House of Lords Journal Volume 12: 18 January 1667

DIE Veneris, 18 die Januarii.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

REX.

PRAYERS.

The Lord Privy Seal sat Speaker this Day, in the Absence of the Lord Chancellor.

King present.

The King, being seated in His Royal Throne, arrayed with His Regal Robes and Ornaments, commanded the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to give Notice to the House of Commons, "That it is His Majesty's Pleasure that they should come up presently, and attend His Majesty, with their Speaker."

Who being come, and the Peers sitting in their Robes, the Speaker of the House of Commons made a short Speech, as followeth:

Speaker of H. C's Speech.

"May it please Your Most Excellent Majesty,

"Since the Two Houses of Parliament, by Your Majesty's Command, were last convened, they have with great Care inspected the State of the Kingdom: They find Your Majesty engaged in a sharp and costly War, opposed by mighty Princes and States, that are in Conjunction against us. They see with Sorrow the greatest Part of Your Metropolitan City buried in Ashes. These are Ardua Regni indeed, and fit only for the Advice of a loyal Parliament. But, Sir, looking narrowly into Things, we found our Body Politic entering into a Consumption; our Treasures, that are the Sinews of War and the Bond of Peace, as much exhausted; the great Aids which are given to Your Majesty for the Maintenance of the War are but like the Blood in its Circulation, which will return again, and nourish all the Parts: But a great deal is Yearly transported in Specie into France, to bring Home Apes and Peacocks; and the best Returns are but Supersluities and Vanities: We have therefore unanimously besought Your Majesty to stop this Issue of Blood; and we hope Your Majesty's most seasonable and gracious Proclamation will prevent the future Expiration of these Spirits.

"We have likewise been alarmed from all Parts of the Kingdom, by the Insolencies of Popish Priests and Jesuits, who, by their great Numbers and bold Writings, declare to all the World, they are in Expectation of a plentiful Harvest here in England: But Your Majesty, by Your Gracious Answer to the Desire of both Your Houses, Your Command for all Officers and Soldiers in Your Majesty's Pay to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and Your Proclamation for the Departure of Priests and Jesuits out of this Nation, have in a great Measure secured us against those Fears.

"When Your Majesty was pleased, at the Opening of this Session of Parliament, to speak to us, You commanded us to find out the best Expedients we could, for carrying on the War with as little Burden to the People as was possible.

"The Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament, have industriously applied themselves to the Consideration of this Matter. They quickly resolved of a Supply for Your Majesty, suitable to Your Occasions, of Eighteen Hundred Thousand Pounds: But it hath taken up much of their Time, so to lay this Aid, that it may not seem a Burden. A little Weight lying always upon One Shoulder will at length become uneasy; but being shifted sometimes to the other Shoulder, there will be some Refreshment.

"The greatest Part of the Taxes that have been raised these Six and Twenty Years were laid upon our Lands, which made us desire to give them some Rest: We have therefore prepared a Poll Bill; whereby we have brought in all Sorts of Persons, Professions, and Personal Estates, to give their Assistance to Your Majesty, and to ease the Land Tax:

"Multorum Manibus grande levatur Onus.

This Bill we hope, will speedily bring in a considerable Sum of ready Money, for Your Majesty's present Use.

"We have likewise taken Care for supplying the Remainder of the Eighteen Hundred Thousand Pounds by another Bill remaining with us, which in a short Time will be ready to be presented to Your Majesty.

"The better to enable Your Majesty's good Subjects to pay these several Aids, and with Chearfulness to supply Your Majesty's future Occasions; we thought it necessary to remove a Nuisance out of their Way. The infinite Number of Foreign Cattle that were daily imported did glut our Markets, and bring down the Prices both of our (fn. 2) home-bred Cattle and our Lands; therefore we have prepared a Bill for the prohibiting of any Foreign Cattle for Seven Years.

"We find Your Majesty's Mint is not so well employed as formerly; and the Reason is, because the Fees and Wages of the Officers and Workmen is in Part paid out of the Bullion that is brought to be coined, and what is wanting is made up by Your Majesty. We have, therefore, for the Ease of Your Majesty and those that shall bring in any Plate or Bullion to be coined there, made another Provision, by an Imposition upon Wines, Brandy, and Cyder, imported from any Foreign Nations.

"Having given Your Majesty this short Account at present, we shall, with Your Leave, return to perfect those Bills that still remain with us; and we hope so to finish them to Your Majesty's Satisfaction, that all Your Majesty's Enemies both at Home and Abroad may see and feel the Effects of this blessed Correspondence between our Gracious King and His loyal Parliament."

Bills passed.

This being ended, the Clerk of the Parliaments received the Poll Bill and the Bill for encouraging of Coinage from the Speaker; and brought them to the Table: And the Clerk of the Crown read the Titles of these Bills following, to which the Clerk of the Parliaments pronounced the Royal Assent to the several Bills, according to the Nature of them:

"1. An Act for raising Money, by a Poll and otherwise, towards the Maintenance of the present War."

"Le Roy, remerciant Ses bons Subjects, accepte leur Benevolence, et ainsi le veult."

"2. An Act for encouraging of Coinage."

"3. An Act prohibiting the Importation of Cattle from Ireland and other Parts beyond the Seas, and Fish taken by Foreigners."

"4. An Act to continue a former Act, for preventing of Theft and Rapine upon the Northern Borders of England."

"5. An Act for burying in Woollen only."

"Le Roy le veult."

"6. An Act for enlarging the Time given by a former Act for Redemption of Mortgages made by the Earl of Cleveland."

"7. An Act for naturalizing of Isabella of Nassaw, Wife of the Right Honourable the Lord Arlington, One of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State."

"8. An Act for Supply of Part of the Jointure of the Lady Elizabeth Noel."

"9. An Act for settling the Estate of John Bodvell Esquire, deceased."

"10. An additional Act for enabling a Sale of Lands, to pay the Lord Strangford's Debts."

"Soit fait come il est desiré."

Afterwards His Majesty made this Speech following:

King's Speech.

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"I have now passed your Bills; and I was in good Hope to have had other Bills ready to pass too. I cannot forget, that within few Days after your coming together in September, both Houses presented Me with their Vote and Declaration, that they would give Me a Supply proportionable to My Occasions; and the Confidence of this made Me anticipate that small Part of My Revenue which was unanticipated for the Payment of the Seamen: And My Credit hath gone farther than I had Reason to think it would; but 'tis now at an End.

"This is the First Day I have heard of any Money towards a Supply, being the 18th of January; and what this will amount to, GOD knows; and what Time I have to make such Preparations as are necessary to meet Three such Enemies as I have, you can well enough judge: And I must tell you, what Discourses soever are abroad, I am not in any Treaty; but, by the Grace of GOD, I will not give over Myself and You, but will do what is in My Power for the Defence of Myself and you. 'Tis high Time for you to make good your Promise; and 'tis high Time for you to be in the Country, as well for the raising of Money, as that the Lords Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants may watch those seditious Spirits which are at Work to disturb the Public Peace; and therefore I am resolved to put an End to this Session on Monday next come Sevennight, before which Time, I pray, let all Things be made ready that I am to dispatch. I am not willing to complain you have dealt unkindly with Me in a Bill I have now passed, in which you have manifested a greater Distrust of Me than I have deserved. I do not pretend to be without Infirmities: But I have never broken My Word with you; and, if I do not flatter Myself, the Nation never had less Cause to complain of Grievances, or the least Injustice or Oppression, than it hath had in these Seven Years it hath pleased God to restore Me to you. I would be used accordingly."

This being ended, His Majesty departed; and the House proceeded in Business.

Message to H. C. with a Copy of L. Mordant's Answer.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir John Coel and Mr. Proctor:

To acquaint them, that the Lords having appointed a Day for the Lord Viscount Mordant to put in his Answer in Writing to the Impeachment brought up by the House of Commons against him; his Lordship hath accordingly done it: And a true Copy thereof their Lordships have now sent them.

Answer.

The Messengers return this Answer:

That according to their Lordships Commands, they have delivered a Copy of the Lord Viscount Mordant's Answer to the House of Commons.

Precedente concerning Examination of Public Accompts, &c.

Next, the House perused these Precedents; that of 9 H. IV. N° 21. styled, "The Indemnity of the Commons;" also that of 8 Eliz. 10. of October, where, upon the Reading of a Bill the Second Time, the Lords resolved to acquaint the (fn. 3) King with it before any further Proceedings, in regard they conceived it concerned the (fn. 3) King's Prerogative. The last was that of 3 Carol. where the Commons complained of a Commission granted by the King for raising of Money: Upon this, the Lords by themselves, without the Commons, made an Address to the King concerning that Business.

Bill for examining Public Accompts.

ORDERED, That the Consideration of the Bill concerning the examining of the Accompts of Public Monies shall be To-morrow Morning, by a Committee of the whole House; and that those Lords who managed the Conference with the Commons concerning the Matter of Accompts do meet this Afternoon, and consider of Reasons fit to be offered to the Commons, in Answer to their Reasons; and also to consider what to present to the King concerning His Answer to their Lordships Address to His Majesty, about a Commission for examining of Accompts.

Message from H. C. to return Lady Holles' Bill.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir John Morton and others:

To return "An Act for the naturalizing of Ester Lc Lou, the Daughter and Coheir of Gideon Le Lou, Lord of Colombieres, in Normandy, the now Wife of the Right Honourable Denzell Lord Holles, of Ifeild;" to which the Commons do agree without any Alterations.

Lives on Estates, for Discovery of, Bill.

ORDERED, That the Committee for the Bill for discovering Lives upon Estates do meet this Afternoon, at Three of the Clock.

Lady Frazer & al. Nat. Bill.

ORDERED, That the Committee for the Bill for naturalizing Dame Mary Frazer and others do meet Tomorrow in the Afternoon.

Wharton's Lead Mines Bill.

ORDERED, That the Committee for the Bill concerning Lead Mines in the County Palatine of Durham do meet on Monday next, at Three in the Afternoon.

Adjourn.

Dominus Custos Privati Sigilli declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem Sabbati, videlicet, 19^um instantis Januarii, hora decima Aurora, Dominis sic decernentibus.