House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 12 January 1697

Martis, 12 die Januarii ;

8° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Mitchell Election.

ORDERED, That the Report from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, touching the Election for the Borough of Mitchell, in the County of Cornwall, be made upon Saturday Morning next.

Griffith's Estate.

Ordered, That Mr. Moor, Sir John Kay, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Henley, be added to the Committee, to whom the Bill for the Sale of the Estate of Francis Griffith, late of London, Scrivener, deceased, for Payment and Satisfaction of his Debts, is committed.

King's Lynn Port.

A Petition of the Governor, Bailiff, and Commonalty, of the Company of Conservators of the great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Level, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there is a Bill in the House for the better Preservation of the Navigation of the Port of King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk; which is to remove a Sluice and Dam erected upon the River of Great Owze, called Denver Dam; the Removal of which Dam will tend to the Damage of many Hundred Families, the Lessening of the Petitioners Rents, and the Hindering of Navigation; the Suggestions in the Bill, That the said Dam is prejudicial to the Navigation of the said Port, being false; their Inconveniencies arising from other Causes, as the Petitioners doubt not to prove: And praying, That they may be heard, by Counsel, at the Bar of the House, against the Passing of the said Bill.

Ordered, That the Petitioners be heard, by their Counsel, at the Bar of this House upon the Second Reading of the said Bill.

Ordered, That Counsel for the said Bill be then also heard.

Ordered, That the said Bill be read a Second time upon this Day Sevennight.

King's Lynn Port.

A Petition of the Owners and Occupiers of Lands in the several Towns of Northwold, Methwold, Feltwell, Hockwell, and Wilton, Brandon, Wainford, Lakenheath, Easwell, Isleham, Wallington, Barton, and Mildenhall, in the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and within the South Part of the great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Level, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Corporation of the said Fen Lands had large Shares of the Petitioners Lands set out to themselves, as a Recompence for their draining and preserving the Residue; which ought to be done by proper Banks and Drains; but the said Corporation have not maintained their Banks and Drains; so that the Petitioners Lands are generally drowned, and in a worse Condition than they were before the said Undertaking, to their great Impoverishment: That the Petitioners have made many Complaints to the said Corporation, for Relief in the Premises; but they being, by Act of Parliament of 15° Car. IIdi, made sole Commissioners of Sewers for the said Level, and concerned in particular Interest, the Petitioners can have no Relief; nor does any Appeal lie, but to this House: And praying, That Commissioners, who have no Interest with the Corporation, may be joined with them in Authority, according to their Proportions of Lands in the said Level.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the Bill for the better Preservation of the Navigation of the Port of King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk, be read a Second time.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir John Kay have Leave to go into the Country for Five Weeks, his Lady being very ill.

Excise Duties.

A Petition of Thomas Barber, Gervas Shelvey, Thomas Austen, James Neale, and Thomas Stone, on behalf of themselves, and the rest of the common Brewers, Inhabitants within the Town and Port of Sandwich, and the Parish of Deale, and Places adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have, with great Hardships, paid several Duties of Excise, by virtue of several Acts of Parliament; but, by the Severities of an Act, lately passed, for laying several Duties upon low Wines, and Spirits, of the first Extraction, the Petitioners cannot any longer exercise their Trades, if continued: And praying, That they may be heard to make out their Grievances; and that they may be relieved therein, as to the House shall seem just and reasonable.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Company of Brewers of the City of London is referred;

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the said Petition be rejected.

Lords desire Leave for a Member to attend them.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Richard Holford and Mr. Pitt:

Mr. Speaker,

The Lords do desire, That this House will give Leave to Mr. Vernon, a Member of this House, to attend their Lordships, to be examined concerning some Informations given to their Lordships, relating to the Discovery, in February last, of the horrid Conspiracy against his Majesty's Person.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Resolved, That this House doth give Leave to Mr. Vernon to attend their Lordships, as their Lordships do desire.

And the Messengers were called in; and Mr. Speaker acquainted them therewith.

Prohibiting India Silks, Callicoes, &c.

A Petition of divers Persons, on behalf of themselves, and others, who have supplied his Majesty with Naval Stores, Ammunition, Provisions, &c. was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have received, for Payment of such Stores, Tallies on several Funds; and particularly on the Customs of Wine, Vinegar, Tobacco, and East-India Goods, which they cannot discount at less than from 28 to 35 l. per Cent.; to their very great Loss: That, if the Bill, now depending in the House, to restrain the Wearing of all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East India, and all Callicoes printed or stained there, should pass, the Consumption of the said Goods will be much lessened; and the Funds, on which the said Tallies are struck, will be so far lessened, as to render those Tallies of much less Value than they now are; and, consequently, the Credit of all other Funds will be impaired: And praying the House to take the Premises into Consideration; so as the Petitioners just Rights may be preserved; and they thereby encouraged to serve his Majesty for the future.

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

Prohibiting India Silks, Callicoes, &c.

A Petition of the Gloucestershire Clothiers, on behalf of themselves, and their Dependencies, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That great Quantities of their Woollen Manufactures have formerly been exported into Turkey; whereby their numerous Families have been maintained; but, since the East India Company have lately imported great Quantity of wrought Silks, Bengals, &c. the Petitioners have sensibly found the Decay of the Woollen Trade to Turkey, to their great Prejudice: That the Bill, now depending in the House, to restrain the Wearing of all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East India, and all Callicoes printed or stained there, will be of very great Advantage to the Clothiers in general; and, Particularly, to the Petitioners: And praying, That they may be heard what they have to offer in behalf of the said Bill.

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.

A Petition of Elizabeth Harding, Hannah Turner, Katherine Miller, Widows, Theophilus Buxton, Jonath. Brinley, John Heath, on behalf of themselves, and a great Number of other Seamen, and the Widows of several Hundreds who were killed, and died in the Expedition to the West Indies, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, in the said Expedition, Captain Robert Wilmot went Commodore, and took several French Prizes; which, with the Plunder and Slaves also taken, amounted to the Value of 20,000 l. as they can prove: That, before Wilmott's Return, he died; and Captain Tho. Butler succeeded him in Command; and possessed himself of the said Effects; and now combines with Ruth Wilmot, Widow, and Administratrix of Captain Wilmot, to defraud the Petitioners of their Shares of the Prizes and Plunder, to theirs and their Families great Necessities; and to the Discouragement of Seamen in general: That the Petitioners have, for Seven Months, applied themselves to the Admiralty, but cannot have any Relief: And praying, That they may be admitted to prove the Premises; and be relieved therein, as the House shall think fit.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of several Merchants of London, relating to Letters of Marque, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter; and report the same to the House.

Russia Company.

Ordered, That Colonel Earle and Colonel Mordaunt be added to the Committee, to whom the Consideration of the Petition of several Merchants of London, relating to the Russia Company, is referred.

Prohibiting India Silks, Callicoes, &c.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Bill to restrain the Wearing of all wrought Silks and Bengals, imported into this Kingdom from Persia and East-India, and all Callicoes printed or stained there.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Sir Henry Hobart took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Henry Hobart . . . . . . from the said Committee, That they had heard the Petitioners for and against the Bill; and had gone through the Bill; and made some Amendments to the same; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be made upon Friday Morning next.

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