House of Lords Journal Volume 14: 15 July 1689

DIE Lunæ, 15 die Julii.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

Marq. de Halyfax Speaker pro Tempore.

Message from H. C. with a Bill.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Grey and others:

Who brought up a Bill, intituled, "An Act for an additional Duty of Excise, upon Beer, Ale, and other Liquors;" to which their Lordships Concurrence is desired.

Additional Excise on Beer, &c. Bill.

Hodie 1^a vice lecta est Billa, "An Act for an additional Duty of Excise, upon Beer, Ale, and other Liquors."

Duty on Tea, Coffee, &c. Bill.

Hodie 2^a vice lecta est Billa, "An Act for collecting the Duties upon Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate, at the Custom-house."

ORDERED, That the Consideration of this Bill is committed to these Lords following:

Their Lordships, or any Three of them; to meet To-morrow, at Nine of the Clock in the Forenoon, in the Prince's Lodgings.

Sir A. Blair and Dr. Gray at the Bar.

This Day Sir Adam Blair, and Robert Gray Doctor in Physic, were brought to the Bar; and, having kneeled until they were bid to stand up, the Speaker told them, "That they were, amongst others, impeached by the House of Commons, and in the Name of all the Commons of England, of High Treason, and other high Crimes and Offences; which Articles should be now read unto them."

Vide Articles 27 June last.

After the Reading whereof, they were asked, "What they had to say for themselves; and whether they did desire to have any Counsel assigned?"

They said, "They were Not Guilty of any such Crimes; and were Strangers, and unacquainted with any Counsel."

Upon this, they were commanded to withdraw.

And the House, taking into Consideration what they had said, made the ensuing Order:

To have Copies of their Impeachment, Counsel, &c.

"Whereas Sir Adam Blair and Robert Gray Doctor in Physic were this Day brought to the Bar, being impeached by the House of Commons of High Treason, and other high Crimes and Offences, and there heard the Articles of Impeachment read unto them: It is thereupon ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said Sir Adam Blair and Robert Gray Doctor in Physic may have a Copy or Copies of the said Articles of Impeachment; and they be, and are hereby, required to put in their Answer or respective Answers thereunto, in Writing, at the Bar of this House, on Monday next, the 22d of July Instant, at Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon: And it is further ORDERED, That Mr. Serjeant Pemberton, George Bradbury, Edward Ward, Vernon, and Anderton, Esquires, shall be allowed to be Counsel for them; and that their Wives, Friends, and Counsel, may have Access to them, so as the Keeper of The Gatehouse do give this House an Account of the Names of such Persons as shall come to each of them respectively."

Committed to The Gatehouse.

"Whereas Sir Adam Blair and Robert Gray Doctor in Physic have appeared this Day at the Bar, to hear the Articles read, whereby they, together with Captain Henry Vaughan, Captain Fred'rick Mole, and John Eliott Doctor in Physic, are charged upon Impeachment of High Treason, and other high Crimes and Offences: It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said Sir Adam Blair and Robert Gray Doctor in Physic shall stand committed to the Prison of The Gatehouse, there to be kept in safe Custody, in order to their Trials; and this shall be a sufficient Warrant on that Behalf.

"To the Keeper of The Gatehouse at Westm. his Deputy and Deputies, and every of them."

"ORDERED, That the Messenger, in whose Custody Sir Adam Blair and Robert Gray Doctor of Physic are, be, and is hereby, required to carry the said Sir Adam Blair and Robert Gray Doctor in Physic to the Prison of The Gatehouse, there to be kept in safe Custody; and this shall be a sufficient Warrant on that Behalf."

Succession Bill:

The Earl of Rochester reported, from the Committee, Reasons to be offered at a Conference with the House of Commons, for their Lordships insisting on their Amendment, in the 7th Skin, 25 Line, in the Bill for settling the Succession of the Crown:

Reasons for insisting on the Lords Amendments.

"1. Though, in the Instrument offered to the King and Queen's Majesties, the Limitation went no further than to Their Persons; yet, in a Law which has respect to all succeeding Ages, and that settles for ever the Liberties of the Subjects, they think it is reasonable to carry the Limitation of the Succession of the Crown further than was necessary in that Instrument in which the Crown was offered to Their Majesties, and that had no View but of the Succession to Their Posterity.

"2. They can see no Danger, nor any ill Confequences that may follow on a further Limitation, but very much to the contrary. For,

"1. This secures the Nation effectually from the Danger of having any Papist to reign in it at any Time hereafter; since, of such a Number of Papists that stand next the Crown in the Lineal Succession, some might be prevailed on to make a Shew of changing their Religion, if they had a Prospect of succeeding to the Crown upon it; and no Danger being so great as the having one who is a pretended Protestant, but is in Truth a concealed Papist, to reign over us, the most effectual Way to secure our Religion is, to declare the Succession in a Family that we know certainly is Protestant.

"2. It is the Interest of Engl'd, at present, to do Right to that great House, by limiting the Succession according to the Proviso: For, since this Limitation has been proposed, if it should be now laid aside, it would look like an excluding of that House; which might provoke them to take Resolutions that might be of great Prejudice to the Nation in the present Conjuncture.

"And since, for these Reasons, the Lords insist upon their Proviso, the same Reasons determine them likewise to insist upon that Part of the Rider which relates to it."

Then the House took into Consideration the Clause in the Bill concerning the Dispensing Power.

The Question being put, "Whether to agree with the House of Commons in the Clause concerning the Dispensing Power?"

It was Resolved in the Affirmative.

Conference to be had about it.

ORDERED, To have a Conference with the House of Commons To-morrow Morning, concerning this Business.

Adjourn.

Marquis de Halyfax, Orator Procerum pro Tempore, declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem Martis, videlicet, 16^um diem instantis Julii, hora decima Aurora, Dominis sic decernentibus.