House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 27 November 1696

Veneris, 27 die Novembris;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Discount on Bank Notes.

A PETITION of the Clothiers of the County of Gloucester was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the said County chiefly depends upon the Woollen Manufacture; the greatest Part of its Poor, by reason of the Decay of Trade, havingno Employment, and are become intolerably chargeable to their Parish; the Cause of which Misfortunes they conceive to be, the high Discount of present Money in Exchange for BankNotes, occasioned by Stock-jobbing: And praying the speedy Relief of the House in the Premises.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being proposed, That this House will, upon Wednesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Grievances of the Kingdom;

An Amendment was proposed to be made to the Question, by leaving out "Grievances of the Kingdom," and inserting, instead thereof, "State of the Nation:"

And the Question was put, That the Words "Grievances of the Kingdom" stand Part of the Question:

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Words "State of the Nation" be inserted.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the State of the Nation.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the said Committee.

Petition relating to a Member.

A Petition of John Peshall Esquire, and Charlotte his Wife, One of the Natural Daughters of the Right Honourable Thomas late Lord Culpeper, was presented to the House:

And the same relating to the Lord Fairfax, a Member of this House; who not being in the House;

Ordered, That the Lord Fairfax do attend in his Place, upon Monday Morning next: And that the said Petition be then read.

Papers respecting the Fleet.

Sir Robert Rich, from the Commissioners of the Admiralty, according to Order, presented to the House Copies of all Orders sent to Sir George Rook and Sir Cloudesly Shovell, or in relation to the Fleet in general, between the 1st Day of January last, and the time the French Thoulon Squadron got into Brest: And,

An Account of what Intelligences they received of the French Thoulon Squadron's fitting out, and their Motions towards Brest; in Five several Books and Papers.

Ordered, That the said Books and Papers do lie upon the Table, to be perused by the Members of the House.

Alborough Election.

A Petition of many of the Inhabitants of the Borough of Alborough, in the West-Riding in the County of York, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have duly chosen Arthur Kay Esquire to be their Representative in this present Parliament, in the room of Sir Michael Wentworth; but Richard Sutton, Bailiff of the said Borough, hath returned Henry Fairfax Esquire; who, contrary to an Act, made the last Session, spent great Sums of Money in treating the Electors, and the said Sutton: And praying the Justice of the House in the Premises, that Mr. Kay may be admitted as their Representative.

Ordered, That the Merits of the said Election, upon the said Petition, be heard at the Bar of this House upon Monday the 21th of December next.

Ditto.

A Petition of Arthur Kaye Esquire was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner was duly chosen a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Alborough, in the County of York; but that Henry Fairfax Esquire, who, in Contempt of an Act of last Session of Parliament, publickly spent Money in treating the Electors for their Votes, procured himself to be returned, as chosen, by one Richard Sutton, the Bailiff of the said Borough, to the Petitioner's Prejudice: And praying Relief in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Merits of the said Election, upon the said Petition, be heard at the same time.

Regulating Elections.

A Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, of the City of London, in Common-Council assembled, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That they are informed the Bill, now depending in this House, for the further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, will very much restrain the Petitioners ancient Privileges in the manner of electing their Members to serve in Parliament, by rendering many eminent and fit Merchants, and Traders, of great personable Estates, uncapable to serve therein: And praying, That they may be heard, by Counsel, at the Bar of the House, touching the said Bill; or be otherwise relieved therein, as the House shall think meet.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the said Bill is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of sundry the principal Inhabitants of the Borough of Southwark, in whom, with others, is the Right of Election for Burgesses to serve in Parliament, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Bill, now depending in this House, for the further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, will so limit the Election of Members to serve in Parliament, that many eminent and able Persons, who have great personal Estates, though little real, will thereby be rendered uncapable of representing the said Borough: And praying, That the ancient Rights of the said Borough may be preserved.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the said Bill is committed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Privilege—Prosecutions for Proceeding in the House.

A Petition of Thomas Kemp, Edward Phipps, Charles Sewell, Mathew Gray, and John Niccholson, on behalf of themselves, and others of the ancient Hackney Coachmen, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, the last Session of Parliament, the Petitioners besought this House, for Relief of several Grievances committed by the Commissioners for licensing and regulating Hackney Coaches; and obtained, upon full Proof of their Petition, several Votes of this House in that behalf; and, amongst the rest, One against Richard Gee Esquire, a then Commissioner, for taking Bribes, and acting arbitrarily: Upon which, his Majesty was addressed by the House, to remove the said Mr. Gee out of the said Commission: But Mr. Gee hath brought his Action, and arrested the Petitioners, for their said Proceedings in this House; and, by his Declaration, calls the same a scandalous Libel; thereby arraigning the Proceedings of this House, and discouraging Persons to seek for Redress of Grievances: And praying the Protection of the House in the Premises aforesaid.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Elections: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Regulating Elections.

Resolved, That the Order of the Day, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for the further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, be read.

The said Order was read.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair;

The House divided.

The Noes go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That this House will, To morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill, before it resolve it . . . . into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds.

Supply; Deficiencies of Funds.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to the Order of the Day, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, the Resolutions of the said Committee; which they had directed him to report to the House; and which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read; and are as follow; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, towards making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, a further Term, in the Duties arising by the Customs, be granted to his Majesty.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, towards making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, a further Term, in the Duties arising by the continued Impositions, be granted to his Majesty.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, towards making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, a further Term, in the Duties arising by the additional Impositions, be granted to his Majesty.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, towards making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, a further Term, in the Duties arising by Paper and Parchment, be granted to his Majesty.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, towards making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, a further Term, in the Duties arising by Births, Marriages, and Burials, be granted to his Majesty.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, towards making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, a further Term, in the Duties arising by Windows, be granted to his Majesty.

The said Resolutions, being severally read a Second time, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Tallies on Funds.

Ordered, That the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury do lay before this House an Account of what Tallies have been struck upon Parliamentary Funds; and what of those Tallies are like to prove deficient; and what hath been, and is like to be, the annual Produce of the Funds which are agreed to be continued.

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