Veneris, 19 die Martii;

9° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Warburton's Estate.

AN ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act to enable Trustees to sell the Estate of Richard Warburton Clerk, for Payment of his Debts; and for raising Portions for his Children; was read the first time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Prisons and pretended privileged Places.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Lords, to put them in mind of the Bill, intituled, An Act for the more effectual Relief of Creditors, in Cases of Escapes; and for preventing Abuses in Prisons, and other pretended privileged Places.

Ordered, That Mr. Colt do carry the said Message.

Paving and cleansing Streets.

A Bill for explaining and enforcing the Act, made in the 2d Year of his Majesty's Reign, for paving and cleansing the Streets within the Weekly Bills of Mortality, and the Streets adjoining thereunto, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Sir Henry Colt, Sir Edward Abney, Sir Hen. Parker, Mr. Mountague, Sir John Bolles, Mr. Manley, Mr. Blaake, Sir Wm. Lowther, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Frewen, Mr. Gery, Mr. Newport, Mr. Byerly, Sir Sam. Barnardiston, Sir Math. Andrews, Mr. Shackerly, Sir Wm. Bowes, Sir Gerv. Elwes, Mr. Speke, Sir Fran. Masham, Sir Wm. Hustler, Mr. Mountslevens, Mr. Moncton, Sir Marm. Wivell, Mr. Methwyn, Mr. Colt, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Bertie, Mr. Pocklington, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Hobby, Mr. Povey, Sir Tho. Day, Mr. Palmes, Mr. Ash, Mr. Daniel, Mr. Moor, Mr. Sherrard, Sir Hen. Hobart, Mr. Phillips: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir Christopher Musgrove have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Ordered, That Mr. Portman have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Duty on Woollen Manufactures.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the ancient Town of Crediton, in the County of Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their said Town is very populous, and chiefly subsists by making Serges: which Trade is much decayed, by the Increase of the same in Ireland; where they pay no Duty, and can vend their Commodities abroad cheaper than the Petitioners: That great Numbers of poor Manufacturers go thither, for want of Work here, or else become chargeable to their Parishes; and if a further Duty be laid upon the Woollen Manufactures, as the Petitioners conceive the House intends, it will cease, for want of Sales, and their Lands will not supply the Necessities of their Poor: And praying the House to consider the Premises, and give such Encouragement to the said Manufacture as the publick Importance of it deserves.

Ordered, That the Petition do lie upon the Table until the Bill for the said Duties be brought in.

Transport Debt.

A Bill for a further Provision for Payment of the Interest of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland, was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Tuesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the said Bill.

Petition relating to a Member.

A Petition of the Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, and other Officers of the Parish of St. John, Wapping, in the County of Middlesex, in behalf of the said Parish, was presented to the House:

And the same relating to Sir John Parsons, a Member of this House; who not being in the House;

Ordered, That Sir John Parsons do attend, in his Place, To-morrow Morning; and that the said Petition be then read.

Raising the Militia.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for raising the Militia for the Year 1697, although the Month's Pay, formerly advanced, be not repaid.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
The Lord Coningsby took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

The Lord Coningsby reported from the said Committee, That they had gone through the Bill, and made some Amendments; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be made To-morrow Morning.

Preservation of Fish.

A Petition of the Grand Jury for the County of Monmouth, in behalf of themselves and others, the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the said County, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Bill now depending in the House, for the better Relief of the Subject against Weirs and Dams, which take and destroy Fish, and the Fry of Fish, within the Rivers of this Kingdom, will manifestly be greatly injurious to the Rights and Inheritance of the Petitioners, by removing their ancient Dams and Weirs to their Iron-works; for which the Bill provides no Recompence; and without which Ironworks the said County cannot profitably dispose of their Wood: And praying, That the House will take care, that the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the said County may not be prejudiced by the said Bill in their Rights and Estates.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the House shall take into Consideration the Report from the Committee, to whom the said Bill was committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of Thomas Foster, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, time out of Mind, there hath been, and now is, a Piscary, and Weirs and Dams, for the Taking of Fish, and belonging to Two Mills erected on the River Loyne, near to Lancaster, which supplies that Town, and a great Part of the Country, with Fish: That the said Piscary and Mills were Feefarm Rents belonging to the Crown, and purchased by the Petitioner, for a valuable Consideration; the Height of the Weir being, above 30 Years since, settled by the Court of Chancery, and ever since duly observed; and, if the same should be destroyed by the Bill, depending in the House, for the better Relief of the Subject against Weirs and Dams, which take and destroy Fish, and the Fry of Fish, within the Rivers of this Kingdom, the said Town of Lancaster will not only be greatly prejudiced for want of the Supply afforded by the said Piscary and Mills, but the Petitioner will also be deprived of his Estate of above 60l. per Annum, without any Recompence; And praying, That the said Piscary and Mills may be preserved, or that Satisfaction may be made the Petitioner for the same, if they be destroyed.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the House shall take into Consideration the Report from the Committee, to whom the said Bill was committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Mayor, Bailiff, and Burgesses of the Borough of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Moiety of an ancient Piscary in the River Rible, in the said County, belongs to the said Borough, to which there belongs a Call, or Dam, over a small Branch of the said River, and is absolutely necessary for preserving a Ford, which is the common Highway betwixt Preston and Liverpoole, as well as for the said Piscary; which, with another about a Mile off, at Brockhall, plentifully supplies Preston, and Twenty Miles round, with Fish; and, if the said Call, or Dam, be removed, which is no Hindrance to Navigation, the said Ford and Piscary must consequently be useless, to the great Prejudice of the Petitioners: And praying, That such Provision may be made in the Bill, before the House, for the better Relief to the Subject against Weirs and Dams, which take and destroy Fish, and the Fry of Fish, within the Rivers of this Kingdom, that the said Piscary, Weirs, and Dams, which are for the Good of the Country, may not be prejudiced.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the House shall take into Consideration the Report from the Committee, to whom the said Bill was committed.

Preservation of Fish.

The House proceeded, according to the Order of the Day, to take into Consideration the said Report:

And the Amendments, made thereunto, were read the First time throughout; and several of them a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Ordered, That the further Consideration of the said Report be adjourned till To-morrow Morning.

Conference with Lords.

Then the Managers went to the free Conference desired with the Lords upon the Subject-matter of the last Conference.

And, being returned;

Mr. Methwin reported, That they had attended the free Conference; and had left the Bill, and Amendments, with the Lords.

Ordered, That the Managers do draw up a Report of the said free Conference.

Supply Bill; Duties on Salt.

Mr. Lowndes, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for granting to his Majesty certain additional Duties upon Salt, for Payment of Interest-money, and other Purposes therein mentioned: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time, Tomorrow Morning.

Supply Bill; Duty on Leather.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill for laying a Duty upon Leather, for the Term of Three Years, for answering the Deficiencies, as well of the late Duties upon Coals and Culm, as for paying the Duties on the Lotteries, and for Lives, charged on the Tonage of Ships, and the Duties upon Salt; and to consider of Ways and Means for raising an effectual Security for paying the 840,000l. charged upon the Duties upon Stone, Glass, and Earthen Wares, Coals and Culm, Tonage of Ships, and Salt.

Irish Arrears.

Ordered, That the Report from the Commissioners for taking and stating the publick Accounts, relating to the Troopers, belonging to the Regiment lately commanded by Colonel Byerly, and at present by Colonel Windham, be taken into Consideration upon Monday Morning next.

Proceedings in Courts of Equity.

Ordered, That the Bill for regulating the Proceedings in Chancery, and other Courts of Equity, be read a Second time upon Wednesday Morning next.

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