House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 6 February 1699

Lunæ, 6 die Februarii;

10° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

JAMES St. Peire took the Oaths appointed, in order his Naturalization.

Woollen Manufacture.

A Petition of the Clothiers of Bocking, Braintree, Halsted, Coggshall, Witham, Dunmow, Stebbing, and Towns adjacent, in behalf of themselves, and others, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners understand there is a Bill depending in this House, for the Encouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in England; and to restrain the Exportation of Woollen Manufactures from Ireland into any foreign Parts; and for the better preventing the Exportation of Wool from England and Ireland; which Bill, the Petitioners conceive, will very much tend to the promoting the Trade of our English Woollen Manufactures: And praying, That the said Bill may pass.

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

St. Peire's Nat.

A Bill to naturalize James St. Peire was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Carter, Mr. Mountstevens, Colonel Granvill, Sir Edw. Stradling, Dr. Davenant, Mr. Gorge, Mr. Clark, Mr. Stringer, Mr. Thornhagh, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. Scobell, Mr. Cox, Mr. Hoblyn, Mr. Clayton, Mr. Jervois, Lord Cornbury, Mr. Mannaton, Sir Abstrupus Danby, Mr. Probert, Mr. England, Mr. Gott, Mr. Dyott, Mr. York, Sir Wm. Drake, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Slater, Mr. Hamond, Sir Jac. Ashley, Mr. Lee, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Yates, Sir Jacob Banks: And they are to meet this Afternoon, at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Ships Margaret and Friendship.

A Bill for the Ships Margaret and Friendship, to trade as free Ships, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Yates, Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Conyers, Sir Wm. Drake, Mr. Hoblyn, Mr. Morris, Mr. Barnardiston, Mr. Cook, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. York, Mr. Clark, Mr. England, Mr. Mountsteven, Mr. Dyot, Mr. Smith, Dr. Davenant, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Scobell, Mr. Cox, Mr. Duke, Mr. Lowther, Sir Wa. Young, Mr. Hunt; and all that serve for the County of Somerset: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Abuses in King's Bend and Fleet Prisons.

Ordered, That all the Members that serve for the Counties of Devon and Cornwall be added to the Committee, to whom the Petition of John Gooddall is referred; and who are to inquire into the ill Practices, and Abuses of the Prisons of the Fleet, and King's Bench.

Elections—Fees, &c. to Clerk of the Crown on Returns.

Mr. Clark reported from the Committee, to whom the Consideration of the Petition of Thomas Chute Esquire, the Clerk of the Crown, was referred; and to whom it was referred to consider of the Inlarging of the Time, allowed by the late Act, for delivering the Precepts in the CinquePorts, for Elections of Members to serve in Parliament; That they had considered the same; and do find, That several Writs, with the Indentures, for Electing of Members of this Parliament, were not brought to the Clerk of the Crown till several Months after the Day Parliament was ordered to meet: And that some of those, which were returned in time, were brought open and loose, by Boys and Porters; and but few by the proper Officers, or their Deputies, who, according to the ancient Course, ought to have returned the same:

Whereupon they came to this Resolution; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the only Way to prevent these Mischiefs is, to enforce the ancient Course of Returns of Members to serve in Parliament, by the Sheriffs or other proper Officers, or their Deputies, who are obliged to make such Returns.

And that the Committee do likewise find, That the Three Days allowed by the said Act is too short a time for the Performance thereof:

Whereupon they came to this Resolution; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Time for Issuing and Delivery of Precepts in the Cinque-Ports be inlarged to Six Days.

And that the Committee, upon Perusal of old Books, and Papers of Fees, claimed and received in the Petitioner's Office; and, more particularly, of One Book, made upon the Presentment of a Jury, impanelled to inquire into the Fees of that Office, among others, Anno 1631; do find, That an ancient Fee of 4s. for the Return of a Knight of the Shire, and 2s. of a Citizen, Burgess, or Baron of the Cinque-Ports, was due; and do find, That the same hath constantly been paid to the Clerk of the Crown, till the Return of this present Parliament; and also, That the Clerk of the Crown's Attendance, by reason of the frequent Sessions of Parliament, is much more required in both Houses than formerly; and, That very strict Penalties have lately been laid on him, by the Act for preventing false and double Returns; whereby his constant Attendance in his Office, for receiving the Writs, when they are returned, upon calling a new Parliament, is injoined more than heretofore:

Whereupon the Committee came to this Resolution; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the ancient Fee, paid to the Clerk of the Crown, be paid as formerly; and that the Sheriffs, and other Officers obliged to make such Returns, be allowed the same upon their Accounts, in the Exchequer, and elsewhere.

The said Report and Resolutions being delivered in at the Clerk's Table, the same were there read; and the said Resolutions a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Ordered, That a Bill be brought in upon the said Resolutions: And that Mr. Clark, Mr. Scobell, and Mr. Lowndes, do prepare, and bring, in the Bill.

Ordered, That it be an Instruction to them, That they do also provide, in the said Bill, that the Officers of Cities, Boroughs, and Cinque-Ports, do make their Returns to the Sheriffs, and the Sheriffs their Returns to the Clerk of the Crown, in a reasonable time.

Answer to Address.

Mr. Speaker reported, That he, with the whole House, having, on Saturday last, presented their humble Address to his Majesty, his Majesty was pleased to give an Answer thereunto, to the Effect following; viz.

Gentlemen,

I take this Address very kindly. I am fully satisfied of your Duty and Affection to me; and have no Doubt but you will always act in the manner you have expressed on this Occasion.

Arrears of Marines.

A Petition of the disbanded Serjeants, Corporals, Drums, and Centinels, of the Two Marine Regiments, commanded by the Right Honourable the Marquis of Carmarthen, and the Honourable Sir Clowdesly Shovell, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is about 80 l. a Man due to them for their Service in the Wars; for which they applied to the Admiralty; and, about Six Weeks ago, got an Order, directed to the Commissioners of the Navy, for their speedy Payment, but, upon one Account or other, they put them off, though they delivered in Accounts, stated by the Directions of the Navy-Board, who at last told the Petitioners, they could not pay them till they brought their Officers Face to Face, to make appear what is due to them; which is impossible for them to do; and, besides, the Captains have made unjust Stoppage for their Cloaths, and have charged the very last Suit, though the King allows them that gratis, in regard of their being broke: And praying the House to give some speedy Direction, that they may be paid what is due to them; and that they may have their last Suit of Cloaths allowed them, as other disbanded Soldiers have; otherwise they must perish in the Streets with Hunger and Cold, having no Credit for their Subsistence.

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

Herring Fishery.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Laystoff, in the County of Suffolk, in behalf of themselves, and others concerned in the North Sea, and Herring Fisheries, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the said Fisheries are great Nurseries for able Seamen; and have been very advantageous to this Nation, until the Petitioners ancient Rights were infringed upon by the London Fishmongers; who, claiming a Privilege of making out Cod-fish, take such Advantage thereby, not regarding their usual Measures, as tends to the Ruin of the North Sea Fishery; and also they import Cod-fish and Herrings from Holland, contrary to Law; and, by indirect means, procure the same to be clandestinely seized by some Parish and Custom-House Officers, to sinister Ends, by compounding with both, before delivery, at Underrates: And praying, That some Care may be taken to prevent the like ill Practices for the future.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the Bill for making Billinsgate a free Market for Sale of Fish be read a Second time.

Suppressing Vice and Immorality.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Thursday Morning next, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill for the more effectual Suppressing of Vice and Immorality.

Woollen Manufacture.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday Morning next, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill to encourage the Woollen Manufacture in England; and to restrain the Exportation of Woollen Manufactures from Ireland into any foreign Parts; and for the better preventing the Exportation of Wool from England and Ireland.

Making Militia more useful.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, proceeded to take into Consideration his Majesty's most gracious Speech to both Houses the First of February instant.

And the same was read.

Ordered, That a Bill be brought in, upon the Debate of the House, to make the Militia more useful:

And it is referred to Mr. Robert Harley, Sir Richard Cocks, Sir John Bolles, Mr. Edw. Harley, Mr. Gwyn, Major-General Erle, Mr. Boyle, Sir Christopher Musgrove, Mr. Thursby, Sir Wm. St. Quintin, Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Conyers, Sir Theo. Oglethorp, Sir Godfrey Copley, Sir John Mordant, Mr. Heveningham, Sir Rich. Onslow, Mr. Probert, Mr. Pierpoint, Mr. Smith, Mr. How; or any Five of them; to prepare, and bring in, the Bill: And they are to meet To-morrow Morning at Nine a Clock; and to sit de die in diem.

A person to attend.

Ordered, That Captain Price, Commander of the Centurion, do attend this House upon Thursday Morning next.

State of the Navy.

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

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Boyle took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Boyle 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 Thursday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the State of the Navy.

Darwent Navigation.

Ordered, That the Bill to make the River Darwent, in the County of Derby, navigable, be read a Second time upon Friday Morning next.

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