House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 2 December 1696

Mercurii, 2 die Decembris;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Courtney's Estate.

A PETITION of William Courtney, only Son and Heir of Humphry Courtney late of Tremeere, in the County of Cornwall, Esquire, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner's said Father died very much in Debt, and most of his real Estate incumbered therewith; which will be swallowed up with Interest if the same be not sold; the Petitioner being uncapable to sell it by reason of his Minority: And praying, Leave may be given to bring in a Bill to enable Trustees to sell all or so much of his Estate as will pay his Father's Debts.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition: And that Mr. Hoblyn do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Duty on Glass.

A Petition of Thomas Cardo and Edward Baughton, on behalf of themselves, and other Glass-makers, in and about Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by a late Act of Parliament, there is a perpetual Duty laid upon all Glass Wares; since which the Petitioners have not had One Day's Work; and, if the same should be continued, the Petitioners, and their Families, must starve, or be maintained by their Parishes; though the said Duty is a very inconsiderable Income to the Crown, as informed: And praying, That the said Duty may be taken off.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House:

And it is referred to Mr. Boscawen, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Foley, Doctor Barbon, Mr. Slater, Mr. Hoblyn, Sir Wm. Blackett, Mr. Northmore, Sir Gerv. Elwes, Sir Jacob Ashley, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. Philipps, Mr. Colt, Mr. England, Mr. Baldwyn, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Hedger, Mr. Campion, Mr. Vincent, Mr. Stonehouse, Sir Cha. Windham, Sir Wm. Lowther, Sir Henry Goff, Sir Richard Onslow, Lord Spencer, Sir Henry Colt, Mr. Clark, Mr. White, Mr. Burdet, Mr. Waller, Mr. Mountstevens, Mr. Hammond, Sir John Kay, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Whitaker, Sir Wm. Ashurst, Sir John Fagg, Mr. Hobby, Lord Cornbury, Mr. Tayler; and all that serve for the Counties of Worcester, Stafford, Gloucester, and Somerset: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers.

Ditto.

A Petition of John Judges, and Richard Jeffryes, and other Glass-makers, with many Hundreds of Families, in and about the City of London, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by a late Act of Parliament, there is a perpetual Duty laid upon all Glasswares made in this Kingdom; which has so lessened the Consumption of Glass, that many of the Petitioners have had very little Work since; whereby they are reduced to great Poverty: And praying the Consideration of the House in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of Thomas Cardo and Edward Baughton, on behalf of themselves and others, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Buckingham Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ, for the electing a Knight to serve in this present Parliament for the County of Buckingham, in the room of Sir Richard Atkins, deceased.

Relief of Creditors.

A Bill for Relief of Creditors was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Boscawen, Sir Sam. Barnardiston, Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Baldwyn, Mr. Parker, Mr. Stockdale, Sir Cha. Keymish, Sir John Woolstenholm, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Speke, Mr. Hoblyn, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Duke, Sir Wm. Coriton, Mr. Dorrell, Mr. Pocklington, Mr. Burdet, Mr. Harvey, Sir Jac. Ashley, Mr. Heveningham, Mr. Dolben, Sir Fra. Massam, Mr. Farrer, Mr. Bagnall, Sir Tho. Mompesson, Sir Wa. Yonge, Mr. Harrison, Sir Henry Colt, Mr. Vincent, Sir Rowland Gwynn, Mr. Crocker, Sir Wm. Bowes, Mr. Thornhagh, Mr. England, Sir Wm. Ashurst, Sir Cha. Turner, Mr. Fuller, Sir Tho. Roberts, Sir Jervas Elwes, Sir Wm. Lowther, Mr. Ash, Mr. Phillipps, Mr. Blofeild, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Monson, Mr. White, Mr. Pelham, Sir John Cotton: And all that come are to have Voices: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chambers: And it is to be an Instruction to the said Committee, That they do provide, that Creditors may come to their Debts, notwithstanding any privileged Places.

Coinage.

Sir Henry Hobart reported from the Committee appointed to draw up Reasons, to be offered at a Conference with the Lords, for disagreeing to the Amendments, made by their Lordships, to the Bill, intituled, An Act for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom, That they had drawn up the same accordingly; which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were twice read: and, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House; and are as follow; viz.

That the Amendments, made by the Lords, in the 2d Press, 28 Line, on which all the subsequent Amendments do depend, being in order to give a longer time to Receivers and Collectors of the Taxes and Revenues to pay into his Majesty's Exchequer such hammered Money as is mentioned in the Bill, by Tale, will give an Opportunity to the said Receivers and Collectors to make great Advantages to themselves, without any Ease to the People; and will increase the Deficiencies, which are to be supplied at the Publick Charge: For which Reason alone, the Commons can by no means admit that the Lords could make any Amendment to this Bill, which is to be a Charge upon the People, as aforesaid.

2d Amendment, L. 29th: The Commons do not agree to the same, for the Reasons aforesaid.

3d Amendment, 2d Skin, last Line; and 3d Skin, 1st Line: The Commons do not agree to the same, for the Reasons aforesaid.

4th Amendment, 3d Skin, 8th L. The Commons do not agree to the same, for the Reasons aforesaid.

5th Amendment, 19th L. the Commons cannot agree to the same, for the Reasons aforesaid.

6th Amendment, 30th L. The Commons do not agree to the same, for the Reasons aforesaid.

7th Amendment, 4th Skin, 10 and 11th Line: The Commons do not agree to the same, for the Reasons aforesaid.

Resolved, That a Conference be desired with the Lords, upon the Subject-matter of the said Amendments.

Ordered, That Sir Henry Hobart do go and desire the said Conference.

Grants of Crown Lands, &c.

Ordered, That the Commissioners for taking and stating the Publick Accounts do, To-morrow Morning, lay before this House an Account of all Grants, which appear to them to have been made of Crown-Lands, Pensions, or Sums of Money, since the last Session of Parliament.

Ease of Sheriffs.

Mr. Harley, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the Ease of Sheriffs in passing their Accounts, and Execution of their Offices: And the same was received.

The Bill was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read Second time.

Conference.

Sir Henry Hobart reported, That he having, according to Order, been at the Lords, to desire a Conference; they do agree to a Conference, presently, in the Painted Chamber.

Ordered, That the Members who drew up the Reasons, do manage the said Conference.

And they went to the Conference.

And, being returned;

Sir Henry Hobart reported, That they had given the Lords the Reasons for disagreeing to the Amendments, made by their Lordships, to the Bill, intituled, An Act for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom; and left the Bill, and Amendments, with their Lordships.

A Paper returned.

Ordered, That the Letter of Sir John Fenwick's, which Mr. Vernon informed the House of, and, by Order, delivered into the House, be re-delivered to him.

Deficiencies of Funds.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to Order, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty, for making good the Deficiencies of Parliamentary Funds, the Resolutions of the said Committee; 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 were read; and are as follow; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Duties granted by an Act, made in the 6th Year of King William and Queen Mary, intituled, An Act for granting to their Majesties a Subsidy of Tonage and Poundage, and other Sums of Money payable upon Merchandizes exported and imported, be granted and continued to his Majesty to the 1st of August 1706.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Duties granted by an Act made in the 7th and 8th Years of his Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act for continuing several Duties, granted by former Acts, upon Wine and Vinegar; and upon Tobacco, and East India Goods; and other Merchandize, imported; for carrying on the War against France; be granted and continued to his Majesty to the 1st of August 1706.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Duties granted by an Act, made in the 4th Year of King William and Queen Mary, intituled, An Act for granting to their Majesties certain additional Impositions upon several Goods and Merchandize, for the prosecuting the present War against France, be granted and continued to his Majesty to the 1st of August 1706.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Duties granted by an Act, made in the 5th and 6th Years of King William and Queen Mary, intituled An Act for granting to their Majesties several Duties upon Vellum, Parchment, and Paper, for Four Years, towards carrying on the War against France, be granted and continued to his Majesty to the 1st of August 1706.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Duties granted by an Act, made in the 6th and 7th Years of his Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act for granting to his Majesty certain Rates and Duties upon Marriages, Births and Burials; and upon Bachelors and Widowers; for the Term of Five Years; for carrying on the War against France with Vigour: be granted and continued to his Majesty to the 1st of August 1706.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Duties granted by an Act, made in the 7th and 8th Years of his Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act for granting to his Majesty several Rates or Duties upon Houses, for making good the Deficiency of the clipped Money, be granted and continued to his Majesty, to the 1st of August 1706.

The First Resolution being read a Second time;

And the Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That the Duties granted by an Act, made in the 6th Year of King William and Queen Mary, intituled, An Act for granting to their Majesties a Subsidy of Tonage and Poundage, and other Sums of Money payable upon Merchandizes exported and imported, be granted and continued to his Majesty to the 1st of August 1706;

The House divided.

The Noes go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

The rest of the said Resolutions, being severally read a Second time, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon agreed unto by the House.

Coinage.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke and Sir Robert Legard:

Mr. Speaker,

We are commanded, by the Lords, to acquaint this House, That they do not insist upon their Amendments made to the Bill, intituled, An Act for the further remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

State of the Nation.

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

Inquiry concerning the Fleet.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Tuesday Morning next, take into Consideration the Books and Papers which have been laid before this House, relating to the Fleet; and inquire how it came to pass, That the French Thoulon Fleet was not intercepted in going into Brest: And that Sir Geo. Rook, Vice-Admiral Mitchell, and Sir Cloudesly Shovell, do then attend.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

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