Mercurii, 24 die Februarii;

9° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Keyser's, &c. Nat.

AN ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act for Naturalizing of John Keyser, and others, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Gray, Mr. Brotherton, Sir Wm. Strickland, Sir John Trevillian, Lord Coningsby, Sir Math. Andrews, Mr. Farrer, Sir John Turner, Sir Robert Burdet, Mr. Shackerly, Mr. Baldwyn, Mr. Hobly, Mr. Blofeild, Lord Digby, Mr. Fownes, Sir Hen. Colt, Mr. Buckly, Sir Edward Seaward, Mr. Moor, Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Machell, Sir Tho. Skippon, Mr. Frewen, Mr. Bromley, Sir Cha. Turner, Mr. Bertie, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Fuller, Sir Mich. Biddulph, Mr. Thompson, Sir Robert Cotton: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Hay-market Paving, &c.

A Petition of the Vicar, Churchwarden, Vestrymen, and other Inhabitants, of the Parish of St. Martin in the Fields, in the County of Middlesex, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Inhabitants of St. James', Westminster, having petitioned the House, for Leave to bring in a Bill for repairing, paving, and regulating, the Streets where the Carts of Hay and Straw do stand, commonly called the Hay-market, within the Parishes of St. Martin in the Fields, and St. James', within the Liberties of Westminster; which is granted; the said Bill is to establish a former Toll, of Hay and Straw brought to the said Market; and to make John Tulley, Esquire, Collector; who is an Inhabitant of St. James' Parish: That the one Side of the Haymarket, to the Middle of the Street, is in the Parish of St. Martin's; which is concerned as much as St. James' Parish in the Premises: And praying, That indifferent Persons of each Parish may be appointed to manage the Affair; and that the Overplus of the said Toll, if any, may go in proportion to the Poor of each Parish.

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

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir John Fagg have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

Bridlington Harbour.

A Bill for the Repair of the Piers of Bridlington, alias Burlington Bay, in the East Riding of the County of York, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Sir Wm. Strickland, Sir Walter Young, Mr. Tankred, Sir Robert Clayton, Mr. Gray, Sir Math. Andrews, Mr. Sherrard, Sir Wm. Lowther, Mr. York, Mr. Whitaker, Colonel Perry, Sir Robert Cotton, Mr. Machell, Mr. Harcourt, Sir John Fagg, Mr. Farrer, Mr. Foley, Mr. Brewer, Lord Norres, Mr. Pagit, Mr. Ryder, Mr. Bulkly, Sir Edward Norreys, Mr. Swift, Sir Robert Burdet, Mr. Cheney, Sir Edward Seaward, Mr. Mason, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Vaughan; and all that serve for Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Panton's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act for vesting Part of the Estate of Thomas Panton, Esquire in Trustees, to be sold, for Payment of Debts, and securing a Jointure to Mary his Wife, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Boyle, Mr. Mountague, Mr. Hammond, Sir Wm. Cooper, Mr. Gray, Mr. Ryder, Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Bulkly, Mr. Foley, Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Kinaston, Sir Wa. Younge, Mr. Perry, Sir Ro. Owen, Mr. York, Sir Cha. Sidley, Sir Wm. St. Quintin, Mr. Hunt, Major Beak, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Burrard, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Ashby, Sir St. Andr. St. John: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Haymarket Paving, &c.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the Street called the Haymarket, in Westminster, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners are deprived of the Benefit of their Houses and Trades, by reason of Carts standing in, and stopping up, the said Street, so as Customers cannot conveniently come to the Petitioners Shops, nor Travellers pass through the said Street: And praying, That the said Haymarket may be removed to some more convenient Place.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Bill for repairing, paving, and regulating, the Streets where the Carts of Hay and Straw do stand, commonly called the Haymarket, within the Parishes of St. Martin in the Fields, and St. James, within the Liberties of Westminster, is committed.

Improvement of Commons.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to explain the Statute of Merton, in relation to the Improvement of Commons: And that Mr. James Mountague do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir William Williams have Leave to go into the Country for Three Weeks, upon extraordinary Occasions.

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

Duties on Marriages, &c.

A Petition of several Persons who lent Monies upon the Act for granting to his Majesty certain Rates and Duties upon Marriages, Births, and Burials, and upon Bachelors and Widowers, for the Term of Five Years, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, in the said Act, there was a Clause to impower his Majesty to borrow 650,000 l. upon the Credit of that Act; which was advanced by the Petitioners, and others, accordingly; but the Money arising by the said Duties is not sufficient to pay One Half of the Interest of the said Sum; which is a very great Disappointment to the Persons concerned, and a great Prejudice to the public Credit: And praying the House to make such Provision, that they may be repaid their Principal and Interest within the time limited by the said Act.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the Bill for making good the Deficiencies of several Funds, therein mentioned; and for inlarging the Capital Stock of the Bank of England; and for raising the publick Credit; be read a Second time.

Kingston Inclosure.

A Petition of the Bailiffs, Lords of the Manor, and Tenants of the same, and other the Freemen and Inhabitans of Kingston upon Thames, in the County of Surrey, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Poor of the said Town daily increase, and are become very burdensome to the Inhabitants: That there are large Commons belonging to the said Town, Clear of Timber, and of little Use; which, if improved, by sowing Flax, Hemp, &c. would employ their Poor, and ease the Inhabitants, who are willing to build Conveniencies for teaching and employing the Poor, and their Children; which may not only be a comfortable Subsistence to themselves, but an Advantage to the Nation: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill, impowering them to inclose so much of their Commons as they, from time to time, shall find Cause to employ, for the Uses of their Poor; and that such Inclosures may be exempted from all Taxes and Tythes.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to inclose the said Commons, Tythe-free, for some time; and to set the Poor on Work: And that Sir Richard Onslow do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Exon Port.

A Petition of the Merchants, Fullers, Clothiers, Woolcombers, and other Traders, relating to, and depending upon, the Woollen Manufacture of Serges, in the City of Exon, and Parts adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by reason of an Act of Parliament, for the more effectual preventing the Exportation of Wool; and for encouraging the Importation from Ireland; the Port of Exon, though an ancient StaplePort, is shut up from receiving Wool from Ireland; so the Petitioners are forced to buy their Wool at a 3d or 4th Market; always at the Charge of a long Landcarriage; which does so enhance the Price, that they cannot carry on their Trades, nor employ the Poor as formerly; many of whom are gone and set up the Serge Manufacture in Ireland; where they receive Encouragement, and can under-sell the Petitioners; which has drawn a great Part of that Trade into Ireland: And praying Leave to bring in a Bill to open the Port of Exon, as it anciently hath been, for receiving of Irish Wool.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to open the said Port for receiving Irish Wool;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir Robert Dashwood have Leave to go into the Country, for Recovery of his Health.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cook and Sir John Franklyn:

Mr. Speaker,

Knott's Estate.

The Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act to enable Trustees to sell an Estate in Bread-street, London, for Payment of the Debts of William Knott Esquire; and settle another Estate, of better Value, in lieu thereof: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House. Also,

Vexatious Suits.

The Lords have agreed to the Bill, intituled, An Act for the better preventing of frivolous and vexatious Suits, without any Amendment.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Supply Bill; Duties on Paper, &c.

An ingrossed Bill for granting to his Majesty several Duties upon Paper, Vellom, and other Things, to encourage the Bringing in of Plate, and hammered Money, to be coined; and for other the Purposes therein mentioned; was read the Third time.

An ingrossed Clause was offered, as a Rider, with Blanks, for preventing the buying hammered Money under 5s. 2d. an Ounce, under a Penalty:

And the same was twice read; and the Blanks filled up; and other Amendments made to the Clause:

And then the Clause was read the Third time:

And the Question being put, That the Clause be made Part of the Bill;

It passed in the Negative.

Several Amendments were proposed to be made in the Bill; viz.

Press 14. L. * to leave out "Plate:"

Press last, L. * to insert "or Printing;" in Two Places:

And the same were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House; and the Bill amended at the Table accordingly.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for granting to his Majesty several Duties upon Paper, Vellom, and Parchment, to encourage the Bringing of Plate, and hammered Money, into the Mints, to be coined.

Ordered, That the Lord Coningsby do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

pply.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to Order, 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 the Support of the Civil List, for the Year 1697, the Resolution 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 was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That a Sum, not exceeding the Sum of Five hundred and Fifteen thousand Pound, be granted to his Majesty, for the Support of the Civil List, for the Year 1697.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the said Resolution be re-committed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That a Sum, not exceeding the Sum of Five hundred and Fifteen thousand Pounds, be granted to his Majesty, for the Support of the Civil List, for the Year 1697.

Supply Bill; Deficiencies, and Bank Stock, &c.

Ordered, That the Bill for making good the Deficiencies of several Funds, therein mentioned; and for inlarging the Capital Stock of the Bank of England; and for raising the publick Credit; be read a Second time To-morrow Morning.

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