House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 6 February 1697

Sabbati, 6 die Februarii;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

PRAYERS.

Whitby Harbour.

A PETITION of the Governor, Wardens, and Fellowship of Hoastmen, of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, the Petitioners are informed, there is a Bill depending in the House, for the Repair of the Piers of Whitby, in the North Riding of the County of York, which is to lay a Duty upon Coals, and all other Commodities, imported from Newcastle: The Petitioners conceive the same will be very injurious to the Coal Trade, and a Discouragement to Navigation: And praying, That they may be heard against the said Bill.

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

Army Arrears.

A Petition of Mary Prince, Widow of Captain James Prince, Elizabeth Sterld, Widow of Lieutenant William Sterld, Mary Cuningham, Widow of Lieutenant Cuningham, and Eliz. Doleman, Widow of Ensign Doleman, deceased, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their said Husbands were Officers in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Liliston, which went to Jamaica in January 1694; from which time, the Petitioners have not nor can get any Account from the said Colonel of their Husbands Arrears, or Subsistence; though he hath received their Subsistence, and hath paid other Officers, who lived to return; but will not pay the Petitioners what is due to them; whereby they, and their Children are reduced to very great Distress: And praying, That the said Colonel may be directed to account with, and pay the Petitioners what is due to them, for their late Husbands Arrears and Subsistence.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of John Hakewell, and other Troopers, is referred.

Mitchell Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ, for the electing a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Mitchell, in the County of Cornwall, in the room of Humphrey Courtney, Esquire, deceased.

Irish Arrears.

Mr. Gery reported from the Committee, to whom the Petition of John Hakewell, and other Troopers, who served in Ireland, in Colonel Villers' Regiment, was referred, That they had examined the Matter thereof; and had come to several Resolutions; 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 were read; and are as follow; viz.

That several of the Petitioners, being Troopers in Colonel Carpenter's Troop, produced several Accounts, stated and signed by him.

That it did not appear to the Committee, That any regular Accounts had been kept with the Regiment, while they were in Ireland; or that they have been made up since, pursuant to his Majesty's Proclamation of the 4th of April 1695:

That there appears to be due to the Petitioners, and the rest of the said Regiment, an Arrear of 2,222 l. 3s. 7¾d. to the First Day of April 1692:

That several unreasonable Deductions were made out of the Soldiers Pay; as, particularly, for Transportation, and on Account of the Ordnance; and also, that private Troopers had 12d. per diem stopped out of their Subsistence, for every Horse lost in going over to Ireland; though the King has been since petitioned, by the Officers of the Regiment, to pay for all the Horses lost in that Service:

That several of the Petitioners are in a starving Condition; and that 40 or 50, who served in this Regiment, would willingly go into the Army, if they might have their Arrears, to put them into a Condition to serve.

And that, upon the whole Matter, the Committee came to the Resolutions following; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Petitioners have fully proved the Matters complained of in their Petition; and that they ought to be satisfied out of the Arrears appearing due to the Regiment.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That there have been several unreasonable Deductions made out of the Soldiers Pay, upon the Account of Transportation, Horses lost, and Ordnance: And that there have not been any regular Accounts kept of the said Regiment.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the House be moved, That an humble Application be made to his Majesty, That effectual Care may be taken for stating the Accounts of the Petitioners, for satisfying the Arrears due to them.

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

The Second Resolution, being read a Second time;

An Amendment was proposed to be made therein, by leaving out "upon the Account of Transportation, Horses lost, and Ordnance;" and inserting, instead thereof, by the Officers and Agents:"

And the same was, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, so amended, That there have been several unreasonable Deductions made out of the Soldiers Pay, by the Officers and Agents: And that there have not been any regular Accounts kept of the said Regiment.

The Third Resolution being read a Second time;

Address therein.

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 Order, That effectual Care be taken for stating the Accounts between the said Officers, Agents, and Troopers, and for satisfying the Arrears due to the said Soldiers.

Ashton's Marriage Settlement.

Mr. Whitaker reported from the Committee, to whom the ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act to enable Sir Ralph Ashton Baronet to supply an Omission of a Limitation intended in his Marriage-Settlement, for the Benefit of his Issue Male, was committed, That they had examined the same, and had made Two Amendments to the Bill; 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 were read; and are as follow; viz.

Press 1. L. 30. leave out "Eighteenth and:"

Press 5. L. 13. leave out "Dewton," and insert "Denton:"

The said Amendments, being read a Second time, one by one, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

The Bill was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill, with the Amendments, do pass.

Ordered, That Mr. Whitaker do carry the Bill to the Lords, and acquaint them, That this House hath agreed to the same, with some Amendments: To which Amendments they desire their Lordships Concurrence.

Highways.

A Bill to enlarge Highways was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Archer, Sir Henry Colt, Mr. Arnold, Sir Henry Goff, Sir Jacob Ashly, Mr. Shackerly, Mr Yates, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Hamond, Mr. Blofeild, Sir John Turner, Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Gray, Mr. Foley, Mr. Sloane, Sir Fran. Masham, Mr. St. John, Mr. Smith, Mr. Drake, Lord Digby, Serjeant Wogan, Lord Ranelagh, Mr. Ash, Sir Wm. Lowther, Mr. Kirby, Mr. Rowney, Mr. Norris, Sir John Bucknall, Mr. Mawdit, Mr. Evelyn, Sir Cha. Morley, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Whitaker, Sir Gervas Elwes, Sir Herbert Crofts, Lord Coningsby, Mr. Bowyer, Sir Richard Temple, Mr. Stonehouse, Dr. Barbon: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Poor Laws.

Mr. Bowyer reported from the Committee appointed to inspect the Laws relating to the Poor; and to prepare, and bring in, a Bill, or Bills, for explaining, and better Execution, thereof; and for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor; That they had inspected the Laws accordingly; and had prepared a Bill; which they had directed him to present to the House:

Which he did accordingly: And the same was received.

Dee Navigation.

A Petition of Sir William Glynn Baronet was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill depending in the House, for making navigable the River Dee, in the County of Chester, which takes away the Petitioner's Property, without his Consent, or making any Recompence for the same: And praying, That he may be heard, by Counsel, against Passing of the said Bill.

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

Ordered, That the said Committee do hear Counsel for, and against, the said Bill.

Woollen Manufacture.

Mr. Robert Bertie reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for the Encouragement of the Woollen Manufacture was committed, That they had made several Amendments to the Bill; 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 were once rend throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House; and some other Amendments made by the House to the Bill.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed;

It passed in the Negative.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Kirkby have Leave to go into the Country for Ten Days, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Stepney Parish.

A Petition of Sir George Wheeler Knight, and Clerk, and the several Inhabitants of the Hamlet of Spittle-Fields, in the Parish of Stebonheath, alias Stepney, Norton-Folgate, and Artillery Grounds, in the County of Middlesex, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That some few Inhabitants of the said Hamlet have lately petitioned the House for some part of the Money arising by a Duty on Coals, towards building a Place for divine Worship; although the said Sir Charles Wheeler hath, at his own Charge, already built a Chapel of Ease, for their Use; which is constantly supplied, and is as convenient as any new Church can be for the said Inhabitants; and, consequently, less chargeable to them: And praying, That the said Chapel, already erected, may not be made useless, by erecting another Chapel for the same Purpose, thereby to burden the Inhabitants with a new and unnecessary Charge.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the completing the building and adorning the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's, London, is committed.

King's Lynn Port.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the adjourned Debate, touching the Commitment of the Bill for the better Preservation of the Navigation of the Port of King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk, be further adjourned until Thursday Morning next;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Members summoned.

Ordered, That the Serjeant do go with the Mace into Westminster-hall, and Courts there, and Court of Requests, and summon the Members there to attend the Service of the House immediately.

And he went accordingly.

And, being returned;

Prohibiting India Silks, Callicoes, &c.

An ingrossed Bill to restrain the Wearing of all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East-India, and all Callicoes printed or stained there, was read the Third time.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Bill do pass;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That the Title be, An Act to restrain the Wearing of all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East-India, and all Callicoes printed or stained there.

Ordered, That Sir Henry Hobart do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

And then the House adjourned till Monday Morning, Nine a Clock.