Lunæ, 6 die Martii;

11° Gulielmi Tertii.

Prayers.

FRANCIS Naison, Isaac La Font, Benj. Grimaudit, Cha. Fouquet, John Dubes Dentille, John Petry, Cha. Gamebald, Jo. Leuis D'Lafarell, John Cruseau, Peter Muturin, James Biggott, Peter Gallie, took the Oaths appointed, in order to their Naturalization.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Dormer have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Moor's Estate.

Mr. Hoblyn reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for the Sale of the Manors of Hallwill and Beckett, with their Appurtenances, in the County of Devon, being the Lands of John Moor Esquire, by Trustees, for the Payment of the Debts of the said John Moor, was committed, That they had examined and considered the same, and made some Amendments thereunto; 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.

Billingsgate Fish Market.

A Petition of the Justices of the Peace, and the Grand Jury, of the County of Middlesex, assembled at the General Sessions of the Peace, held the 27th Day of February 1698, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That they have been informed, that, for many Years last past, certain Persons have confederated together, to engross the Fish at Billingsgate, and to destroy great Quantities of Fish, to keep up the remaining Part to a high Price; which hath been very prejudicial to the Inhabitants in and about London: And praying, That the Bill, depending in the House, for making Billingsgate a free Market for the Sale of Fish, may pass into an Act.

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

Preventing Corruption of Juries.

Sir Richard Cocks, according to Order, presented to the House a Bill to prevent the Corrupting of Juries: And the same was received.

Resolved, That the Bill be read To-morrow Morning.

Woollen Manufacture.

An ingrossed Bill to prevent the Exportation of Wool from England and Ireland into foreign Parts; and to encourage the Woollen Manufacture in England; and restrain the Exportation of Woollen Manufactures; was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act to prevent the Exportation of Wool out of the Kingdoms of England and Ireland into foreign Parts; and for the Encouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in the Kingdom of England.

Ordered, That Sir Joseph Tredenham do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

Felt-making Trade.

A Petition of the Feltmakers in the Borough of Newcastle under Line, on behalf of themselves, and many others, inhabiting in that Neighbourhood, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That there are great Numbers of Master Hat-makers in the said Town, who formerly employed Nine or Ten Journeymen each, and many other Persons, in ordering Materials for making of Hats; but now the said Trade is so decayed, by reason that Servants, and others of inferior Quality, have left off wearing Felt Hats, that many are become Objects of Charity for want of Employment: And praying the House to take the Premises into Consideration.

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

Duty on Glass.

A Petition of the Glass-bottle-makers, and other Glassmakers, in and near Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, on behalf of themselves, and many more, whose sole Livelihood depends on those Trades, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners did, before a Duty was laid upon Glass, employ many Hundred Families; but the Duty put a full Stop to the Bottle-trade; so as they did not work One Day from the Commencement of the Duty, till Part was taken off; and then some of the Petitioners began to work again; but, with the Duty, and the Loss by Breakage of Bottles, and other Glass-wares, the current Price will not answer an Expectation, but that the Petitioners must sell to Loss; which has so consumed their Stocks and Estates, that they must be utterly ruined, if not relieved by this House: And praying the Consideration of the House therein.

Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee to whom the Petition of the poor labouring Artificers in the Glass Manufacture in and about the City of London is referred.

Ailesbury Election.

A Petition of Sir Thomas Lee Baronet was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That, at an Election upon the 22th of February last, of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Ailesbury, the Petitioner was duly chosen, by the Majority of legal Voters; but the Constable, arbitrarily refusing to poll such Persons as had a Right, and would have been for the Petitioner, and admitting others to vote for Robert Dormer Esquire, who had no Right, and by other undue Practices, hath returned Mr. Dormer, in Prejudice to the Petitioner: And praying the Relief and Justice of the House therein.

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

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Hooper have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Ordered, That Mr. Robert Eyres have Leave to go into the Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.

Call of the House.

A Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the House be now called over, according to the Order of the Day;

The House divided.

The Noes go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Ordered, That the House be called over upon this Day Fortnight: And that such Members as shall not then attend, as well such as have Leave to be absent as those that have not, be, without a satisfactory Reason given to the House to the contrary, sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do send his Letter to the Sheriffs of the respective Counties of England and Wales, to summon the Members of their respective Counties to attend the Service of this House, as well such as have Leave to be absent as others, upon Monday the Twentieth Day of March instant.

The Form of the Letter was as followeth; viz.

Sir,

THE House of Commons having taken Notice of the Absence of several of their Members, I am commanded to acquaint you with it, That you may give immediate Summons to all the Members of this House, Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, within your County, to attend their Service in Parliament, on Monday the 20th Day of March instant, notwithstanding any Leave for Absence; the House of Commons intending to proceed further with all Severity against all such of their Members as shall then neglect their Attendance: And you are to give an Account of the Receipt of this, and what you have done hereupon, unto

From the House of Commons, the 7th Day of . . . . .

Your loving Friend.

Members who have not attended.

Ordered, That the Clerk of this House do, To-morrow Morning, lay before this House a List of such Members as do not appear by the Roll to have attended the House during this Session.

Officers sitting in the House.

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 Number of Officers sitting in the House of Commons.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

The House being informed, That there was a Difference in the Committee, who should take the Chair of the Committee;

Ordered, That Sir John Bolles do take the Chair of the Committee.

Then the House resolved itself into the said Committee.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Sir John Bolles took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir John Bolles reported, from the said Committee, That they had gone through the Bill, and made several Amendments thereunto; which they had directed him to report to the House, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be made upon Wednesday Morning next.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

Elections—preventing Irregularity in Returns.

Mr. Clark reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for preventing irregular Proceedings of the Sheriffs, and other Officers, in making the Returns of Members chosen to serve in Parliament, was committed, That they had examined and considered the same, and made some Amendments thereunto; 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.

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