Jovis, 9 die Martii; 5° Gulielmi et Mariæ.
Prayers.
Salwerp Navigation.
AN ingrossed Bill for making navigable the River,
of Salwerp in the County of Worcester, and the
Rivulets and Brooks thereto adjoining, was read the
Third time.
Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title
be, An Act for making navigable the River of Salwerp,
in the County of Worcester, and the Rivulets and Brooks
thereto adjoining.
Ordered, That Mr. Waller do carry the Bill to the
Lords; and desire their Concurrence thereunto.
Knaresbrough Writ.
Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to
the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ for the
electing a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for
the Borough of Knaresbrough in the County of York, in
the room of Wm. Stockdale, Esquire, deceased.
A Message from the Lords, by Sir John Franklyn
and Sir John Hoskyns;
Expiring Laws.
Mr. Speaker,
The Lords have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act
for reviving, continuing, and explaining several Laws
therein mentioned, which are expired, and near Expiring,
without any Amendments.
And then the Messengers withdrew.
Supply Bill; charging Joint Stocks, &c.
An ingrossed Bill for laying several Impositions upon
the East India Company's Stock, and other Stocks, and
for continuing certain Impositions upon several Goods
and Merchandize, was read the Third time.
An Amendment was proposed to be made in the Bill,
Pr. *, L. *, by adding "and by the Authority of
the same."
And the same was, upon the Question put thereupon,
agreed unto by the House.
An ingrossed Clause was offered, as a Rider, That all
Customs, payable after the Twenty-fifth March 1693,
for Goods sold as Prize, shall be applied to the Credit of
an Act of this Session, for granting to their Majesties
certain additional Impositions upon several Goods and
Merchandize, for prosecuting the present War against
France.
And the same was twice read; and some Amendments
proposed, and agreed unto by the House.
And then the same was read the Third time; and,
upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto to be
made Part of the Bill.
Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title
be, An Act for continuing certain Acts therein mentioned, and for charging several joint Stocks.
Ordered, That Mr. Attorney General do carry the Bill
to the Lords; and desire their Concurrence thereunto.
Indemnity for acting in Defence of the Kingdom.
Then the House, according to the Order of the Day,
resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to
consider of the ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled,
An Act for preventing Suits against such as acted for
their Majesties Service in Defence of the Kingdom.
Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Mr. John How took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.
Mr. John How reported from the Committee, That
they had made some 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 twice read; and agreed unto by the House;
and are as followeth; viz.
Pr. 2. L. 26. leave out from "Defendants," to the
End of the Bill.
Ordered, That the Bill be read the Third time Tomorrow Morning.
Duchy of Cornwall Leasing.
Mr. Waller reported from the Committee to whom
it was referred to prepare Reasons to be offered at a Conference with the Lords, for disagreeing to the Amendments made by the Lords to the ingrossed Bill, intituled,
An Act to enable their Majesties to make Grants, Leases,
and Copies of Offices, Lands, and Hereditaments, Parcel
of their Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same,
and for Confirmation of Leases and Grants already made,
That they had prepared Reasons accordingly: which
they had directed him to report to the House: Which he
read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the
Clerk's Table: Where the same were read; and are as
followeth; viz.
1. Because the establishing so great Fees will be a Discouragement to the Tenants, hinder them from Renewing, and disable them from paying so great Fines, as
otherwise they might do, to the lessening their Majesties
Revenue; whereof the Commons ought to be very tender, especially at this Juncture, when it is so difficult to
find Money to supply the publick Occasions.
2. Because the Exchequer Officers, who are the only
Persons interested in this Amendment (when they attended
the Committee of the Commons), could not shew any
Rule for, or make out any Right to, the Fees they demand; which are far beyond what the Tenants of any
other Lords pay for their Leases: So that it will be a
great Favour, if the said Officers be allowed by Law
Ten Pounds for a Lease, and Four Pounds for a Copy,
when otherwise, for aught appears, their taking even Half
so much is not to be justified.
3. Because the Commons conceive this Amendment
will be of little or no Advantage to the Officers themselves; for the Tenants, who are not well able or willing
to pay so great Fees, would (as of late they have done)
let their Leases run out to the last; whereas the moderating the Fees, as by the Bill, will encourage them to
renew from time to time, on marrying their Children, or
as any Life drops off.
4. Because the enlarging the Fees, as by the Amendment, is the laying a Charge upon the Subject: Which
is so inherent and fundamental a Right of the Commons,
as they can by no means depart from.
The First of the said Reasons being read a Second
time;
And the Question being put, That the House do agree
with the Committee in the said Reason;
It passed in the Negative.
The Second of the said Reasons being read a Second
time;
And the Question being put, That the House do agree
with the Committee in the said Reason;
It passed in the Negative.
The Third of the said Reasons being read a Second
time;
And the Question being put, That the House do agree
with the Committee in the said Reason;
It passed in the Negative.
The Fourth Reason being read a Second time, was,
upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the
House.
Conference desired with Lords.
Resolved, That a Conference be desired with the Lords,
upon the Subject Matter of the Amendments made by
the Lords to the said Bill.
Ordered, That Mr. Scobell do go to the Lords; and
desire the said Conference.
Papers to be returned.
Ordered, That the Book of Prisoners, and File of Discharges, brought to this House from Robert Davis, Deputy to the Provost Marshal General, be delivered back
to him by the Clerk of this House.
And then the House adjourned until Four a
Clock in the Afternoon.
Post Meridiem.
House attends the King.
THE House met, in order to attend his Majesty
with their Address, touching the State of the Kingdom
of Ireland.
Committees.
Ordered, That all Committees be adjourned.
And then the House adjourned till To-morrow
Morning, Nine a Clock.