Martis, 10 die Januarii; 4° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Profanation of Lord's Day.

A BILL for preventing the Profanation of the Lord's Day was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Severne Fishery.

A Bill for repealing Part of an Act made in the Thirtieth Year of King Charles the Second, for Preservation of Fishing in the River of Severne, was read the First time.

And the Question being put, That the Bill be read a Second time;

It passed in the Negative.

Petworth, &c. Rectories.

Mr. Boyle presented to the House a Bill for the settling the Advowsons and Rights of Patronage of the Rectories of Petworth, North Chappell, Dungton, Clewer, Farnham Royal, Worplesdon, Kirkby Overblowes, and Catton, and the Vicarage of Long Horsley: And

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Ordered, That the said Bill be not read before Eleven a Clock.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Praed have Leave to go into the Country for a Month, for Recovery of his Health.

Ordered, That Mr. Mayne have Leave to go into the Country for a Week only, upon extraordinary Occasions

Lotteries.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for the prohibiting the Use of all Lotteries.

Commissioners of Accompts.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for the taking, stating, and examining the publick Accompts of the Kingdom.

Greenland Trade.

A Petition of Sir William Scawen, and others, touching the Greenland Trade of Fishing, was read; setting forth, That the Trade to Greenland for Whale Fishing hath formerly been very beneficial to this Kingdom, not only for the great Quantities of Whalebone and Oil which hath been imported from thence; but also a Nursery for Seamen, and the Expence of Provisions for victualing the Ships: That the said Trade, for many Years past, having been wholly lost to this Nation, and engrossed by Foreign Nations, some London Merchants, about Twenty Years ago, did attempt to regain the said Trade; and, for their Encouragement therein, an Act was passed in the Twenty-fifth Car. II^di, whereby it was Enacted (inter alia), That it should be lawful for any Vessel belonging to England (whereof the Master should be an Englishman, employed for the Catching of Whales, till the Twenty-fifth March 1683,) to be navigated with One Moiety of the Mariners only English; and yet to pay no other Custom for the Oil Blubber or Fins, than if the Ships had been navigated with Three-fourths of the Mariners English: That, during the Continuance of the said Act, several Merchants did, on their separate Accounts, fit out divers Ships; and some small Quantities of Whalebone and Oil were imported, and the Foreign Markets kept at reasonable Rates; but those Merchants, meeting with many Losses and Difficulties, were wholly discouraged and disabled to proceed therein; and could never bring the said Trade to any Perfection: That, since the Year 1683, when the said Act expired, there hath not been one Ship sent from England to Greenland; so that Whalebone, which, about 1683, was sold at Sixty Pounds per Ton, is now sold for Four hundred Pounds the Ton; whereby Holland and Hamburgh draw out of this Kingdom above One hundred thousand Pounds for Whalebone and Whale Oil: That, it being now impossible to regain the said Trade otherwise than by a joint Stock, the Petitioners have agreed and, undertaken to raise a joint Stock of Forty thousand Pounds, to be wholly employed in the said Trade: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill for incorporating the Petitioners, and granting to them the sole Privilege of navigating such Ships as shall be employed in the Greenland Trade; and that the House would take the same into Consideration.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee: And that they do prepare and bring in a Bill for encouraging the Greenland Trade of Fishing.

And it is referred to Sir Sam. Bernardiston, Sir Richard Onslow, Sir Math. Andrews, Mr. Burrard, Serjeant Tremaine, Mr. Mountague, Mr. Scobell, Sir Edward Abney, Mr. Onslow, Sir Edward Seymour, Sir Tho. Clarges, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Waller, Mr. Blowfield, Mr. Pitts, Sir Robert Rich, Mr. Colson, Sir Rich. Temple, Mr. Chadwick, Mr. Piggott, Mr. Baile, Mr. Sandford, Mr. Cook, Mr. Papillion, Mr. England, Mr. Hutchinson, Sir Sam. Dashwood, Sir Stephen Evans, Colonel Perry, Sir John Moreton, Mr. Stokes, Sir John Dorrell, Sir John Key; and all the Merchants of the House: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Supply Bill; Excise.

Mr. Attorney General, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for settling a Fund of Seventy thousand Pounds per Annum, out of the Excise, for paying the Interest of a Million of Money, to be raised by voluntary Payments before the Twenty-fourth June 1693; the Principal paid in, to be sunk; and the Persons paying in the same to receive, during their Lives, their respective Proportions of the said Seventy thousand Pounds per Annum, with the Advantage of Survivorship.

And the Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Supply Bill; Land Tax.

Then the House, according to the Order of the Day, resumed the Debate touching the Second reading the Clause of Appropriation Yesterday presented to the House.

Ordered, That Leave be given to withdraw the said Clause.

And it was withdrawn accordingly.

Mr. Smith, according to Order, presented to the House a Clause of Appropriation, for the Use of the Navy, to be added to the Bill of Aid.

And the same was Twice read, with a Blank for the Sum.

Resolved, That the Blanks be filled up with "Seven hundred thousand Pounds."

And the same were filled up accordingly.

And other Amendments were proposed; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House, and made accordingly; and the Clause, so amended, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, for all Monies payable to Officers and Seamen, and for Naval Stores and Provisions (other than for Victuals), and the Expence of the Office of Ordnance, in respect to Naval Affairs, be paid, in Course, according to the Dates of Contracts.

And the same was Twice read.

And an Amendment being proposed to be made therein, by leaving out "other than for Victuals;

And the Question being put, That the said Words do stand Part of the said Clause;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That, upon the Removal of any Person, unless they shall produce such Certificate as the Act directs, of the Payment of all precedent quarterly Payments, in some other Place to inhabit within any Place wherein they were not rated for personal Estate, the Commissioners acting in such Place shall assess them for the same.

And the same was Twice read; and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That all Pensions from the Crown should be suspended during the War.

And the same was once read.

And the Question being put, That it be read a Second time;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

The Clause was read the Second time.

Ordered, That Leave be given to withdraw the said Clause.

And the same was withdrawn accordingly.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That the King's Bench Prison, and Marshalsea Prison, and all Offices, Rents, and Perquisites thereto, shall be assessed in the Parish of St. George in the Borough of Southwark, and no-where else.

And the same was Twice read; and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That no Pension shall, for the future, be granted out of the hereditary Revenue, to or for any private Use or Person, saving to all Persons who have or shall lend Monies to their Majesties, such Benefit as they might have had before this Act.

And the Question being put, That the said Clause be brought up to the Table, and received;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in Affirmative.

The Clause was brought up to the Table, and received accordingly, and read the First time.

And the Question being put, That it be read a Second time;

It passed in the Negative.

Another Clause was offered to be added to the Bill, That no Fees shall be taken, by any Officer of the Exchequer, or other Officer, of any Receiver General, in passing his Accompts for any Monies granted to their Majesties, other than the ancient Fees to be allowed by the Barons of the Exchequer.

And the same was read the First time.

And the Question being put, That it be read the Second time;

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, Nemine contradicente, That the said Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed.

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