House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 3 April 1697

Sabbati, 3 die Aprilis;

9° Gulielmi Tertii.

Committees.

ORDERED, That all Committees be revived.

Duty on Woollen Manufactures.

A Petition of several Inhabitants of the ancient Borough of Sudbury, in the County of Suffolk, and Places adjacent, on behalf of themselves and several others using the Trade of Clothiers, or otherwise employed in the Woollen Manufacture, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners, already labouring under great Difficulties and Losses in carrying on their respective Trades, for the Employment of their Poor, are informed, That there is a Bill depending in this House, for imposing a Duty of 10l. per Cent. ad Valorem, upon all wrought Goods made of Wool; which Bill will not only waste and impoverish the Makers of the Woollen Manufactures, and Dealers in that Trade, but also leave the Poor employed therein to perish with Want: That the Petitioners, instead of getting any thing towards the Maintenance of themselves and Families, do now really lose above 5l. per Cent. by making their Goods; and if 10l. per Cent. more be laid on the said Goods, it will be impossible to raise the Price of their Goods according to that Imposition; whereby they shall be utterly disabled from carrying on their respective Trades: And praying, That their Condition and Circumstances may be taken into Consideration: and not only a Stop put to the Passing of the Bill, but also that some Method may be found out for the Encouragement of the Petitioners in their Trades.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the Bill for the said Duty be brought in.

Disannulling Knight's Marriage.

Ordered, That Sir Hen. Hobart, Sir Wm. Ashurst, Colonel Wharton, Sir Rowland Gwyn, Mr. Slater, Sir Marm. Wivell, Mr. Clark, Sir Richard Onslow, Sir Godf. Copley, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Chadwick, Mr. Freke, Mr. Conyers, Sir John Manwaring; and all the Members for Yorkshire; be added to the Committee, to whom the Bill for disannulling the Marriage of Hannah Knight, an Infant, is committed.

Paying and cleansing Streets.

Sir Henry Colt reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for explaining and enforcing the Act, made in the Second Year of his Majesty's Reign, for paving and cleansing the Streets within the Weekly Bills of Mortality, and the Streets adjoining thereunto, was re-committed, That they had made several Amendments to the Bill, and also added a Clause for widening the Street at and near the South End of London Bridge; 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 Table: Where the same were once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, with other Amendments, agreed unto by the House.

A Clause was offered, to be added to the Bill, That by the Act, made in the Second Year of the Reign of his now Majesty and the late Queen Mary, for paving and cleansing the Streets in the Cities of London and Westminster, and Suburbs, and other Places within the Weekly Bills of Mortality, the Breeding, Feeding, and Keeping, any Sort of Swine, within the Backsides of paved Streets of the said Cities, Borough, or Parishes, where the Houses are contiguous, are prohibited, on pain of forfeiting all such Swine; which, nevertheless, hath not prevented the same; but that the Inhabitants of the said City and Borough are still much annoyed: For Remedy whereof, Be it Enacted, That the said Act, and the Clause therein, against the Breeding, Feeding, or Keeping, of Swine, shall be, from and after the Day of effectually put in Execution against all Persons whatsoever who shall presume to breed, seed, or keep, any manner of Swine within any Part of the Houses or Backsides of the paved Streets or Lanes of the said Cities, Borough, or Parishes, so far as the contiguous Buildings of them, or any of them shall extend, or within the Space of
Yards thereof:

And the same was twice read; and amended; and, upon, the Question put thereupon, agreed to be made Part of the Bill.

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

Glove Trade.

A Petition of the Master-Skinners, Glovers, and other Persons, trading in the Township of Namptwich, in the County of Chester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, 1st, That the Trade of making Gloves being a Manufacture of the English Nation, and maintains a great Number of Poor, many of which are incapable of following any other Employ; to the utter Ruin of themselves and Families, if deprived: 2dly, Some kind of Alum already paying a double Duty, has advanced the Rates so considerably, that has caused a great Diminution of Trade, so that many working Glovers are thrown quite out of Employ; which insupportable Necessity may drive them into foreign Countries, there to instruct Foreigners; to the utter Ruin of the ancient Manufacture: And praying to be relieved in the Premises.

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

Preventing Publication of News without Licence.

Mr. Poultney, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for preventing the Writing, Printing, and Publishing, any News without Licence: And the same was received; and read the First time.

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

It passed in the Negative.

Supply Bill; Duty on Tin and Pewter.

Mr. Boscawen according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for lessening the Duty upon Tin and Pewter exported; and granting an Equivalent for the same: And the same was received; and read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Disannulling Knight's Marriage.

Ordered, That the Matters of Fact, together with the Bill for disannulling the Marriage of Hannah Knight, an Infant; and punishing the Persons concerned in carrying her away; be reported from the Committee, to whom the said Bill is committed.

Transport Debt.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, took into Consideration the Report from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for a further Provision for Payment of the Interest of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland, was committed:

And the Amendments, made by the Committee, to the said Bill, were once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, with other Amendments, agreed unto by the House.

A Clause was offered, to be added to the Bill, That it shall and may be lawful for the Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury, for the Time being, out of the Monies raised by this, or the said recited Act, to pay to the said Commissioners, their Clerks, or any other Persons, such Sums of Money as they, or any of them, shall or may reasonably deserve for their Service, or shall or may have expended in the Execution of this or the said recited Act.

And the same was twice read; and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

And other Amendments were made to the Bill by the House.

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

Supply Bill; Wine Duties.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to the Order of the Day, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for granting to his Majesty certain Duties upon Wines, for carrying on the War against France, was committed, the Amendments, made by the Committee, to the said Bill; 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 once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one, and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

A Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That * * * *

And the same was twice read; and amended; and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

Another Clause was offered, to be added to the Bill, That if any of the Wines, imported as aforesaid, or now in England, for which the Duties hereby granted shall be paid, or such Security given for the same, as by this Act is directed, shall be again exported, within
Months, by any Native, or Months by any
Foreigner, after the Importation thereof, then the aforesaid Duty shall be repaid, or the Security vacated, as to what shall be so exported:

And the same was twice read:

And the Question being put, That the Clause be made Part of the Bill;

It passed in the Negative.

Then the Question being put, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Supply Bill; Malt Duties.

The House according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the 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.

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

Sir Thomas Littleton 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 fit again.

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

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