House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 22 February 1699

Mercurii, 22 die Februarii;

11° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Billingsgate Fish Market.

A PETITION of several Freemen of the City of London, Importers of Salt, Oranges, Lemons, &c. brought into Billingsgate Dock, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners understand, that several Fishermen have petitioned this House, complaining, That their Fishing-vessels are much damaged by great Vessels, which import Salt, Oranges, Lemons, and other Commodities, into the said Dock; with Design to prevent such Importation; which has been the Petitioners Right, Time out of Mind; and is only a Contrivance of the Wharfingers between the Tower and London Bridge, to bring all Goods to their Wharfs and Keys, for their Advantage, though to the Petitioners Prejudice: And praying, That their said Rights may not be taken away; and that they may be heard, by Counsel, before the Bill, now in the House, for making Billingsgate a free Market, for Sale of Fish, do pass.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the said Bill is committed: And that they do hear the Petitioners, by their Counsel.

Montargier's Nat.

A Petition of Colonel John Montargier, LieutenantColonel of the Honourable Brigadier Richard Ingoldsby's Regiment of Foot, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That he hath faithfully served the Crown of England, with Reputation, about 30 Years; and has received several Wounds in the Service; particularly a Shot which has rendered him lame of one of his Legs; and Two of his Brothers have been killed in his Majesty's Service: He therefore prays, That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill for his Naturalization.

Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition: And that Sir Theophilus Oglethorp and Sir Joseph Tredenham do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Army Arrears.

A Petition of Anthony Bartlet, John Spreston, and John West, on the behalf of themselves, and the rest of the reduced Serjeants, Corporals, Drums, and Centinels, of the Honourable Brigadier Ingoldsby's Regiment, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners, for the most Part, have served ever since the Revolution; for which Service, there is great Arrears due to them, there never being any Clearance, nor can they yet get any particular Account; but, upon Application, the Commissioners at the Horse-Guards, in 1697, admonished Colonel Ingoldsby to account with, and pay, the Petitioners; but he went into Ireland, without doing either; though the Petitioners believe, that great Part of what is due to the Petitioners is in the Agents and Officers Hands: And praying Relief in the Premises, as the House shall think fit.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Soldiers of Colonel Coot's Regiment is referred.

Tone Navigation.

The House proceeded to take into Consideration the Amendments, made by the Lords, to the Bill for making the River Tone navigable, from Bridgwater to Taunton, in the County of Somerset:

And the same were read; and are as follow; viz.

In the Title, after "making," read "and keeping:"

10 Skin, 20, 21. L. instead of "shall, or are like to," read "are or shall:"

12 Skin, 13 L. instead of "within One Month after," read "at the next General Quarter-Sessions of the Peace, that shall be held for the said County of Somerset, after the said 24th Day of June."

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

Ordered, That Mr. Clark do carry the Bill to the Lords, and acquaint them, that this House hath agreed to the said Amendments.

Woollen Manufacture.

A Petition of the Merchants, Serge-makers, and others, principal Inhabitants of the Town and Parish of Tiverton, and Parts adjacent, in the County of Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forto, That, for several Years past, the Petitioners have made and exported great Quantities of Woollen Manufactures into Flanders, which is their whole Dependence; from whence they have Advice, that our Prohibition and Impositions on their Lace and Linen is like to occasion their Prohibition, or laying great Impositions upon the English Woollen Manufactures imported; and that they intend to set up and encourage the Woollen Manufactures in Flanders; which will be the utter Ruin of that Trade in the Western Parts of England: And praying, That the Woollen Manufactory may be encouraged in England, and prevented from being set up in foreign Parts.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Gentlemen, Clothiers, Clothworkers, and Traders in the Woollen Manufactures, and other the Inhabitants of the Town of Ratchdale, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Ditto.

A Petition of the Woollen-drapers, and Clothworkers, of the Town of Shrewsbury, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the additional Duty lately laid upon Flanders Linen Cloth, is like to occasion a great Duty, or a Prohibition to our Woollen Manufactures Importation there; which will prove very prejudicial to England: And praying, That the said additional Duty may be taken off, it being, as the Petitioners conceive, the most probable Expedient to prevent the said intended Prohibition, or Duties; on our Woollen Manufactures to be imported into Flanders.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Gentlemen, Clothiers, Clothworkers, and Traders in the Woollen Manufactures, and other the Inhabitants of the Town of Ratchdale, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.

Preventing burning of Houses.

Mr. Price, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for the better preventing the malicious burning and destroying Houses, Buildings, Fences, Corn; Hay, Grass, and other Improvements: And the same was received; and read the First time.

And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Bill be read a Second time;

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Bill be rejected.

Claims of Prizes.

Ordered, That Mr. Churchill and Mr. Stringer be added to the Committee, to whom the Petition of Captain Crow is referred.

Duty on Irish Linen.

A Petition of the several Traders in the Linen Manufactures, within the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, by an Act of Parliament, made 7° & 8° Willielmi, for encouraging the Linen Manufacture of Ireland, Liberty was given to import into England from Ireland, Hemp, Flax, Thread, Yarn, and Linen; but, by another Act, made in the 9th and 10th Years of his Majesty's Reign, a Duty of 5 l. per Cent. was laid on all Goods imported from Ireland; so that the Commissioners of the Customs have received that Duty for all Linen Cloth, Thread, and Linen Yarn, from Ireland, to the great Discouragement of the Linen Manufacture there: And praying, That the Duty of 5 l. per Cent. may be taken off from Linen Cloth; and that a Duty of 4 d. per Pound be laid on all Thread and Linen Yarn imported from Ireland; which will necessitate them to work their Yarn into Linen Cloth there, which now they do not.

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

Buying and selling Cattle.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to inspect the Laws relating to the Buying and Selling of live Cattle; and to consider how to make the Act, that Butchers shall not be Graziers, more effectual; and to report their Opinion therein to the House:

And it is referred to Mr. Hammond, Sir Abstrupus Danby, Mr. Conyers, Sir Richard Cocks, Sir Wm. Drake, Mr. Bridges, Sir Walter Young, Sir Tho. Davall, Mr. Barnardiston, Lord Spencer, Mr. Ekins, Mr. Parkhurst, Sir John Bolles, Sir Henry Parker, Sir Edw. Hussey, Sir Edw. Hungerford, Mr. Lowther, Sir Barth. Shower, Mr. Mountague, Mr. Price, Mr. Walsh, Sir John Mordant, Sir Robert Cotton, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Buller, Mr. Bertie, Sir William Thomas, Sir Geo. Hungerford, Mr. Bullock, Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Hancock, Mr. York, Mr. Mason, Mr. Hayes: And they are to meet at Five a Clock this Afternoon in the Speaker's Chamber.

Application of Money voted.

Resolved, That the Sum of Forty thousand Pounds, of the Eight hundred thousand Pounds granted to his Majesty, for disbanding the Army, and other necessary Occasions, may be applied for the victualling the Fleet, for the Year 1699.

Answer to Address.

Mr. Speaker acquainted the House, That he, with the House, did Yesterday attend his Majesty, with their Address, That his Majesty would please to issue his Royal Proclamation, for removing all Papists and others who disown his Majesty's Government, from the City of London, and Parts adjacent, according to the Laws; and that the Laws may be part in Execution against them, in such manner, that their wicked Designs may be effectually disappointed: And that his Majesty was pleased to say to this Effect;

Gentlemen,

I will take care, that the Laws shall be put in Execution, according to your Desire.

Woollen Manufacture.

Sir Joseph Tredenham, according to Order, reported, from the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill to encourage the Woollen Manufacture in England; and to restrain the Exportation of Woollen Manufactures from Ireland into any foreign Parts; and for the better preventing the Exportation of Wool from England and Ireland; was committed; the Amendments made by the Committee, to the said 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 read throughout; and then a Second time, one by one; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House.

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

Exporting Wool.

Sir Joseph Tredenham also reported from the said Committee, That they had considered the Petition of the principal Traders and Dealers in the Woollen-Manufacture, residing within the Town and Borough of Cirencester, in the County of Gloucester, in behalf of themselves, and the poor Inhabitants employed therein, the Consideration whereof was referred to the said Committee: And that the Committee were of Opinion, That the best Way to prevent the Inconveniencies mentioned in the said Petition, was, by laying a Duty upon the Goods therein specified; which that Committee had not Power to do.

Ordered, That the said Report do lie upon the Table until the House shall resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of Ways and Means for raising the Supply to be granted to his Majesty.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Dalby have Leave to go into the Country for a Week, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

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