House of Lords Journal Volume 2: 28 November 1606

DIE Veneris,videlicet, 28 Novembris:

Manor of Bardesley to Bourchier.

HODIE 2^a vice lecta est Billa, An Act for the Confirmation of the King's Majesty's Letters Patents, made to W. Bourchieur, Esquire, of the Manor of Bardesley, in the County of Gloucester.

And was referred to the same Committees that were appointed for Mr. Bathurst's Bill, and the same Time and Place appointed for Meeting; videlicet, Monday next, the First of December, by Eight in the Morning, at the Little Chamber, near the Parliament Presence; and the King's Learned Counsel, or some of them, to be likewise made acquainted with the Letters Patents.

Message to the Commons, concerning the Union.

Message from the Lords to the Lower House, sent by Mr. Serjeant Crooke, Mr. Dr. Stanhope, and Mr. Dr. Hone, to this Effect: That their Lordships have entered into Consideration of the Message received Yesterday from them; and for Answer have commanded them to signify, That the Beginning and End of the Commission for the Union hath been to perfect an Union, by an Uniformity of Debate and Consultation, which caused their Lordships to desire a Conference, the Effect whereof hath proved to be no more than a Message; in which as their Lordships Expectation is not answered, considering with what Freedom and Plainness they have proceeded, so they think it inconvenient for them to receive a Proposition, wherein, before any Meeting, either Distribution or Election should be made of any Part that was to be handled; for, First, every Member hath an Equality of Interest in every Particular rightly examined; Secondly, their Lordships conceived it a kind of Diminution of Capacity of the Lower House, to think that any Thing is too great for them, or too little for the Lords; especially in this, which concerneth every Member of either House, in his Person, in his Blood and Fortune. Nevertheless, although the Lords still remain disposed as before, both for Love of Order, and Desire of that mutual Satisfaction which Conference commonly worketh in Minds so well affected, to accept of Conference, if, upon a second Cogitation, the Lower House shall resolve it: And that such is their Lordships Resolution, to win Time, and shun all Cause of Difference, as, when they shall perceive that the Lower House shall still mislike of Conference, their Lordships shall then proceed to treat of those Things which shall appear to them to be most expedient, leaving the Lower House, in like sort, to the Course of their own Consideration.

Answer.

Answered, That they have entered into Consideration of their Lordships Message, and will debate thereof, and return Answer unto the same this Forenoon, if they could; if not, as soon as they can conveniently; and will then signify the same to the Lords by some of their House.

Message from the Commons.

Thereupon a Message was, in short Time after, sent from the Lower House, by Sir Herbert Croftes and others, to this Effect: That the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Common House, have considered of the Answer that was made by the Lords this Day, unto their Message sent from the Common House Yesterday; and finding thereby that some Doubt or Question was conceived by the Lords, as though by their Message they had refused Conference, or that they had a Purpose or Meaning to prescribe and limit the Proceedings of either House, they had commanded him to deliver clearly to the Lords, that they had no such Meaning, by that Message, to refuse Conference, nor to prescribe or limit any Course, to the Diminution of the Liberty or Capacity of the Common House, much less of the Dignity of the Upper House; but that their Meaning was only to offer that Motion to their Lordships, for digesting and ordering of the Four several and principal Points (as they conceived them) in the Instrument of the Union, that, if it were to the Liking of the Lords, they might please to undertake Two of them, according to the Motion; but now that they do further understand their Lordships Mind by this Answer, they have willed him to signify unto their Lordships, That they desire to enter into Consideration of the whole Body of the Instrument, and to debate the several Matters therein contained amongst themselves, so as they may be the better prepared for Conference, which then they will be ready to attend, and do desire the like to be done by the Lords.

Answer.

Answer returned, That the Lords have understood, by this Message, their Desire to consider and debate amongst themselves, the whole Matters in the Instrument, to the End they may be the better prepared for Conference as aforesaid; which their Lordships do well like of, and desire them to proceed in that Course with Expedition, in like fort as is intended by their Lordships in this House.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius continuavit præsens Parliamentum usque in diem Lunæ, videlicet, primum diem Decembris, hora 9^a.