Sabbati, 30 die Decembris;
5° Gulielmi et Mariæ.
Prayers.
Encouraging Seamen.
ORDERED, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill
for increasing of Seamen, and for encouraging of them
to come voluntarily into their Majesties Service: And that
Major Vincent do prepare, and bring in, the same.
Leave of Absence.
Ordered, That Mr. Anchitell Gray have Leave to go
into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.
East-India Trade.
A Petition of several Merchants, and others, concerned
in the Ship Redbridge, was presented to the House, and
read; setting forth, That the Petitioners obtained an
Order from her Majesty, in Council, for the Protection
of 50 Seamen to go on the said Ship for Alicant; but,
before the could depart on her Voyage, the said Ship was
stopt by the Admiralty, upon an Order obtained from
the Privy-Council, upon the Petition of the East-India
Company, merely upon the Company's Allegation, That
the said Ship was bound to Places within the Limits of
their Charter: That such Proceedings are greatly prejudicial to all foreign Trade, and Navigation in general, and
more particularly to the Petitioners, who, by the present
Laws of the Kingdom, can have no Reparation: And
praying, That the like Inconveniences may be prevented
for the future.
Ordered, That the Examination and Consideration of
the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the
whole House, who are to consider of the Petition of
several Merchants, and others, in and about the City of
London, relating to the East-India Trade: And that they
do report the Matter thereof specially, with their Opinion
thereupon, to the House: And that they have Power to
send for Persons, Papers, and Records.
Letter and Papers from Captain Peddar.
Mr. Speaker acquainted the House, That he had
received a Letter, with a Packet sealed up, from Captain
Peddar.
And the same were opened; and the Letters and Titles
of the Papers in the Packet were read.
East-India Company Charters.
The House being informed, That Sir Thomas Cook,
Governor of the East-India Company, attended, according to Order;
He was called in; and presented to the House Two of
their Charters; the one, dated the Third of April, in the
13th Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second; and
the other, dated the Eleventh of November last.
And being withdrawn;
The said Two Charters were read.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Two
Charters be referred to the Committee of the whole
House, to whom it is referred to consider of the Petition
of several Merchants, and others, in and about the City
of London, relating to the East-India Trade.
Ordered, That the Governor, or Deputy-Governor, of
the East-India Company, do lay before this House all the
Charters of the said Company.
East-India Company Subscriptions, &c.
Ordered, That the Governor, or Deputy-Governor, of
the East-India Company, do lay before this House a true
Copy of the Book of the new Subscriptions for the EastIndia Company, to be attested by the Governor, or
Deputy-Governor, and Secretary, of the Company; and
also a true Copy, from time to time, of the subsequent
Subscribers, as they come in, to be attested in like manner.
Ordered, That the East-India Company do lay before
this House a true State of their present Stock, and a true
List of the Persons interested therein: and also a true
State of the Debts of the Company, and what Debts have
been paid off by the Money paid in upon the new Subscriptions, and to whom, and to be attested by the
Governor, or Deputy-Governor, and Secretary, of the
said Company.
East-India Trade.
A Petition of the Clothiers, and Woollen Manufacturers,
in the County of Gloucester, was presented to the House,
and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners, and many
hundred Families depending on them, have, during the
present War, been much discouraged in carrying on their
Trade; for that great Quantities of the Woollen Manufactures, which used to be bought up for foreign Markets,
lie dead in the Petitioners hands, to almost their utter
Ruin: That the East-India Company, intending to revive
their ancient Commerce to China, and other Places,
have, within Three Months last, bought most of the
Petitioners said Manufactures, and encouraged them to
make more, which they intend yearly to buy, not only
of the Petitioners, but of other cloathing Countries;
Therefore the Petitioners pray, That the East-India
Company's Trade, which is so advantageous to this
Nation, may be encouraged.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition
be referred to the Committee of the whole House, who
are to consider of the Petition of several Merchants,
and others, in and about the City of London, relating to
the East-India Trade; and for erecting of a new EastIndia Company.
Ditto.
A Petition of the Clothiers, and Woollen Manufacturers,
in the County of Wilts, was presented to the House, and
read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have, for several
Years, been much discouraged in their Trade, by reason
great Part of their Cloths, which were used to be exported, have lain in their Hands; and thereby they have
been disabled from employing the Spinners, Weavers,
and other numerous Families depending on the Petitioners Trade, to their sad Extremities: That, for some
Months since, the East-India Company have bought up
large Quantities of the Petitioners, and, as informed,
other Countries Cloths, and have bespoke more, and
promise to buy every Year; whereby the Petitioners are
enabled to proceed chearfully in their Trade, and to preserve their poor Workmen from starving: The Petitioners
therefore pray, That such Countenance may be given to
the East-India Trade, in Exportation of the Woollen
Manufactures, as the House shall think convenient.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition
be referred to the Committee of the whole House, who
are to consider of the Petition of several Merchants, and
others, in and about the City of London, relating to the
East-India Trade; and for erecting of a new East-India
Company.
East-India Trade.
A Petition of several Linendrapers, and other Traders in
East-India Goods, was presented to the House, and read;
setting forth, That the Petitioners for a long time have been
concerned in a profitable Trade in most Sort of East. . . . .
Goods, wherewith they were formerly supplied by the
East-India Company at reasonable Rates, until now of
late several Persons, for their own private Interests, have
broke into the Trade of the said Company, contrary to
their Charters, and also contrary to the Interests of the
Petitioners: And praying, That the House would settle
and encourage the present East-India Company, that
the Petitioners may the better carry on their respective
Trades.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be
referred to the Committee of the whole House, who are
to consider of the several Petitions of the several Merchants, and others, in and about the City of London,
relating to the East-India Trade; and for erecting of a
new East-India Company.
Ditto.
A Petition of several Packers, Dyers, Hot-Pressers,
Clothworkers, Drawers, Calenders, and others concerned in the Exportation of the Woollen Manufacture,
was presented to the House, and read; setting forth,
That several Merchants having complained to the House
of the present East-India Company, as the Petitioners
conceive, upon Mistakes, not knowing the numerous
Families who have their sole Support by the Woollen
Manufactures exported into foreign Parts by the said
Company; and the Petitioners, notwithstanding the present War, having been greatly employed by the said
Company, in preparing Woollens to be exported, whereby they, and their Families, have subsisted, and doubt not,
in case of a good Settlement of the said Company, of
better Employment; they therefore pray, all Encouragement of the said Company, in their said Trade, may be
given by the House.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition
be referred to the Committee of the whole House, who
are to consider of the Petition of several Merchants, and
others, in and about the City of London, relating to the
East-India Trade; and for erecting of a new East-India
Company.
Resolved, That this House will, upon Thursday Morning
next, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of
the whole House, to consider of the said Petition.
Protestants Nat.
Ordered, That the Bill for the Naturalization of all such
Protestants, as shall take the Oaths to their Majesties,
and the Test against Popery, be read the Second time,
upon Wednesday Morning next, after Eleven a Clock.
Ways and Means.
Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning
next, at Ten a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of
the whole House, to consider further of Ways and Means
for raising the Supplies to be granted to their Majesties,
for Maintenance of the Fleet, and for Maintenance of the
Land-Forces, for the Service of the Year One thousand
Six hundred Ninety-four.
Committees.
Ordered, That all Committees be adjourned.
And then the House adjourned till Monday Morning,
Nine a Clock.