House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 23 April 1695

Martis, 23 die Aprilis;

7° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Answer to Address.

SIR Henry Goodrick acquainted the House, That, according to Order, their Address had been presented to his Majesty, That he would please to give such effectual Directions, that the Colonels and other Officers, of the Army employed for the Reduction of Ireland, might speedily account with, and satisfy their inferior Officers and Soldiers, as far as they have received Money from his Majesty: And that his Majesty was pleased to say, That he had already given Orders, as well in Flanders as in England, for the doing what is mentioned in the Address; and that some Officers, who neglected to comply with the Directions, have been cashiered: However, that he will repeat those Orders, under the severest Penalties to such as shall disobey them.

Examination of Sir T. Cook.

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

Mr. Speaker,

We are commanded, by the Lords, to acquaint this House, That the Exchequer-Chamber is prepared for the Committee of both Houses to meet in, to hear and examine Sir Thomas Cook: And that the Lords do desire this House will give Order, That Sir Thomas Cook may be in a Readiness to attend the said Committee there.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Resolved, That the Lords be acquainted, That this House hath already given Order for Sir Tho. Cooke to be brought to the said Committee.

And the Messengers were called in again: And Mr. Speaker acquainted them therewith.

Prohibiting Commerce with France.

An ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act for declaring the Commencement of an Act, intituled, An Act for continuing the Acts for prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with France, and for the Encouragement of Privateers, to be, from the Time that it passed the Royal Assent; to wit, on the 14th Day of March 1692; was, according to Order, read a Second time.

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

Prize Claims.

A Petition of Thomas Sands, Peter Paggen, and others, Merchants, and Proprietors of the Ship called the Young Prince, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That at the Beginning of the present War the said Ship was taken by the French, and afterwards retaken by an English Privateer; and that, by virtue of the Act for prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with France, and for the Encouragement of Privateers, the Petitioners were intitled to the Redemption of the said Ship, paying Salvage; which accordingly was decreed, on the 27th of November last, by the Judges Delegates of the Admiralty, upon an Appeal brought by the Owners of the said English Privateer: That the Petitioners have been at great Charges in sitting out the said Ship to Sea; but by a Bill from the Lords, for declaring the Commencement of the said Act for Encouragement of Privateers, which is prosecuted by some particular Persons for their own private Ends, the Petitioners Right to the said Ship is chiefly aimed at: And praying, That they may be heard, as the House shall think sit, before the said Bill do pass.

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

Irish Arrears.

A Petition of Katherine Verhey, Widow of Dirrick Verhey, late Lieutenant in Major Podewill's Troop, in the late Baron Rechteren's Regiment, was presented to the House, and read.

Ordered, That the said Petition be delivered to one of the Commissioners for taking and stating the publick Accounts, who is a Member of this House.

Committee for examining Sir T. Cooks.

Sir Henry Hobart reported, That the Members who were appointed Yesterday to inspect the Tickets, and report who are the Twenty-four Members of this House that are to be of the Committee for the Examination of Sir Thomas Cooke, had inspected the Tickets accordingly; and that the said Four-and-Twenty were,

Encouragement of Privateers.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, took into Consideration the Report of the Bill for the better Encouragement of Privateers.

And the Amendments, made by the Committee, were a Second time read, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, with some other Amendments, made by the House, to the said Bill, were agreed unto.

Then the Question being put, That the Bill, with the Amendments, be ingrossed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Examination of Sir T. Cooke.

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

Mr. Speaker,

We are commanded to acquaint this House, That the Lords, who are named of the Committee for hearing and examining Sir Thomas Cooke, will be in the ExchequerChamber at half an Hour after Twelve a Clock: And that their Lordships have resolved, That no Lords, but those who are of that Committee, be there present.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Resolved, That the Members of this House, who are named of the Committee for hearing and examining Sir Thomas Cook, do meet the Lords who are of the said Committee, half an Hour after Twelve a Clock.

Resolved, That no Members of this House, but those who are of the said Committee be present, at the said Examination.

Resolved, That a Message be sent to the Lords, to acquaint them with the said Resolutions.

Ordered, That Mr. Bridges do carry the said Message to the Lords.

Answer to Address.

Mr. Comptroller acquainted the House, That, according to Order, their Address had been presented to his Majesty, That his Majesty in his great Wisdom would please to take care, for the future, that this Kingdom be put upon an equal Foot and Proportion with the Allies, in bearing the Charge of the present War: And that his Majesty was pleased to answer in these Words; viz.

IN this, as in every thing else, I shall always endeavour to have a due regard to the Interest, and to the Honour, of this Nation.

Examination of Sir T. Cook.

Then the Committee of this House, for the hearing and examining Sir Thomas Cook, were called over: And they went to the Exchequer-Chamber.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

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