Sabbati, 27 die Julii; 1° Gulielmi et Mariæ.
Prayers.
Orphans of London.
A PETITION of the Royal African Company of
England, on Behalf of themselves, and other
Companies of trading Merchants in London, was read;
setting forth, That the Petitioners are informed a Bill is
intended to pass this House, for enabling the said City
to satisfy the Orphans Debts, wherein there are certain
Clauses relating to the Office of Out Roper and of Tronage, or weighing at the King's Beam; which, in their
Latitude, may extend to impose new Rates and Duties
upon the Petitioners Goods, and be also a great Impediment to them in their publick Sales: And praying, that a
Proviso may be added, for the exempting the Petitioners,
and their Sales and Goods, out of the said Act: And
that if it be opposed on the Behalf, of the City, that the
Petitioners may be heard by their Counsel thereto.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition
be referred to the Committee of the whole House, to
whom the Bill for Relief of the Orphans of the City of
London, is committed.
Prohibiting Trade with France.
Sir Robert Clayton reports from the Committee, to
whom the Bill for preventing the Importation of French
Goods, was re-committed, That the Committee had
agreed upon several Amendments to be made to the Bill:
Which he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and
afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table:
Where the same were the First time read through.
Resolved, That the said Report be now further considered.
The said Amendments, being read a Second time, one
by one, were, upon the Question severally put thereupon,
agreed unto by the House.
Clause G was twice read; and was for John Bubb and
Company, Merchants of Bristoll, to have leave to bring
into any Port of England, Ten Tuns of French Wines,
Fifty Tons of Salt, Three hundred and Seventy-three Ballets of Canvas, and One hundred and Fifty-five Pieces of
Dowlas, that he and they brought before the Twenty-fifth
Day of May last, into the Island of Guernsey, from France
and Brittany; the said Bubb and Company paying the respective Duties due and payable for them; and making
Oath of the Truth of the Premises before the Collector of
the Customs, or chief Magistrate, where the said Goods
shall happen to be imported:
And the Question being put, That the same be made
Part of the Bill;
It passed in the Negative.
Clause H was twice read: Being for their Majesties,
and such Person as they, under their Privy Seal, or Sign
Manual, shall appoint, to hold any Correspondence, for
the publick Safety and Welfare of their Majesties
Kingdoms.
And a Debate arose thereupon:
And the Question being put, That the Debate be
adjourned;
It passed in the Negative.
Resolved, That the Clause be made Part of the Bill.
A Clause was offered to be made Part of the Bill,
That from and after the Tenth Day of August 1689, it
shall not be lawful for any Person to send or receive any
Letters, or draw or receive any Bills of Exchange, to,
upon, or from, any Person residing within the French
King's Dominions, on the Forfeiture of Two hundred
Pounds for every Offence, and Imprisonment upon Conviction for Two Months: The same was twice read; and,
upon the Question put thereupon, agreed unto by the
House, to be made Part of the Bill.
Another Clause was offered to be made Part of the Bill,
For a Price to be set, at which all Red or Reddish Wine
shall be sold: Which was twice read.
And a Debate arising thereupon;
Resolved, That the Clause be committed to the Committee to whom the Bill was referred.
Ordered, That Colonel Tipping, Major Vincent, Mr.
Sacheverell, be added to the Committee: And they are
to meet on Monday next, at Four of the Clock, in the
Afternoon, in the Speaker's Chamber.
Conference desired with Lords.
Ordered, That Mr. H. Herbert do go to the Lords, to
desire a free Conference upon the Subject Matter of the
last Conference, touching the Amendment proposed by
the Lords to be made to the Bill, for reversing Two
Judgments given in the Court of King's Bench against
Titus Oates, Clerk,
Leave of Absence.
Ordered, That Mr. Howard have Leave to go into
the Country for his Health, for a Month.
Ordered, That Sir Henry Winchcomb have Leave to
go into the Country, for Three Weeks.
Ordered, That Mr. Ellwell have Leave to go into
the Country for Three Weeks.
Lords agree to Conference.
Mr. Herbert acquaints the House, That he having
been, according to their Order, at the Lords, to desire a
free Conference, they do agree to a free Conference, on
Monday next, at Twelve of the Clock, in the Painted
Chamber.
A Message from the Lords, by Sir Miles Cooke and
Mr. Methwyn;
Hele's Estate.
Mr. Speaker, We are commanded by the Lords to
acquaint this House, That they have passed the Bill for
enabling Trustees to grant Leases of the Estate of
Richard Hele, Esquire, without any Alteration.
Duty on Coffee, &c.
Also, that the Lords desire a present Conference with
this House in the Painted Chamber, upon the Subject
Matter of the Amendments to the Bill for collecting the
Duty upon Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate, at the Customhouse.
And then the Messengers withdrew.
Resolved, That this House doth agree to a Conference
with the Lords, as is desired.
And the Messengers being called in again; Mr.
Speaker acquainted them therewith.
Resolved, That the Committee, who managed the last
Conference touching the said Amendments, do manage
this Conference.
And the Managers went to the Conference accordingly.
And being returned;
Sir John Trevor reports from the Conference with the
Lords, That the Managers appointed had attended: And
that the Duke of Bolton and Earl of Rochester managed
the Conference on the Part of the Lords: And that they
said, the Lords had agreed with this House as to the
Matter of the first Amendment by them proposed, and
waved their Amendment: But that they insisted upon
adding the Clause to the Bill; and gave their Reasons
for the same, as followeth:
Reasons to be given to the Commons, at a Conference,
for the Lords insisting on their Proviso to the Bill
for collecting the Duties upon Coffee, Tea, and
Chocolate, at the Custom-house;
The Lords are much surprised at the Assertion of the
Commons, That, in all Aids given to the King by the
Commons, the Rates or Tax ought not to be any way
altered by the Lords, since they conceive it hath always
been their undoubted Right, in case of any Aids given to
the King, to lessen the Rate or Tax granted by the
Commons; whereof several Precedents might be given,
which, at the present, they are willing to forbear, that
they may not revive old Disputes.
But as to the present Proviso now offered by the Lords,
their Lordships are of Opinion, this general Point is not
the Case now in Difference, it being neither an Alteration,
nor Lessening of the Duty laid upon these Commodities:
For what is proposed to be drawn back upon the Exportation of them, cannot be said to lessen the Rates imposed upon them. It does indeed take away so much
from the King's Income; but adds much more to the
Benefit of Trade; of which the Lords conceive they are
equal and competent Judges: And therefore they think
they are very well founded to insist on the Proviso.
And that the Duke of Bolton said further, That he
hoped a good Correspondence between the Two Houses
would be maintained; for that they were Englishmen,
as well as the Commons.
Which Report being read at the Table;
And the Question being put, That the House do agree
with the Lords in the said Amendment to add the said
Clause;
It passed in the Negative, Nemine contradicente.
Resolved, That the Committee, who managed the said
Conference, do prepare Reasons to be offered at a free
Conference with the Lords, Why this House doth not
agree with the Lords in the Amendment for adding the
said Clause.
Ordered, That Mr. Finch, Mr. Hawles, Sir Hen. Capell,
Mr. Grey, Sir Rob. Sawyer, be added to the said Committee: And they are to meet on Monday Morning next,
at Eight of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.
And then the House adjourned till Monday
Morning, Nine of the Clock.