House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 20 May 1698

Veneris, 20 die Maii;

Decimo Gulielmi.

Prayers.

Garon's, &c. Nat.

AN ingrossed Bill for naturalizing Peter Garon, and others, was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for Naturalizing of Peter Garon, and others.

Ordered, That Mr. Yates do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

Army Pay Stoppages.

A Petition of Anne, the Wife of Matthew Shank; one of the Lieutenants to the Company of Fuzileers, commanded by Colonel Richard Ingoldsby, in the Province of New York, in America, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the said Company was raised in England, in 1690: That when Colonel Fletcher came Governor to the same Place, he brought Clearings for the Soldiers; but stopt One-third Part thereof, and hath continued so to do ever since: That the said Colonel Fletcher pretends to have an Order from England, for the Stoppage of the said Pay, to be applied towards the Repairing of Forts, and other Uses: And praying the Consideration of the House, and Relief in the Premises.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee to whom the Petition of Robert Taylor, and other Inhabitants and Victuallers, in the Tower Hamlets, was referred: And they to examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Copper Coinage.

Mr. Lowther reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill to stop the Coining of Farthings and Halfpence, for One Year, was committed, That they had made some Amendments to the Bill; which they had directed him to report to the House; which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were once . . . throughout; and then a Second time, one by one: And, upon the Question severally put thereupon, several of them were agreed unto by the House.

Clause A being read a Second time; the same was amended; and was, That, after the said 24th of June 1699, it shall not be lawful for any Person to coin any Farthings or Halfpence, but of fine English Copper, and of the real Value of what the same shall be taken for, in Payment; with Allowance only, for Coining, at Fivepence per Pound Weight:

And the Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee in the said Amendment, so amended;

It passed in the Negative.

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

Prevention of Gaming.

Ordered, That Sir John Bucknall, Mr. Lowther, Sir John Wolstenholme, Sir Henry Colt, Sir Wm. Ashurst, Mr. Sandford, Mr. Pocklington, be added to the Committee, to whom the Bill for preventing of Gaming was committed.

Imposition on Grants.

A Petition of Colonel James Barry was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner being in England, Anno 1689, was, without his Knowlege, chosen a Member of the pretended Parliament in Dublin; upon which account only, he was indicted, and outlawed, of High Treason: That upon Application to his Majesty, he obtained a Warrant, under the PrivySignet, for a Reversal of the said Outlawry: That the Petitioner was never dispossessed of his Estate on Account of the said Attainder, nor restored thereto in virtue of the said Reversal: And praying a Saving for freeing him from the Tax to be granted to his Majesty, by an Imposition on beneficial Grants.

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

Quartering Soldiers on Victuallers.

Sir Rowland Gwyn reported, from the Committee, to whom the Petition of Robert Taylor, and other Inhabitants and Victuallers in the Tower Hamlets, was referred, the Matter, as it appeared to the said Committee; and the Resolutions of the Committee thereupon, which they had directed him to report to the House; 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.

Robert Taylor said, That Lieutenant Honsden, Lieutenant Gormant, Ensign Leake, and Serjeant Leach, were quartered on him:

That Lieutenant Honsden, and Lieutenant Gormant, had 17s. 6d. per Week; and that they never went out but they had Money of him; and when they went upon the Guard, they had Victuals sent them;

That he allowed Ensign Leake 7s. a Week; in Money, besides Meat:

That he lent it voluntarily.

John Debnam said, That he quartered Captain Oldish, of Colonel Tidcomb's Regiment: That he demanded from 15s. to 20 s. per Week; and that he allowed him sometimes 20s. sometimes 26s. and sometimes 28 s. per Week: And there is due to him 40 l. upon the same:

That he had no others quartered on him.

That the Captain never demanded any Meat, Drink, &c. but Money to go abroad with to spend:

That Mr. Emos, the Constable, told him, That if he did not furnish them with Money, his Licence would be suppressed.

John Hitchcock said, That Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholson quartered on him; who told him, his Subsistence was considerable, but, considering the Place he was in, would be as easy with him as he could: Whereupon he paid him a Guinea a Week for himself, and Seven Shillings a Week for his Man: And that there is due to him 40 l. upon the same Account.

Thomas Fowler said, He quartered Lieutenant Goodrick, who demanded 12s. per Week for his Subsistence, which he paid him: And that he was told, by Justice Perry, and Mr. Pond, Constable of Moorfields, That he must give the Soldiers their Subsistence.

That Justice Perry told him, That he must subsist him; but did not tell him what he should give; and that, if he was not able, he must make room for those that were.

Richard Saunderson said, He quartered Robert Watkins, a private Centinel: That Justice Perry ordered him to allow the Soldiers 3s. per Week for Subsistence: Upon which he said, he was not very able: Whereupon he told him, He must make room for those that could: That he offered Bed, Fire, Candle, and Small-Beer; but Justice Perry told him, He must allow the 3s. per Week besides.

Francis Willet Victualler said, That Two of Colonel Tidcomb's Regiment were quartered on him; and that Justice Bateman Ordered him to subsist them; and told him, That in case he did not, he should be bound over, and his Licence suppressed.

Samuel Lee Victualler said, That he quartered Corporal Davis, and Tho. Thomas, private Centinel: That the High Constable prayed him to allow them Subsistence: That he was carried before Justice Bateman, who told him, That he must allow the Corporal 4s. 6d. and the Soldier 3s. per Week, for Subsistence: But he said, He was not able to do it: Whereupon the Justice told him, He must do it, or he would send him to Prison, and take away his Licence: And that his Mittimus was made to send him to Prison, if he had not found Bail:

He then told the Justice, That he worked at the King's Victualling Office, and had trusted the King with his Labour, and had not wherewith to pay this Money; Whereupon the Justice told him, He would send a Note to the Victualling Office, and he should work there no more; but he said, That such Note had not been sent.

Peter William said, That he quartered One private Centinel; and to the same Effect as above: And that Justice Bateman ordered him to pay the Soldier 5d. a Day, or 3s. per Week.

Thomas Scrivener Victualler said, He quartered Alexander Wooding, a Soldier; but, refusing to subsist him, was sent before Justice Bateman; who upon such his Refusal, would have sent him to Gaol, if Mr. Kingson had not been Bail for him.

That, upon the Justice's affirming, he should subsist him but a Fortnight, he complied therewith; and then, refusing longer to subsist him, the Justice bound him over to the Quarter-Sessions: But, being told his Appearance would be very chargeable, he returned to the Justice, and told him, He would continue to subsist him: Whereupon the Justice's Clerk withdrew the Recognizance, and said 'twas well.

Jacob Atkinson said, That the Lieutenants and Captains came daily to him, to find Subsistence for the Soldiers; and had Warrants from Justice Bateman to the Inhabitants, to make them allow Subsistence.

He produced 3 Warrants from Justice Bateman, for summoning several Persons before him, for refusing to subsist the Soldiers according to Law.

That the Justice of the Peace said, upon their being carried before him, That he would bind them over, if they did not find the Soldiers Subsistence and Quarters.

Quartering Soldiers on Victuallers.

Peter Emos said, That he being sent for by my Lord Lucas, he ordered him to tell the Victuallers, That there is an Act of Parliament for it; and they must subsist the Soldiers, or else should have their Licences suppressed.

Robert Pond, Constable of Shoreditch, said to the same Effect, as above; and that Justice Perry said the same to him Two several times:

That they both told him, He must allow them 6d. per Day; and that he sent for the Victuallers, and ordered them to allow the Soldiers Subsistence-money; and that they should be paid suddenly.

That he was willing to subsist them according to the Act.

Justice Bateman, being heard to these Complaints against him, said, that the Soldiers came to him, in great Numbers; and that he always begged of the Victuallers to subsist them, as if it had been for an Alms for himself:

That he always read the Act of Parliament to the Victuallers, when he summoned any of them before him; and never told them they were to allow more than 4d. a Day Subsistence to the Soldiers.

John Wilkinson, Justice Bateman's Clerk, said, That, by his Master's Order, he commonly read the Act to the Victuallers, when they were sent for before him.

That Warrants were sent for Scrivener and Lee, who were both unwilling to subsist or quarter the Soldiers; but there was no Recognizance taken, or Mittimus made for either of them.

Jacob Atkinson, being further examined, said, That Justice Bateman read the Act of Parliament to Lee; and told him, He must subsist the Soldiers, according to that Act: He believes, the Justice said, He must allow 5d. per Day; but there was no Meat mentioned: And the Justice further told him, That he would bind him over, if he did not subsist the Soldiers.

Samuel Lee, being likewise examined, owned the same.

Thomas Scrivener, being further examined, said, That he did not understand, when the Act was read to him, that he was to allow but 4d. a Day; and that the Justice told them, They must allow 5d. per Day.

And that, upon the whole Matter, the Committee came to the Resolutions following; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Petitioners had no Grounds of Complaint against the Justices of the Peace, who acted in relation to the Quartering of Colonel Tidcomb's Regiment, and the Tower Hamlets.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That, by an Account stated between Mr. Moyer, Agent to the said Regiment, and the Victuallers in the Tower Hamlets, it does appear, That there is due for the said Regiment, to the said Victuallers, 3,623 l. 14s. 8d.; and that there is due from his Majesty, to the said Regiment, 4,979 l. 5s. 7d.

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

Lustrings Trade.

The House, according to Order, resumed the adjourned Consideration of the Resolutions from the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Royal Lustring Company was referred; viz. the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth:

And the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Resolutions, being again severally read, were, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

The Ninth Resolution being read;

An Amendment was proposed to be made * * * *

Ordered, That the said Resolutions be referred to the Committee, to whom the Bill for the Encouraging of the Lustring Company; and the more effectual preventing the fraudulent Importation of Lustrings and Alamodes; is committed: And that it be an Instruction to the Committee, That they do insert the Matter of the said Resolutions into the Bill accordingly.

Ways and Means.

Sir Thomas Littleton, according to the Order of the Day, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supply granted to his Majesty, the Resolutions of the said Committee; which they had directed him to report to the House; 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, over and above the Duties now payable, a further Duty be laid upon Sugar.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the said Duty upon Sugar be Five Shillings per Hundred, upon all brown Sugar.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the said Duty upon Sugar be Fifteen Shillings per Hundred, upon all white Sugar.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the said Duties be granted for the Term of Two Years, and no longer.

Ths First Resolution being read a Second time;

And the Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee, in the said Resolution;

It passed in the Negative, Nemine contradicente,

Ways and Means.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supply granted to his Majesty.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Sir Tho. Littleton took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Thomas Littleton reported from the said Committee, That they had come to several Resolutions; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be made To-morrow Morning.

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