House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 15 March 1697

Lunæ, 15 die Martii;

9° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Letters of Marque.

ORDERED, That the Report from the Committee, to whom the Petition of several Merchants, relating to Letters of Marque, was referred, be made upon Wednesday Morning next.

Lord Fairfax's Estate.

Ordered, That the Lord Fairfax and Mr. Peshall be heard, by their Counsel, at the Bar, this Day, for the Bill for enabling the said Lord Fairfax to raise Monies, charged by the late Lord Culpeper, on his Estate.

Privilege of a Member in a Suit.

A Petition of Eliz. Lilburne Widow, and Eleanor Lilburn Spinster, eldest Daughter of the said Eliz. was presented to the House:

And the same relating to Mr. Carr, a Member of this House; who not being in the House;

Ordered, That Mr. Car do attend, in his Place, upon Thursday Morning next; and that the said Petition be then read.

Privilege—

A Petition of John Doubleday Merchant, and Anne his Wife, formerly the Wife of George Ellison, was presented to the House:

And the same relating to the said Mr. Car;

Ordered, That the said Petition be read upon Thursday Morning next.

Ease of Sheriffs.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Lords, to put them in mind of the Bill for the Ease of Sheriffs in Execution of their Offices, and passing their Accounts.

Ordered, That Sir Sannuel Barnardiston do carry the said Message.

Lord Fairfax's Estate.

Sir John Philipps, according to Order, reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for enabling the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax to raise Monies, charged by the late Lord Culpeper, on his Estate, was committed, That they had examined and considered the same, and made several Amendments; which they had directed him to report to the House; and which he read in his Place with the Coherence; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read the First time.

Then the Counsel for the Lord Culpeper, Lord Fairfax, and Mr. Peshall, were called in; and heard, at the Bar, against and for the Bill.

And then they withdrew.

Then the Amendments, made by the Committee, to the said Bill, were read a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed.

Flint 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 Town of Funt, in the County of Flint, in the room of Sir Roger Puleston Knight, deceased.

Duty on Woollen Manufactures.

A Petition of the Clothiers and Stuff-makers of the Borough of Kidderminster, in the County of Worcester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the said Borough hath been a very ancient Cloathing-Town; but, for want of Employment therein, the Inhabitants have made a Sort of Stuff, mixed with Woollen and Linen, called Kidderminster Stuff; which employs many Thousands of poor People: That, in case a Duty of 10l. per Cent. should be laid upon those Manufactures, as, the Petitioners understand, the House intends, it will ruin the Petitioners, and starve the Poor: And praying the House to find out some other Way to raise the said Duty.

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

Duty on Leather.

A Petition of the Tanners using Leaden-hall Market, on behalf of themselves, and several other Tanners, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill depending in the House, for laying a Duty upon Leather, for the Term of Three Years, for answering the Deficiencies as well of the late Duties upon Coals and Culm, as for paying the Annuities on the Lotteries, and for Lives, charged on the Tonage of Ships, and the Duties upon Salt; by which Bill there is no Provision made for allowing the Merchant to draw back the said Duty, upon the Exportation of the said Commodity; which will greatly hinder the Exportation thereof, and occasion the Duty to fall upon the raw Hide; and consequently, discourage the Breeding of Cattle, and lower the Value of Land and Bark: And praying, That a Clause may be received, by the Committee of the whole House, to whom the said Bill is committeed, for allowing the Merchant a Drawback upon the Duty of Exportation.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the said Committee of the whole House.

Supply Bill; Malt Duties.

Mr. Lowndes, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for granting to his Majesty certain Duties upon Malt, Mum, Sweets, Cyder, and Perry, as well towards carrying on the War against France, as for the necessary Expence of his Majesty's Houshold, and other Occasions: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Bill be read a Second time;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That the Bill be read a Second time upon Wednesday Morning next.

Supply Bill; Deficiencies, Bank Stock, &c.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to Order, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for making good the Deficiencies of several Funds, therein mentioned; and for enlarging the Capital Stock of the Bank of England; and for raising the publick Credit; was committed; the Matter, upon the Petition of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, specially to the House:

That they had heard the Governor and Company of the Bank, upon their said Petition; and had directed him to make a summary Report of what they insisted on; and to stay further Proceedings upon the Bill in the mean time; viz.

That they did very much doubt, upon the Computations they had made of the Funds, granted by the said Bill, the same would not be sufficient to pay Principal and Interest, at 8l. per Cent. of the Tallies that were intended to be provided for; viz.

That the Deficiencies amounted to 2,287,997l.; the Interest whereof, at 8l. per Cent. came to 183,039l. 15s.: And that they estimated the House-Money at but 60,000l. per Ann. and the additional Impositions but at 38,000l. per Ann; so there remained 85,039l. 15s. per Ann.; and that it might be feared the Total would be above 120,000l. more; besides a great Arrear of Interest, due and growing due, above the Deficient Funds: And that there was 7,382l. 11s. 4d. already charged upon the House-Money, and the 6d. per Ounce for wrought Plate, brought into the Mints: And that there would remain charged on the Hereditary Salt, Glass, &c. 1,711,500l. principal Money; which, at 8l. per Cent. Interest, amounted to 136,920l. per Ann: And that they estimated the Salt but at 60,000l. per Annum; and the Glass, &c. but at 20,300l.; so there remained, to complete that annual Interest, 56,920l. per Annum: And that they estimated the Duties upon Marriages, &c. at 30,000l.; which being already charged with 648,000l. Principal, at 8l. per Cent. amounted to 51,840l. per Ann.; so there would then be an annual Deficiency of 21,840l. And that they estimated the Tonage and Poundage but at 350,000l. per Ann. and the continued Impositions on Wines, &c. at 350,000l. By which it appeared, That there would be a Deficiency in the Provision for a present annual Interest of the Funds, mentioned in the Bill, of 163,799l. 15s. besides the Overplus of the 1,200,000l. Principal, and the Arrears of Interest; and that, at the End of the Term, there would remain a Deficiency of above 1,400,000l. (fn. 1) [Principal Money]:

And that they further said, That they were directed, by the General Court, to say, That though they had submitted to be grasted upon, yet it was upon this Supposition, That such Funds should be settled as should answer the Principal and Interest, at 8l. per Centum, of such Tallies as might possibly be subscribed in to them: And that they said, if they hoped this House would make them sufficient; and, if they were not, they were not willing to be grafted upon.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Report be referred to a Committee.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee formerly appointed to consider of, and state to the House, the Nature of the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, and of the several Duties voted by the House; and how the said Deficiencies might be best provided for by those Duties:

And that Sir William Williams, Sir Step. Evans, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Hoare, Mr. Arnold, Doctor Oxenden, Mr. Travers, Mr. Henley, Sir John Elwill, Mr. Onslow, Mr. Colt, Mr. Boscawen, Sir Herbert Crofts, Mr. Godolphin, Mr. Jeffryes, Lord Powlett, Mr. Cooper, be added to the said Committee: And they are to meet To-morrow Morning, at Eight a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

African Company.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill to regulate and settle the Trade to Africa.

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

Mr. Norris reported from the said Committee, That they had made a further Progress in the Matter to them referred; and had directed him to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Saturday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the said Bill.

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