House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 24 March 1697

Mercurii, 24 die Martii;

9° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

St. Paul's Cathedral.

THE House took into Consideration the Amendment, made by the Lords, to the Bill, intituled, An Act for the completing, the building and adorning the Cathedral Church of St. Paul; and for repairing the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster:

And the same was twice read; and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House; and is as followeth; viz.

1 Skin, L. 3d, after "thousand," add "Six hundred."

Ordered, That Mr. Poultney do carry the Bill to the Lords, and acquaint them, That this House hath agreed to the said Amendment.

Lustring Manufacture.

An ingrossed Bill for the further Encouragement of the Lustring Company in England was read the Third time.

An ingrossed Clause was offered, as a Rider to the Bill, with Blanks, That the Lustring Company shall seal all such Lustrings, and Alamodes, gratis, as shall appear, upon Oath, to be made by a certain time, to prevent a Forfeiture:

And the same was twice read; and the Blanks filled up; and other Amendments made: And then the same was read the Third time; and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House to be made Part of the Bill.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for the further Encouragement of the Lustring Manufacture in England.

Ordered, That Sir Rowland Gwyn do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

Relief of Creditors.

The House proceeded to take into Consideration the Amendments, made by the Lords, to the Bill, intituled, An Act for Relief of Creditors, by making Compositions with their Debtors, in case Two-thirds in Number and Value do agree:

And the same was twice read; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House; and are as follow; viz.

2 Skin, L. 36. after "thereof," add "and, if any Person shall, upon such Oath, wilfully forswear him or herself, he or she, so offending, shall be liable to, and suffer, all Penalties and Forfeitures appointed or inflicted for Perjury, by the Common or Statute Laws of this Realm:"

4 Skin, L. 15. after "in," add "Number and."

Ordered, That Mr. Brotherton do carry the Bill to the Lords, and acquaint them, That this House hath agreed unto the said Amendments.

Stocker's Complaint respecting impressing Men.

A Petition of Mary Stocker, Widow of Captain John Stocker, late Commander of a Merchant Ship, called the Hawke Frigate, was presented to the House:

And the same relating to the Commissioners of the Admiralty;

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until such of the said Commissioners as are of the House do come into the House; and that the same be then read.

Duty on Woollen Manufacture.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the several Towns of Newton-Bushell, Chudleigh, Mortanhampsted, and Boneytracey, and other Places adjacent, in the County of Devon, concerned in the Woollen Manufacture, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners understand, that a Duty is voted by the House to be laid upon all Goods made of, or mixed with, Wool, Silk, or Hair; which if it should pass into a Law, they apprehend, it will be of fatal Consequence to the Trade of the Kingdom, if not the total Loss of our Woollen Manufacture, by which a vast Number of all Sorts of People are maintained, who will be inevitably ruined and starved: And praying, That a Duty may not be laid upon the Woollen Manufactures of this Kingdom.

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

Paving and cleansing Streets.

Ordered, That Leave be given to the Committee, to whom the 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, is committed, to receive a Clause for widening the Street at the South End of London-Bridge.

Increase of Seamen.

Mr. Poultney reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill to enforce the Act, passed the last Session, for the Increase and Encouragement of Seamen, was committed, That they had made several Amendments to the Bill; which they had directed him to report to the House; and which he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were once read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed.

Duties on Tin.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to Order, reported from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of the Resolution of the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Tinners of Cornwall was referred, the Resolution of the said Committee of the whole House; 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, in case a certain Equivalent be placed instead thereof, 4s. 4d. per Hundred Weight be taken off from the Duty payable for Tin exported.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom 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 upon Lotteries, and for Lives, charged on the Tonage of Ships, and the Duties upon Salt, is committed, to consider of Ways and Means for raising the said Equivalent.

Duty on Leather.

A Petition of the Master, Wardens, and Fellowship, of the Glovers Company of the City of London, and elsewhere, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their Trade employs and maintains a great Number of poor People; That some Kinds of AlumLeather already pay a double Duty; whereby the Trade is so much lessened, that Half the working Glovers are ready to starve, for want of Work; and if a further Duty be laid on that Commodity, which will turn but to a small Account, besides the Difficulty of collecting it, AlumLeather lying in small Parcels in the Hands of the poor Traders dispersed all over the Kingdom, it will force the Manufacturers and their Families, to get their Bread in foreign Countries: And praying, That the Duty intended to be laid upon all Alum . . . . . . by a Bill now depending in the House, may not be laid thereupon; or, otherwise, that the Petitioners may be heard against the same, before the said Bill do pass.

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

Claims on Prizes.

Sir Rowland Gwyn reported, from the Committee, to whom the Petition of Eliz. Harding, and other Widows of Seamen, who were killed and died in the Expedition to the West-Indies, was referred, the Matter, as it appeared to the said Committee; which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Table.

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

Party Guiles in Brewing.

An ingrossed Bill for repealing a Clause in a former Act, relating to party Guiles, was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for repealing a Clause in a former Act, relating to party Guiles; and for the better preventing Frauds and Abuses of Brewers, and others chargeable with the Duties of Excise.

Ordered, That Mr. Hoar do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

Disannulling Knight's Marriage.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for Recovering of the Person of Hannah Knight, an Infant; and to disannul the pretended Marriage of one Thomas Gooding junior with the said Infant; and to attaint one * Pasmore of Felony, for taking away the said Infant, if she do not produce and deliver her up, by a certain time; and to prevent the Marriage of the said Infant with the said Thomas Gooding for the future: And that Mr. Boscawen and Mr. Sloane do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Supply Bill; Duty on Leather.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved 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 Coals, Tonage of Ships, and Salt; and other the Matters to them referred.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Sir Thomas Littleton took the Chair of the Committee.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Thomas Littleton reported from the said Committee, That they had made a further Progress in the Matters to them referred; and had directed him to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Matters to them referred.

Transport Debt.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Friday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill for a further Provision for Payment of the Interest of the Transport-Debt, for the Reducing of Ireland; and nothing to intervene.

Ordered, That it it be an Instruction to the said Committee, That they have Leave to receive a Clause for the better adjusting and setting forth the several Rights and Shares of the Owners of the Ships employed, in the Transport-Service, for the Reduction of Ireland.

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