Jovis, 12 die Novembris;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Regulating Elections.

MR. How, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time upon Wednesday Morning next.

A Member in Custody petitions for discharge.

A Petition of John Manley Esquire, Prisoner in the Tower of London, was presented to the House, and read; humbly begging Pardon for his Offence: And praying to be discharged from his Imprisonment.

Ordered, That the said Mr. Manley be discharged from his Imprisonment in the Tower: And that Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant for that Purpose.

Gatton Election.

A Petition of John South Esquire was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner was, by a great Majority, duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Gatton, in the County of Surrey, in the room of Sir John Thompson, called up to the House of Lords; but one Anthony Aynscome, Constable for the said Borough, hath returned Geo. Evelyn Esquire, to the Petitioner's Prejudice: And praying the House to appoint a short Day for hearing the Matter.

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.

Fenwick's Attainder.

A Petition of Sir John Fenwick Baronet was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill brought into this House for the Attainting of the Petitioner of High-Treason; against which Bill, he is advised, there are many weighty Reasons to be offered: And praying, That he may be heard, at the Bar of the House, by Counsel, against the Passing of the said Bill.

Ordered, That Sir John Fenwick be allowed Counsel, at the Bar of this House, in order to make his Defence.

Ordered, That such of his Majesty's Counsel, who are not Members of this House, do attend To-morrow Morning, to produce the Evidence against Sir John Fenwick.

Ordered, That John Fenwick be allowed Two Counsel to appear for him at the Bar of this House.

Gatton Election.

A Petition of the Burghers and Inhabitants of the Borough of Gatton, in the County of Surrey, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners did, on the 5th Instant, duly choose John South Esquire as their Representative to serve in this present Parliament; but Anthony Aynscome, the Constable of the said Borough, did not only except against Nine of the Petitioners, but also refused to poll Five more who have a Right to vote; and hath unduly returned George Evelyn Esquire: And praying the Relief of the House in the Premises, and the Preservation of the ancient Rights of the said Borough.

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.

Coinage.

A Petition of the chief Inhabitants and Tradesmen of the Town of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, as well on behalf of themselves, and several other Tradesmen, as of several Thousands of the poor Workmen living in and about the said Town, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by reason of the Act of Parliament of last Session, to make current Six-pences not clipped within the innermost Ring, the Petitioners have with much Difficulty carried on their Trades in the Iron Manufacture, paid their poor Workmen, and have now great Quantities by them; but since the Vote of this present Session, for all hammered Money to pass after the Rate of 5s. 2d. an Ounce, the Petitioners have been forced to turn off most of their Workmen, for want of Money to pay them; milled Money being so scarce, that it does them no Service at present; so that their Trade must be at a Stand, unless speedily relieved: And praying such speedy Relief in the Premises as the House shall think fit.

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 Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed;

It passed in the Negative.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Mayor, Justices, Sheriffs, and Aldermen, of the City of Norwich, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by reason of the Vote of this House, of the 28th of October last, about regulating the Coin, the Inhabitants in and about the said City are become very scrupulous in taking of unclipped hammered Money, to the great Prejudice of Trade in general: And praying, That all hammered unclipped Money may pass in Payments, so long as the House thinks it may consist with the Honour and Interest of the Nation.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed.

Coinage.

A Petition of divers Clothiers, Factors, and others, belonging to Blackwell-hall, London, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That . . . Petitioners, who employ Multitudes of People in the Woollen Manufactures, having none, or very little, but ham mered Money, cannot pay, and manage their Trades, without a Currency thereof, till the greater Plenty of milled Money, and the now Deficiency of Paper-Credit, be restored; the Want of which may prove fatal to many Families, if the Currency of all hammered Money should stop: And praying, That the Currency of unclipped hammered Money may, for a time, be continued; and that Bank-Notes may be made more useful, till milled Money be more plentiful.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Tradesmen, and others, the Inhabitants of the Town of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their principal Manufacture is Buttons; which hath been carried on with clipped Money, the Justices at their Quarter-Sessions enforcing the Currency thereof; otherwise their Trades must have stood still, and the Poor unemployed; but now, such Money being refused, divers Families are ready to starve for want of Employment and Food: And praying the Consideration of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Merchants of London was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners are informed there is a Bill passing this House, for all hammered Silver Money to be received for Taxes and Revenues, at 5s. 8d. per Ounce, till the First of January next: That the Petitioners have considerable Quantities of Merchandizes homeward bound, that will pay very great Sums for Customs, that cannot be expected before April next, or after: And praying, That the Commissioners of the Customs may, by the said Bill, be obliged to receive hammered Silver Money at 5s. 8d. per Ounce, by or before the said limited Time, on account of such Entries as shall be made by April next, or after.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Clothiers, and Makers of Woollen Yarn, dwelling in and near the Borough of Devizes, in the County of Wilts, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by reason of the Scarcity and great Difficulty of Monies, the Petitioners have been forced to lessen their Trades; whereby, great Part of the poor Manufacturers are reduced to extreme Poverty; and, by their Clamours for Subsistence, are become very formidable to the Petitioners, who have extended their Credits to the utmost for their Support: And praying the House to take such speedy Means as may effectually relieve their present Grievances.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed.

Coinage.

A Petition of the several principal Traders and Inhabitants within the Town and Borough of Southwark, in the County of Surrey, in behalf of themselves, and others within the same Borough, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by reason of the small Currency of Money, the Petitioners have much suffered for some Months past, and the poorer Sort reduced to the utmost Extremity; so that if a total Abolition of the old Coin, as is designed, should immediately be put in Execution, it will be very pernicious to Trade, and the Poor in general: And praying the House to call in the clipped Money, at so much per Ounce; and that unclipped hammered Money may be current till all the clipped Money be re-coined.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and encouraging the bringing Plate into the Mints, to be coined; is committed.

Supply Bill; Coinage.

Then the House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the said Bill.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Colonel Wharton took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

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

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

Fenwick to be brought up.

Ordered, That the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, and Keeper of Newgate, do bring Sir John Fenwick to this House To-morrow Morning: And that Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant accordingly.

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