Martis, 28 die Februarii;

11° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

Burnett's Nat.

GEORGE Burnet and Lewis Ramsey took the Oaths appointed, in order to their Naturalization.

A Bill to naturalize George Burnett was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Brigadier Trelawney, Sir Bevill Granville, Sir Fran. Blake, Mr. Dyott, Colonel Churchill, Mr. Blaake, Mr. Drake, Sir Jac. Baunks, Sir Rich. Cocks, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Hoblyn, Mr. Mountsteven, Sir Theop. Oglethorp, Sir Cloudsly Shovell, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Pendarvis, Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Holmes, Admiral Hobson, Mr. Hughes, Sir Abstr. Danby, Mr. Osborn, Colonel Kirkby, Mr. Lowther: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Meole's Nat.

Colonel Churchill reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for naturalizing John Meoles 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 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.

Irish Arrears.

Ordered, That Mr. Hughes, Mr. Gurdon, Mr. Crane, Mr. Archdale, Sir Tho. Cook, be added to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Soldiers of Colonel Coot's Regiment is referred.

A Petition of Captain Edmund Bugden was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner was Lieutenant of the Colchester, and Captain of the Jersey: and, as such, was concerned in the taking several Prizes about the Leeward Islands; which Christopher Codrington Esquire wrested from the Petitioner, in Wrong to him, and the King; which the Petitioner is ready to prove; and, on the 5th of October 1697, the Lords of the Admiralty sent, by Captain Symonds, an Order for the Petitioner, and Captain Wm. Julius, to return, with his Majesty's Ships under their Command, to Europe, in 60 Days after, unless the General should think fit to detain them longer, for sending his Packet; which he did, for 15 Days; and that Time being also expired, the said General, and Captain Julius, refusing to give the Petitioner any Order for his longer Stay, he returned to England; and gave in his Deposition of the said Frauds to the Commissioners of Trade; after which, the Petitioner was tried by a Court-Martial, for returning home without Order; where Captain Julius producing another Order than what Captain Symonds brought, which was shewn the Petitioner; and falsly deposing, That it was the same; the Court-Martial thereupon sentenced the Petitioner's Pay, amounting to about 260 l. to be forfeited to Greenwich Hospital, and he to be incapable of his Majesty's Service, and to be imprisoned for 12 Months: And praying, That the said Matters may be referred to the Examination of a Committee; whereby the said Frauds may be made appear, and the Petitioner justified.

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

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Verney have Leave to go into the Country for Ten Days, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Ordered, That Mr. Greenhill have Leave to go into the Country for Three Weeks, upon extraordinary Occasions.

St. Eloy's Nat.

A Bill to naturalize Isaac Gouyquett St. Eloy was read a Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Sir Bevill Granville, Sir Henry Ashurst, Sir John Thorold, Sir John Bolles, Mr. Trelawney, Mr. Hooper, Mr. Fortescue, Colonel Churchill, Mr. Trenchard, Sir Edw. Hussey, Mr. Holmes, Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Freke, Mr. England, Mr. Blofeild, Sir Jacob Baunks, Mr. Mountsteven, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Pendarvis, Mr. Stonehouse, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Blake, Sir Tho. Day, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Lowther, Mr. Clayton, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Hoblyn: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Five a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Hamborough Company.

A Petition of the Bay-makers, Serge-makers, and others concerned in the Woollen Manufacture, within the Town of Barnstable, in the County of Devon, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have, with unspeakable Satisfaction, experienced the Benefit they, and the Nation in general, have found ever since a free Trade for our Woollen Manufactures has been given to Germany, and the Parts adjacent, insomuch that they have exported far greater Quantities than when the same was limited to a certain Company; and if the same should be confined, many Thousands of poor People, whose Employment wholly depends thereon, will be unavoidably ruined: And praying, That the said Trade may be continued free, as it now is, without being confined to the unspeakable Restrictions of the Hamborough Company.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the Report relating to the Hamborough Company be considered.

Army Arrears.

A Petition of Obadiah Wood, John Newton, and Digby Kiddermaster, in behalf of themselves, and the rest of the Officers, Ministers, and Attendants, belonging to the Train of Artillery employed for the Reducing of Ireland, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, on the 7th Instant, a Petition was presented to the House, praying, That the Petitioners might be paid their Arrears, which the Lords of the Treasury allowed to be a just Debt, for the said Service: And, their miserable Condition compelling the Petitioners to move a Second time for Relief; they pray, That they may be paid out of the 800,000 l. granted for paying off the Officers and Soldiers that are to be disbanded; the Petitioners having been long disbanded, and their Arrears long due.

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

Exporting Wool.

Sir Robert Davers reported from the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Freeholders, Tradesmen, and other Inhabitants, of the Town of Taunton, and Parts adjacent, was referred; and who were to consider of Ways for the better preventing the Exportation of Wool from England and Ireland into foreign Parts; and to consider of the most proper Methods to encourage the Woollen Manufactures of this Kingdom; That they had directed him to lay before the House several Heads, which they had thought necessary to be made into a Law, for the Purpose aforesaid; which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read; and are as followeth; viz.

1st, That the Clause, in the Act made in the 7th and 8th Years of his Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act for the more effectual preventing the Exportation of Wool; and for the encouraging the Importation thereof from Ireland; which appoints the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to fit out vessels and Sloops, to prevent the Exportation of Wool from the Coast of Kent and Sussex; be repealed: And that the small Vessels and Sloops now sitting out by the Commissioners of the Customs, which will be more proper, and less Charge to the Government, be appointed for that Purpose, in their stead.

2. That Commissioners, being Persons well interested in the Woollen Manufacture of this Kingdom, and of known Ability and Integrity, be appointed to put this, and all other Laws relating to the preventing the Exportation of Wool, in execution; and that a Sum, not exceeding per Annum, be allowed to the said Commissioners, for defraying the necessary Charges thereof.

3. That all Persons offending contrary to any Act, in being aiding or assisting in the Exportation of Wool, and not being able to answer their Penalty thereby inflicted; shall be transported to the foreign English Plantations and there remain for Years.

4. That whoever shall transgress against the Act of the 12th of King Charles the IId, for prohibiting the Exportation of Wool, or of any subsequent Act relating to the Exportation of Wool, shall be prosecuted in any Suit or Information; and a Capias shall issue out the First Process, specifying the Penalty sued for; and the Offender shall give Bail, by Englishmen, to the Officer executing such Process, to answer such Suit; and shall, at the time of such Appearance, give good Security in the said Court, to answer and pay the Forfeitures incurred for such Offence, in case he shall be convicted.

5. That the Owners of all suspected small Vessels or Boats shall give Security, that they will not export, or be aiding or assisting to the Exportation of, any Wool from this Kingdom.

6. That the Clause in the Act, of the last Parliament, relating to buying Wool in Kent and Sussex, within Fifteen Miles of the Sea, may be made general to all Persons within Fifteen Miles of the Sea, and of the Borders of Scotland, in all Counties.

7. That if any Wool, Fullers-clay, or Scouringclay, be found on board any Vessel, the Master of the Ship shall be adjudged to be the Exporter, and the Ship forfeited; unless he shall, in a time to be limited, make known the Person that shipped, or ordered the same to be shipped.

8. That the high Duties upon Oil, Soap, and Materials, for Dyeing, and the Duty on Exportation, are a great Burden upon, and Discouragement of, our Woollen Manufacture exported.

9thly, That Care be taken to prevent the Setting up of the Woollen Manufacture in the English Plantations in America.

The 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th, Heads, being severally read a Second time, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House, to be proper Heads for a Bill.

The 7th and 8th Heads, being severally read a Second time, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon, disagreed unto by the House.

The Ninth Head being read a Second time, was, upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the House to be a proper Head for a Bill.

Ordered, That a Bill be brought in, upon the said Heads agreed unto by the House: And that Sir Robert Davers, Mr. Hoar, and Mr. Hayes, do prepare, and bring in, the Bill.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Ekins have Leave to go into the Country for Three Weeks, upon extraordinary Occasions.

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

Regulating Elections.

The Lord Cheiney, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill for Qualifying of Members to sit in Parliament; and further regulating Elections: And the same was received; and read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time, Tomorrow Morning.

Penne's Estate.

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

Mr. Speaker,

The Lords have passed a Bill, intituled, An Act to enable George Penne Esquire to sell Lands for the Payment of his Debts, and other Purposes therein mentioned: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.

And then the Messengers withdrew.

Army Arrears.

The Earl of Ranelagh, according to Order, presented to the House an Abstract of the Arrear of Subsistence, and Pay, due to the Five French Regiments now in Ireland, ordered to be disbanded, from the respective Times of their being put under the Earl of Ranelagh's Care, to the Times of their landing in Ireland, and being placed on the Establishment of that Kingdom: And also,

An Estimate of the Arrears due to the commissioned Officers, non-commissioned Officers, and private Men, to be disbanded in England: And also,

An Abstract of the Arrears due to the Regiments of Marines, to the 1st of August 1698; to which time they continued under the Care of the Earl of Ranelagh: And also,

A State of the Arrears due to the Four Companies at New-York, under the Command of the Earl of Bellamont.

And the Titles thereof were read.

And the said Abstracts, Estimate, and State, are as follow; viz.

The said ABSTRACT of Arrears of Subsistence, and Pay, due to the Five French Regiments now in Ireland, ordered to be disbanded.

The said ESTIMATE of the Arrear due to the commissioned Officers, non-commissioned Officers, and private Men, to be disbanded in England; viz.

Memorandum: The Bounty-money, according to the Allowances formerly given upon disbanding the Troops already broke, is included in the above Sum of 11,685 l.; and the Arrears of Pay in the First Column are computed to the 25th of March next.

Memorandum also: That, in the above Estimate, there is no Provision made for the Transport of the several Troops that are to embark for Holland and Ireland; which may amount to above Twelve thousand Pounds.

The said ABSTRACT of the Arrears due to the following Regiments of Marines, to the 1st of August 1698.

The said STATE of Arrears due to the Four Regiments at New-York.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Abstracts, Estimate, and State, be referred to the Committee of the whole House, who are to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Supply.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Cowper took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Cowper reported from the said Committee, That they had come to several Resolutions; which they had ordered him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

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

Mr. Cowper also reported from the said Committee, That they had directed him to move, That they may have Leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Thursday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supply to be granted to his Majesty.

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