Sabbati, 21 die Novembris;

Octavo Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Coinage.

A PETITION of the chief Inhabitants and Tradesmen of the Borough of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, on the behalf of themselves, and many others, in and about the said Borough, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Woollen Manufacture is the only Support of their Poor, whom they have hitherto paid in unclipped Money, by Tale; but, if all the hammered Money must go by Weight, they must not employ the Poor; because they cannot justly proportion the Smallness of their Wages, being under Twelve-pence a Day, without Injury to the Payer, or Receiver: And praying the House deliberately to consider the Premises, for the Preservation of the Poor.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, and CommonCouncil, together with the Inhabitants, of the City and County of Exon, and Parts adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That their present Want of current Coin is such, that they are under great Difficulties to get passable Money for the Subsistence of their Families; much less for carrying on their Woollen Manufactures, which employs many Thousands of poor People; who, consequently, must fall to their respective Parishes, if a Stop be put to the Currency of the unclipped Money: And praying the House to order such a Currency of the unclipped hammered Money, as may be for the Petitioners present Supply.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Bailiff, Justices of the Peace, Burgesses, and Inhabitants, of the Borough of Bishops-Castle, in the County of Salop, on the Behalf of themselves, and many other Inhabitants in that Neighbourhood, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, under Pretence of the late Vote of this House, touching the Weighing of Money, the Currency of all unclipped hammered Money is generally stopped, and Trade at a Stand; and the Poor reduced to great Want, for want of Work, and Money to pay them, there being very little new Money in those Parts: And praying some speedy Relief from the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table.

Regulating Elections.

A Petition of the Aldermen, Common-Council, Deputy-Lieutenants, Merchants, Freemen, Freeholders, and principal Inhabitants, of the City of Exon, was offered to the House, against the Bill for further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the said Petition be received;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

The said Petition was received, and read; setting forth, That, according to the Qualifications of the said Bill, many Persons who have not Estates in Land, though great personal Estates, and prudent Citizens, will be rendered incapable to serve in Parliament for the said City: And praying, That the ancient Rights and Privileges of the said City may be preserved.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the said Bill be read the Second time.

Privilege of a Member in a Suit.

Sir Stephen Evans attending in his Place, according to Order;

The Petition relating to him was read; setting forth, That the Petitioner, by Marriage-Articles, was to lay out 7,000 l. in a Purchase, when found, to be settled on his Wife, and her Issue; and her Relations have called your Petitioner to make such Purchase: That, in June 1695, the Petitioners deposited 3,000 l. of his Wife's Fortune, in the Hands of Sir Stephen Evans: and took his, and his Partner's, Bond for the Repayment thereof, within Three Months after Notice; That he hath given such Notice, and demanded his Money: but Sir Stephen refuseth Payment of it, and his Partner absenteth himself: And praying, That the House will order Sir Stephen Evans to pay the Petitioner by a short Day, or that he may be at Liberty to prosecute for the same.

And Sir Stephen Evans was heard thereunto, in his Place.

And, a Debate arising upon the Matter of the said Petition;

Resolved, That the Debate be adjourned till this Day Sevennight.

Deficiencies of Funds.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday Morning next, take into Consideration that Part of his Majesty's Speech, which relates to the Deficiencies of the Funds.

Preventing Escapes.

Sir John Kay, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the better preventing and prosecuting Escapes: And the same was received.

Supply Bill; Coinage.

Colonel Wharton, according to the Order of the Day, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom was committed, the Amendments, made by the Committee, to the said Bill; which he was directed to report to the House; and which he read in his Place; 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, some of them were difagreed, and the rest, with some Amendments to some of them, agreed, unto by the House.

An Amendment being proposed to be made in the Bill, Fo.^* L.^* after "hammered," to insert "clipped;"

And the Question being put, That the House do agree to the said Amendment;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

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

Fenwick's Attainder.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill to attaint Sir John Fenwick Baronet of High Treason was committed, be made upon Monday Morning next, after Eleven a Clock.

And then the House adjourned till Monday Morning, Nine a Clock.