Jovis, 15 die Maii, 1679.
Prayers.
Norfolke, &c. Elections.
ORDERED, That the Miscarriages of the Elections for the Counties of Norfolke and Leicester be
heard on Tuesday next.
Lost Records of Fines.
An ingrossed Bill for Re-ingrossing of the Records of
Fines lost or burnt by the late Fire in the Temple, was
read the Third time.
Resolved, &c. That the Bill do pass: And that the Title
be, An Act for Re-ingrossing of the Records of Fines
burnt or lost in the late Fire in the Temple: And that
Mr. Serjeant Seys do carry up the same to the Lords for
their Concurrence.
Liberty of the Subject.
Ordered, That the Amendments made by the Lords to
the Bill for the better Securing the Liberty of the Subject,
and for Prevention of Imprisonments beyond the Seas,
be taken into Consideration To-morrow Morning at Ten
of the Clock.
Alborough Election.
Sir Thomas Meres reports from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, That the Committee had taken into
Consideration the Matter touching the Election for the
Borough of Alborough in the County of Yorke: And that
it appeared to the Committee, that Sir John Reresby had
about Nineteen of the Inhabitants paying Scot and Lot,
who voted for him in the said Election; and Sir Godfrey
Copley had about Twenty-four of the Inhabitants paying
Scot and Lot: And that thereupon the Committee had
agreed upon Three Resolves to be reported to the House:
Which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered the
same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were
again read; and are as followeth; viz.
Resolved, &c. That all the Inhabitants of the Borough
of Alborough in the County of Yorke, paying Scot and
Lot, have only Right to vote in electing Members of
Parliament for the said Borough.
Resolved, &c. That Sir John Reresby is not duly elected
to serve in this present Parliament, for the Borough of
Alborough in the County of Yorke.
Resolved, &c. That Sir Godfrey Copley is duly elected
to serve in this present Parliament, for the Borough of
Alborough in the County of Yorke.
Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree with the
Committee, That all the Inhabitants of the Borough of
Alborough in the County of Yorke, paying Scot and Lot,
have only Right to vote in electing Members of Parliament for the said Borough.
Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree with the
Committee, That Sir John Reresby is not duly elected to
serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Alborough in the County of Yorke.
Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree with the
Committee, That Sir Godfrey Copley is duly elected to
serve in this present Parliament, for the Borough of Alborough in the County of Yorke.
Ordered, That the Clerk of the Crown do attend Tomorrow Morning, to take off the Indenture of Sir John
Reresby; and affix the Indenture of Sir Godfrey Copley
to the Return for the Borough of Alborough in the County
of Yorke.
Southwarke Court of Conscience.
A Bill for the Ease and Relief of the poor Inhabitants
of Southwarke, and the Suburb Parishes of Middlesex, in
the Recovery of small Debts, was read the First time.
Resolved, &c. That the Bill be read a Second time.
Irish Cattle, &c.
Ordered, That the Report of the Bill for Continuance
of the Act for prohibiting the Importation of Cattle from
Ireland, and other Parts beyond the Seas; and Fish taken
by Foreigners; be made on Saturday Morning next.
Trials of the impeached Lords.
Sir John Trevor reports from the Committee appointed
to join with the Committee of Lords, to consider of Propositions and Circumstances relating to the Tryals of the
Lords in the Tower, That the Committee had made Two
Propositions to the Committee of Lords.
First, That they did desire to see the Commission of
the Lord High Steward, and the Commissions to former
Lords High Stewards.
Secondly, That they did desire to know, What Resolutions had been taken about the Lords Spiritual being
present or absent at the Tryals of the Lords impeached.
To the First Proposition, the Lords of the Committee
produced Copies of the Commissions to the Lords Stewards,
for the several Tryals of the Lord Morley and the Lord
Cornwallis: But those Tryals were out of Parliament.
They produced the Copy of their Commission for the
Tryal of the Earl of Pembroke, for Murder: Which
Tryal was before the Peers in Parliament; and so differed
from the two former Commissions.
The Lords did further produce a Copy of the Commission passed under the Great Seal, for the Tryal of
Thomas Earl of Danby; and also, a Form of the Commission for the Tryal of the other Five Lords impeached;
and did communicate to the Committee a Resolution of
the Lords House, in hæc verba:
"Die Luna, 12 Maii, 1679."
"It is Declared and Ordered, by the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the Office
of a High Steward, upon Tryals of Peers upon Impeachments, is not necessary to the House of Peers: But that
the Lords may proceed upon such Tryals, if a High Steward
be not appointed according to their humble Desire."
Their Lordships further declared to the Committee,
That a Lord High Steward was made hac vice only: That,
notwithstanding the making of a Lord High Steward, the
Court remained the same, and was not thereby altered,
but still remained the Court of Peers in Parliament: That
the Lord High Steward was but as a Speaker or Chairman, for the more orderly Proceedings at the Tryals.
The Copy of the Commission for a Lord High Steward
for the Tryal of the Earl of Danby being read, the Committee of this House took Exception to these Words in the
Commission; viz. Ac pro eo quod Officium Seneschalli Angliæ (cujus Prasentia in hac parte requiritur), ut accepimus, jam vacat; and desired, that they might be left out;
as implying, that the Constituting of a Lord High Steward
was necessary: And thereupon proposed these Words to be
inserted in their stead; viz. Ac pro eo quod Proceres &
Magnates in Parliamento nostro assemblati nobis humiliter
supplicaverunt, ut Seneschallum Anglia hac vice constituere
digneremus: To which Amendment the Lords of the Committee did agree. And it was further agreed by the said
Committee of the Lords and Commons, That the Commission under Seal, for the constituting a Lord High Steward
for the Tryal of the Earl of Danby, should be recalled;
and a new Commission, according to the said Amendment,
to be issued, and to bear Date after the said Resolution:
And that the like Commission, mutatis mutandis, should
be issued for the Tryal of the other Lords impeached.
As to the Second Proposition, the Committee of the
Lords communicated to the Committee of this House the
Resolution of the House of Peers, in hac verba; viz.
"Die Martis, 13 Maii, 1679."
"Resolved, &c. by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
in Parliament assembled, That the Lords Spiritual have
a Right to stay in Court in Capital Cases, till such time
as Judgment of Death comes to be pronounced."
15 Maii, 1679.
The Lords explained themselves, That the Meaning of
their Resolution passed Yesterday, concerning the Lords
Spiritual, is, That the Lords Spiritual have a Right to
stay and sit in Court, till the Court proceed to the Vote
of Guilty or Not guilty.
The Second Proposition being a Matter of great Weight
and Consideration; the Committee of the Commons had
commanded him it to report to the House, in order to receiver their Directions for their further Proceedings.
Resolved, &c. That it be given as an Instruction to the
Committee appointed to join with the Committee of
Lords, to consider of Propositions and Circumstances relating to the Tryal of the Lords in the Tower; That they
insist upon it at the Committee, That the Lords Spiritual
ought not to have any Vote in any Proceeding upon the
Impeachments against the Lords in the Tower.
A Member ordered into custody.
Ordered, That Mr. John Tregegle, having departed the
Service of this House without Leave, be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.
Disabling the Duke of Yorke.
A Bill to disable the Duke of Yorke to inherit the Imperial Crown of this Realm, was read the First time.
Resolved, &c. That the Bill be read a Second time, on
Monday Morning next.
Committees.
Ordered, That all Committees be revived; and do sit
this Afternoon, in the Places formerly appointed.
And then the House adjourned till To-morrow
Morning, Seven of the Clock.