and Earthen Bottles, Coals, and Culm, for carrying on the War against France.

Seamens Arrears.

A Petition of many Seamen was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That many thousand Seamen having faithfully served in his Majesty's Ships of War, yet, by reason of Sickness, Lameness, or Death, or by being turned over to other Ships, they are made Run; to the Ruin of many Families: And several, who have petitioned for their Pay, when there has been 12 or 18 Months Pay due, have been unmercifully used; and their Certificates from the Seamens Commanders unjustly detained, when Application has been made for Relief: And praying the House to take their insupportable Grievances into Consideration; and to grant such Relief, as the House shall think most meet.

Ordered, That the Examination and Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the Encouragement and Increase of Seamen is committed.

Supply Bill; Duties on Coffee, &c.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of a Bill for granting to his Majesty certain Rates and Duties upon Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate, and other Goods and Merchandizes therein mentioned, for the Term of Three Years, for the Purposes therein expressed.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Sir Tho. Littleton took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Tho. Littleton reported from the Committee, That they had gone through the Bill, and made several Amendments; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be made To-morrow Morning.

Seamens Protections.

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 give Directions to the Commissioners of the Admiralty, That they may grant Permissions and Protections for Seamen for the Coasting-Trade, and for Supply of Provisions for the City of London.

Lords Answer to desire of Conference.

Mr. Boyle reported, That he having, according to Order, been at the Lords, to desire a free Conference, upon the Subject-matter of the last Conference, the Lords answered, That they would return an Answer by Messengers of their own.

Clipping the Coin.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Report from the Committee appointed to receive Proposals for preventing the clipping the Silver Coin of this Kingdom.

Duties on Paper, &c.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Report from the Committee, to whom it was referred to consider of the Act for laying several Duties upon Vellum, Parchment, and Paper; and of the Doubts and Complaints relating thereunto.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Mr. Bowyer took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Bowyer reported from the Committee, That they had considered the Matter to them referred, and had come to several Resolutions; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be made To-morrow Morning.

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