House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 28 January 1695

Lunæ, 28 die Januarii;

Sexto Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Cosserat's, &c. Nat.

An ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act for Naturalizing of Bernard Cosserat, alias Mourte, and Alexander Ringli, and others, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Northleigh's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act to enable Trustees to grant Leases of the Lands of Henry Northleigh Esquire, lately deceased, for Payment of Debts, and providing a Maintenance for his Children, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Tonage Duties.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the Act, made the last Session, for laying several Duties upon the Tonage of Ships, as it relates to the Isle of Wight, and Town and County of Southampton, and the Town of Portsmouth, and to the Coasting-Trade upon Wales, Cornwall, and Devonshire, and upon the Severne, and the Counties of Essex and Suffolk, be referred to the Committee to whom it is referred to consider of the Act for granting to their Majesties several Duties upon Vellum, Parchment, and Paper, for Four Years, for carrying on the War against France; and of the Doubts and Complaints relating thereunto; and to report the Matter to the House.

Privilege—a person petitions for discharge.

A Petition of the Mayor of Leverpoole, in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms, was presented to the House, and read; by which he acknowleged his Crime, and begged Pardon of the House for the same; and prayed to be discharged out of Custody.

Ordered, That the Committee, to whom it was referred to inspect Precedents, what Censures have been inflicted upon Officers for making false Returns; and to report the same to the House; do speed their Report: And have Power to sit de die in diem.

Christchurch Minister's Maintenance.

A Petition of the Trustees of the Will of John Marshall, deceased, and of the Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, and several Inhabitants, of the Parish of Christchurch in the County of Surrey was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, in the Year 1670, the said John Marshall did, by his Will, bequeath 700 l. to erect a Church in some convenient Place within the Parish of St. Saviour's Southwark; and 40 l. per Ann. and a Dwelling-house, for a Minister, to perform Divine Service; and desired the said Church might be called Christchurch, and made a Parish separate from St. Saviour's; to be confirmed by Act of Parliament: And, in 1670, it was accordingly enacted; and that the Trustees might expend 400 l. above the said 700 l. to complete the said Church; which said 400 l. did but build and finish the Church, without a Steeple: That the said new Parish, when belonging to St. Saviour's, was above Three Parts in Land unbuilt, which is now built upon in Tenements, which yield no Tythes: That the Parishioners have no Power to make any Rates on the Inhabitants, for the Support of their Parson: And that there is not a sufficient Maintenance for a good and able Minister to officiate there: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill for enabling the Inhabitants of the said Parish to make Rates for raising a Maintenance for a good and able Minister for the said Parish; and for impowering the said Trustees to employ Monies for the erecting a Steeple, and furnishing the same with Bells.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition.

Importing Portugal Wines.

A Petition of divers Merchants trading to Spaine, Portugall, and Italy, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by the Act of Navigation, Wines, and other Commodities, are to be imported into England, in English and English built Shipping, the Master and Threefourths of the Mariners to be English; or else in Ships of the Built of the Country whereof the Goods are the Growth; and manned with the People thereof: That the Petitioners, for the Encouragement of English Ships, have since the War imported great Quantities of Merchandizes in English Ships, though manned with the Men of that Country of which the Goods were the Growth; for which Aliens Duty hath been paid, as if the Ships had been foreign-built: and the Petitioners thought themselves within the Meaning of the said Act: But some Persons, upon a doubtful Acceptation of the said Act, have vexatiously prosecuted the Petitioners for the Value of the said Goods, as forfeited: And praying the Consideration of the House and Relief therein.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition: And that Mr. Papillion do prepare, and bring in, the same.

Travals for Treason.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cook and Mr. Pit:

Mr. Speaker,

The Lords, have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act for regulating of Tryals in Cases of High-Treason, and Misprision of Treason, with some Amendments: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Ditto.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Saturday Morning next, take the said Amendments into Consideration.

Persons to attend.

Ordered, That Mr. Thomas Mosse, Mr. James Green, Mr. John Goulding, Mr. Gilbert Lancaster, Mr. Tho. Ridley, and Captain Crooke, do attend this House Tomorrow Morning.

Call of the House.

Resolved, That the Call of the House be further adjourned until this Day Sevennight: And that this House will then take into Consideration the Neglect of the several Members of this House that are in Town, and do not attend the daily Service of the House.

Abuses by Army Agents.

The House proceeded, according to the Order of the Day, to take into further Consideration the Complaint made by the Inhabitants of Royston; and also the Observations of the Commissioners for taking and stating the publick Accounts, of the Abuses, and ill Practices, committed by the several Agents of the Regiments of the Army.

And Agent Tracy Pauncefort, attending according to Order, was called in: And presented to the House his Accounts of the Monies received of the Earl of Ranelagh, since the 28th Day of May last; and how he hath paid the same; and when, and to whom; and what remained in his Hands: And was examined thereupon.

And then withdrew.

Also the said Agent, and Lieutenant Turner, were called in together; and examined.

And then withdrew.

Also Colonel Hastings, and Major Montall, attending according to Order, were called in; and examined.

And then withdrew.

Agent Richard Roberts, attending according to Order, was called in; and examined.

And then withdrew.

Resolved, Nemine contradicente, That Richard Roberts, Agent to Colonel Langston's and Colonel Englesby's Regiments, for contemptuously neglecting and refusing to attend the Commissioners for taking and stating the publick Accounts, upon their Precepts and Summons, be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.

Ordered, That Colonel Hastings and Major Montall be discharged from their Attendance until further Order.

Agent William Wallis attending according to Order; he was called in; and examined.

And then withdrew.

Ordered, That the said Agent William Wallis be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.

Resolved, That Agent Tracy Pauncefort, for neglecting to pay the Subsistence-Money to the Officers and Soldiers that quartered at Royston, having Monies in his Hands to do the same, be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.

Ordered, That the further Consideration of the Complaint of the Inhabitants of Royston, and of the Observations made by the Commissioners for taking and stating the publick Accounts touching the Abuses, and ill Practices, committed by the Agents of the Regiments of the Army, be adjourned until Friday Morning next.

Ordered, That Colonel Hastings, Major Montall, and Lieutenant Turner, do attend this House again upon Friday Morning next.

Supply Bill; Land Tax.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning at Eleven a Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill for granting to his Majesty an Aid of Four Shillings in the Pound, for One Year, for carrying on the War against France with Vigour.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be adjourned.

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