House of Commons Journal Volume 9: 26 February 1673

Mercurii, 26 Februarii, 1672.

Prayers.

Privilege.

ORDERED, That Owen Hobart be summoned to attend the Committee of Privileges, to answer the Breach of Privilege objected against him, in causing Colonel Gray, a Member of this House, on the Eleventh of this Month, to be served with a Subpona out of the Chancery.

Bills sent from Lords.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Mundeford Brampston, and Sir Edw. Low;

Mr. Speaker, The Lords have sent you Two Bills, one intituled, An Act to prevent Frauds in the Transportation of Wool; and the other, An Act for confirming Agreements made between Sir Ralph Bankes, Sir John Hanham Baronet, Ellis Beethell, Thomas Mackrell, Richard Warden, and John Edwards, by their Guardians, and divers other Persons: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

Ordered, That the Bill which concerns Sir Ralph Bancks be read To-morrow Morning.

Repairing Highways.

Resolved, &c. That a Committee be appointed to look into the former Acts concerning Highways; and to consider of the Debates of the House; and to bring in a Bill for the better Repairing and Maintaining the Highways; viz. Sir Thomas Strickland, Sir Launcelot Lake, Sir Joseph Tredinham, Sir John Barnaby, Sir Edward Masters, Sir John Morton, Sir John Cotton, Sir Edw. Massey, Sir Courtney Poole, Sir Rowland Berkley, Sir Ralph Bankes, Mr. Culliford, Sir Solomon Swale, Sir John Duncombe, Sir Jonath. Trelawny, Sir Charles Harbord, Colonel Titus, Sir Anth. Irby, Sir Thomas Wendy, Sir John Mallet, Mr. Maynard, Col. Birch, Mr. Jos. Maynard, Lord St. John, Sir Geo. Downing, Sir Thom. Wendy; or any Five of them: And they are to meet in the Court of Wards, at Two of the Clock, To-morrow in the Afternoon.

Aliens Duty.

A Bill for taking away the Aliens Duty upon Home Commodities, was read.

Resolved, &c. That this Bill be read a Second time.

Reply in Answer to Address.

Mr. Powle reports from the Committee appointed to consider of an Answer to return to his Majesty's last Message, upon the Debate of the House, an Answer agreed by the Committee; and drawn up, and put into Writing: Which he read in his Place; and then delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where it was twice read; and is as followeth; viz.

Most Gracious Sovereign,

WE Your Majesty's most humble and loyal Subjects the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in this present Parliament assembled, do render to Your Sacred Majesty our most dutiful Thanks, for that, to our unspeakable Comfort, Your Majesty hath been pleased so often to reiterate unto us those gracious Promises and Assurances of maintaining the Religion now established; and the Liberties and Properties of Your People: And we do not in the least measure doubt, but that Your Majesty had the same gracious Intentions, in giving Satisfaction to Your Subjects, by Your Answer to our last Petition and Address: Yet upon a serious Consideration thereof, we find, that the said Answer is not sufficient to clear the Apprehensions, that may justly remain in the Minds of Your People, by Your Majesty's having claimed a Power to suspend penal Statutes, in Matters Ecclesiastical; and which Your Majesty does still seem to assert in the said Answer, to be intrusted in the Crown, and never questioned in the Reigns of any Your Ancestors: Wherein we humbly conceive, Your Majesty hath been very much misinformed; since no such Power was ever claimed or exercised by any of Your Majesty's Predecessors: And if it should be admitted, might tend to the Interrupting of the free Course of the Laws, and Altering the Legislative Power, which hath always been acknowledged to reside in Your Majesty, and Your Two Houses of Parliament.

We do therefore, with an unanimous Consent, become again most humble Suitors unto Your Sacred Majesty, That You would be pleased to give us a full and satisfactory Answer to our said Petition and Address: And that Your Majesty would take such effectual Order, that the Proceedings in this Matter may not; for the future, be drawn into Consequence or Example.

The Answer to His Majesty's Message was again read, by Paragraphs: And the several Paragraphs, to the last, were, upon the Question, severally agreed.

The last Paragraph being read;

And the Question being put, That the Word "unanimous" shall stand in this Paragraph;

The House divided.

The Noes go out.

Tellers,

And so it was resolved in the Affirmative.

The Question being put, To agree to the Paragraph;

It was resolved in the Affirmative.

Resolved, &c. That the whole Address be agreed to, as it was brought in by the Committee.

Resolved, &c. That this Address be presented to his Majesty.

Ordered, That such Members of this House, as are of his Majesty's Privy Council, be desired to attend his Majesty, to know his Pleasure, when he will be attended with the further Address of this House, upon his Majesty's last Message.

Protestant Dissenters.

Resolved, &c. That the House do resolve into a Committee of the whole house, To-morrow Morning, Ten of the Clock, to consider of the Subject Matter, for a Bill of Ease to his Majesty's Protestant Subjects, Dissenters in Matters of Religion from the Church of England.

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