House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 28 January 1692

Jovis, 28 die Januarii; 3° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Selling Lands in Lincolne, &c.

AN ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for the vesting several Manors, Lands, and Rents, in the Counties of Lincolne, Bercks, and Devon, in Trustees, to be sold for the buying other Manors and Lands to be settled for the same, or the like Uses, as those to be sold are now settled, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Newton's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for settling the Manor and Lordship of King's Bromly, and other the Messuages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments of Barbara Newton, Widow, Relict of Samuell Newton, late of the Island of Barbadoes in America, Esquire, deceased, and John Newton Esquire, Son and Heir of the said Samuell Newton, by the said Barbara, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Woolen Trade.

Sir John Guise, according to Order, presents a Bill for the Encouragement of Clothiers, and others dealing in Woolen Manufactures, and for suppressing of Wool Broggers, and Ingrossers of Wool, and Blackwell Hall Factors. And the same was received.

Supply Bill; Duties on Low Wines.

Mr. Onslow reports from the Committee to whom the Bill for the better ordering and collecting the Duty upon Low Wines, and Strong Waters, and preventing Abuses therein, was committed, That they had agreed upon several Amendments to the Bill: which they had directed him to report to the House: And which he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were once read throughout; and afterwards a Second time, one by one: and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

A Clause was offered to be made Part of the Bill, That the Bill shall not extend to any common Distiller, or other Person, who shall, from the First of February 1691, give Notice to the Officer of the Excise, as by this Act is appointed: Which was twice read; and, upon the Question put thereupon; agreed unto by the House, to be made Part of the Bill.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed.

Recovery of Tythes.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke and Sir Lacon Wm. Child;

Mr. Speaker, The Lords have agreed to the Bill for the more speedy and easy Recovery of small Tythes, with some Amendments: To which Amendments they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Supply Bill; English Forfeitures.

A Bill for the vesting the forfeited Estates in England, in their Majesties, to be applied to the Uses of the War, was, according to the Order of the Day, read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed.

Supply Bill; Irish Forfeitures.

A Bill for the vesting the forfeited States in Ireland in their Majesties, to be applied to the Uses of the War, was, according to the Order of the Day, read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed.

Resolved, That the said Bills be severally committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Ordered, That the said Committee do prepare and bring in a Clause, That the forfeited Impropriations in Ireland be settled for the Benefit of the Church there.

Ordered, That the said Committee do prepare and bring in a Clause for setting up a Court of Claims in Ireland, touching the forfeited Estates there.

London Orphans.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, after the Committee of the whole House hath sat to consider of Ways to satisfy the Debt due to the Orphans of the City of London, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said several Bills.

Ailesbury Election.

Mr. Serjeant Trenchard, according to the Order of the Day, reports from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, to whom the Matter touching the Election for the Borough of Ailesbury in the County of Bucks was referred, The State of the Case, as it appeared to the Committee: Which he delivered, in Writing, at the Clerk's Table: Where the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Upon the Petition of James Herbert, Esquire, complaining of an undue Return of Simion Maine, Esquire, to serve for Ailesbury;

The Committee have examined the Merits of that Election.

The Numbers of the Poll were thus;

That the Petitioners did not offer to take off from the Numbers of the Sitting Members: But alledged, That some of the Voters had been bribed.

And to that Purpose called

Thom. Sheney: Who said, He voted for Mr. Herbert: But that one Mr. Chugh, Sir Thom. Lee's Man, and Mr. Kinnersly, that was Mr. Wharton's Man, had, on the Day of the Election, solicited him very much to vote for Mr. Maine: That he told them, He was engaged to Mr. Herbert; and had drawn Three Hogsheads of Beer upon his Account, which he should lose, if he did not vote for him: And thereupon Mr. Chugh pulled out of his Pocket a Bag; and said, He would pay him for them. But the said Sheney, being further examined, said, He could not be positive, whether it was Mr. Kynnersly, or Mr. Acham, that solicited him.

John Stratford said, That he voted for Mr. Herbert: But said, That he owed Five Pounds Twelve Shillings to one Bennet, of London: And that Mr. Wickston, who voted for Mr. Maine, came to him; and told him, That, if he would vote for Mr. Maine, he would discharge the Bond.

Cha. Noy said, That Richard Parker voted for Mr. Maine: That the said Parker told him, He would be for him that would give him most Money: That, afterwards, the said Parker told him, one Pratt, who solicited for Mr. Maine, had sent him Two Load of Wood, one the Day before the Election, the other the Day of the Election: And he asked Parker, If he did buy them: And he told him, He did not.

Rich. Kempster said, That Richard Parker told him, That, if he would not give him any Money, he would go to Mr. Maine's side; there he could have Money enough.

John Parker said, He voted for Mr. Maine: That Mr. Harrison, a Clergyman, who had concerned himself on the Behalf of Mr. Maine, gave him Four Half-crowns to vote for Mr. Maine: And that, if it had not been for that Money, he had voted for Mr. Herbert: That, afterwards, he went to Mr. Harrison's House to borrow Forty Shillings; but Mr. Harrison refused it: And that what he gave, he gave him freely.

Rich. Kynnersly, being confronted with Sheney, said, That, upon the Day of the Election, he was at Newmarkett.

Rob. Acham said, That Mr. Wharton bid him go and find out Sheney; and tell him, That he had promised him his Vote; and he expected him to be as good as his Word: That he met him in the Middle of the Street on the Election Day: And that he and Chugh went to the George with Sheney; and there was no Offer made by Chugh of paying for Drink, as Sheney testified: And that Sheney went willingly with them.

Tho. Read, Nat. Birch, said, That when Mr. Chugh asked Sheney, if he had offered him any Money; Sheney disowned that he had; and said, He was a Son of a Whore that should say so.

Mr. Fra. Hatton said, That Sheney told him, upon his asking him, If they had offered him any Money, that Chugh had not offered him any; but Chugh had offered him to pay for his Beer.

John Wickston said, That upon Acham's asking him, If he had offered him any Money, Sheney said, No, it was the lame Man; he knew him very well.

Cha. Noy said, That Chugh, and one of Mr. Wharton's Men (when they went to the George, of the Election Day), went of each Side of him like a Couple of Bailiffs; but did not see them pull Sheney: And that Sheney told him, they had offered to pay for the Beer; but he had slipt from them.

Wickston, confronted by Stratford, said, That Stratford had formerly been his Servant; and, before that, contracted a Debt to Mr. Bennet: That, at Christmas was Twelve-months, Mr. Bennet's Man came into the Country; and nothing would satisfy him, but to sue Stratford: That Wickston persuaded him to accept of a Composition; and, before Sir Tho. Lee died, he sent to Mr. Barnwell, and several others, to contribute towards the paying it off: But after Sir Tho. Lee's Death, being cautious lest they should attribute any thing to be a Design for the Election, he desisted.

That he has offered him the Bond for Four Pounds, and Three Pounds; but never to vote for Mr. Maine.

Mr. Barnwell said, That about Twelve-months since, Mr. Wickston met him, and told him, that Stratford was poor, and desired him to contribute to him: And that Mr. Barnwell told him, that, if he could make it up, he should have his Half Piece.

Pratt said, He sold the Wood to Richard Parker.

Richard Parker said, He bought the Wood of Pratt, at his House, and agreed upon the Rate.

Mr. Harrison, a Clergyman, being confronted with John Parker, said, He did not give John Parker One Farthing, nor offer him any thing to vote.

Mr. Willis, another Clergyman, said, That Mr. Harrison's Answer, when Parker came to borrow the Forty Shillings, was, That he would do any Ailesbury Man what Kindness he could; but would not be concerned with them in Matter of Money.

Daniell Parish, and * Pratt, said, That they have heard John Parker swear, God damn him, if he had any Money of Mr. Harrison; and that he did not know what to swear, if he did go to London.

That, upon the whole Matter, the Committee came to several Resolutions: The which Mr. Serjeant Trenchard read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same was again read; and is as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Agents of Simon Maine are not guilty of Bribery, in corruptly procuring Votes at the late Election of a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Ailesbury in the County of Bucks.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That Simon Maine, Esquire, is duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Ailesbury.

The First of the said Resolutions being read a Second time;

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That the Agents of Simon Maine, Esquire, are not guilty of Bribery, in corruptly procuring Votes at the late Election of a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Ailesbury in the County of Bucks.

The Second of the said Resolutions being read a Second time;

Resolved, That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That Simon Maine, Esquire, is duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Ailesbury.

Supply Bill; Poll Tax.

A Bill for a Quarterly Poll was, according to the Order of the Day, read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir John Francklyn and Sir John Hoskyns;

Commissioners of Accompts.

Mr. Speaker, The Lords have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An additional Act for appointing and enabling Commissioners to examine, take, and state the publick Accompts of the Kingdom, with some Amendments: To which Amendments they desire the Concurrence of this House.

Keble's Estate.

Also, they have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act to enable John Keble, Gentleman, to sell certain Lands in Stow Market in the County of Suffolke, and to settle other Lands of greater Value to the same Uses: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

Vaughan's Estate.

And, a Bill, intituled, An Act for the settling certain Messuages, Mills, Lands, and Tenements, in the County of Merioneth, upon certain Trustees, to be sold or mortgaged, towards the Payment of the Debts of Wm. Vaughan, and Jenkin Vaughan, Esquires, deceased: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Commissioners of Accompts.

Then the House proceeded to take into Consideration the Amendments made by the Lords to the Bill, intituled, An additional Act for appointing and enabling Commissioners to examine, take, and state the publick Accompts of the Kingdom.

And the same, being read, are as followeth; viz.

Press 1, Line 31, after "Esquire," add "Sir Cyrell Wych, Sir Philip Meadowes, John Hampden, Esquire, and Alexander Davenant, Esquire."

And the said Amendments being read a Second time, one by one, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, disagreed unto by the House.

Conference desired with Lords.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to prepare Reasons to be offered at a Conference with the Lords touching the said Amendments.

And it is referred unto Mr. Harley, Sir Edw. Seymour, Sir Jos. Tredenham, Mr. Mountague, Sir Christopher Musgrave, Mr. Herbert, Sir Tho. Clarges, Sir Rich. Temple, Mr. Smith, Mr. Finch, Mr. Granvile, Mr. Paul Foley, Sir Peter Colleton, Mr. Christie, to prepare the same: And they are to meet To-morrow Morning at Nine a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber; and to sit during the Sitting of the House.

Hudson's Bay Company.

Ordered, That Mr. Hunt, Sir Jervas Elwes, Sir Sam. Bernadiston, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Thornhaugh, be added to the Committee to whom the Petition of the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Company of Feltmakers, London, is referred.

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