Jovis, 6 die Januarii;
Nono Gulielmi Tertii.
Prayers.
Leave of Absence.
ORDERED, That Mr. William Johnson have Leave
to go into the Country for a Fortnight, his Lady being very ill.
Maesacker's, &c. Nat.
An ingrossed Bill, from the Lords, intituled, An Act
for the Naturalization of Gerrard Maesacker, and others,
was read the First Time.
Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second Time.
Duties on Leather.
A Petition of the Skinners, Leather-dressers, and
Glovers, of the Town of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, was presented to the House, and read; setting
forth, That the Petitioners Trades, at best, was but a
bare Subsistence for their Families; and, since a Duty of
Three Shillings per Pound has been laid upon Leather,
the same is much lessened, and the Petitioners much impoverished: And praying Relief in the Premises, by
taking off the said Duty.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition
be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of
the Aldermen, Stewards, and Company, of Fellmongers,
Leather-dressers, and Glovers, in the City of Chester, is
referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof;
and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the
House.
Duties on Leather.
A Petition of the Fellmongers, Leather-dressers, and
Glovers, of the Borough of Whitney, in the County of
Oxon, and several others near the said Borough in the said
County of Oxford, was presented to the House, and read;
setting forth, That the Petitioners have always been famous for dressing Alum-Leather, and making Gloves;
and thereby maintained their Families, and contributed to
the Poor; but, since a Duty has been laid upon all Leather, the Petitioners Trade is greatly decreased, and they
are in great Want: And praying Relief in the Premises.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be
referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the
Aldermen, Stewards, and Company, of Fellmongers,
Leather-dressers, and Glovers, in the City of Chester, 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 Company of Glovers and WhiteTawers of the Town and County of Haverfordwest was
presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That
since a Duty of Fifteen Pounds per Cent. has been laid upon
Leather, near Three Hundred People in the said Town
now want Bread, for want of Employment, who before
comfortably maintained themselves: And praying, That
the Monies intended to be raised by the said Duty may
be raised by some other Means.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be
referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the
Aldermen, Stewards, and Company of Fellmongers, Leather-dressers, and Glovers, in the City of Chester, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof;
and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the
House.
Ditto.
The Petition of several Tanners inhabiting in the Borough
of Shafton in the County of Dorset, presented to the House
on Tuesday last, was read; setting forth, That the great
Duty upon Leather hath already much decayed the Petitioners Trade, not only because they are forced to give
longer Credit than before, but when they go to any Fair
or Market, and there agree to sell their Goods at a
certain Rate, and enter the Duty at the full Value, yet
the Collectors refuse to do the same, and charge it undersold; and that they will take it at that Price, according
to the Power of the said Act; yet perhaps do not pay
the Money till the End of the Market or Fair; and then
they sell it at the same Price the Petitioners had agreed
for: Which neither is the only Grievance; but the Collectors refuse to grant another Permit to remove Goods
to any other Market or Fair, without great Delay, which
occasions Charge, and sometimes the Loss of the intended
Market: And praying, That the House will grant some
speedy Relief in the Premises.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be
referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the
Aldermen, Stewards, and Company of Fellmongers, Leather-dressers, and Glovers, in the City of Chester, is referred: And that they do examine the Matter thereof; and
report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the House.
Transport Debt.
A Petition of Jenkin Donne, and several other Masters
of Ships and Vessels belonging to the Town of Swanzey in
the County of Glamorgan, was presented to the House,
and read; setting forth, That the Commissioners for Transport-Service entered into Charter-party in 1693, with
the Petitioners; and there is due to the Petitioners thereupon above 1,000l. for Transport-Service; which the
Petitioners greatly want, and cannot adjust Accounts with
their Owners till paid: And praying, That they may be
paid what is due to them on such Account, as aforesaid.
Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be
referred to the Committee, to whom the States, Estimates,
and Accounts, presented to the House, are referred.
Irish Arrears.
A Petition of Peter Chabet, in behalf of himself, and
several others Troopers of the Earl of Gallawaye's Regiment of Horse, was presented to the House, and read;
setting forth, That they petitioned the House last Session,
That they might be paid their Irish Arrears: Which Petition was referred to a Committee; and, upon Examination of the Matter, it was agreed to refer it to Two indifferent Persons; who have shewed great Partiality, by
keeping the Troopers out, and suffering the Agent and
Officers to be present; and keeping their Resolutions to
themselves till the Parliament was prorogued; by excluding Relations, Executors, and Assigns, from their Right;
and by not allowing what was each Man's Due: And
praying Relief of the House in the Premises.
And a Motion being made, and the Question being
put, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to a Committee;
It passed in the Negative.
Report on Estimates & Accounts.
The House proceeded, according to the Order of the
Day, to take into Consideration the Report made Yesterday from the Committee, to whom the States, Estimates,
and Accounts, presented to the House, were referred:
And the said Repert was read; and is as followeth;
viz.
Report on Estimates and Accounts.
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£. |
£. |
| The Committee, in the First Place, proceeded upon the Estimate of the Deficiencies of the last Year's Aid; And it doth appear, That the Aid of 3 s. in the Pound, for the Year 97, is made a Security for Principal-Money, amount . . . to |
|
1,500,000 |
| That, by a Computation made, the Interest of the same, being Part at 6, and Part at 8 per Cent. will, from the time of borrowing, until the time of Repayment, amount to |
|
120,000 |
| So that the Principal and Interest, to be made good out of the Aid of 3s. in the Pound, amounts to |
1,620,000 |
|
| That, by Computation, the Land Tax for the Year 97, will be near the same, in proportion, with the Aid of 4s. in the Pound, for the Year 1696; which produced the Sum of 1,706,869l. 10 s. 1 d. So that it is computed ¾ths of that Sum to be the Produce of the 3 s. in the Pound, for the Year 97: But deducting 8 d. per Ounce, for so much thereof as was paid in hammered Money, before the 1st of June 97, and 2 d. per Ounce, for what was paid in hammered Money, after that Day: Which Deductions were computed at 80,000l.; but the Committee thought, that 67,000l. was sufficient for that Allowance: And then the net Produce of the 5 s. in the Pound, will be about |
1,213,000 |
|
| So that, by this Computation, There is a Deficiency, in the Aid of 3s. in the Pound, amounting to the Sum of |
407,000 |
|
| The next was the Capitation-Tax; which was made a Security to discharge Bills of Credit, amounting, in Principal-Money, to |
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1,500,000 |
| That the Interest, at the Rate of 5 d. per Day, is to attend the said Bills, when they are not in the Exchequer; or in the Hands of publick Receivers, or Collectors; Which Rate, in the Whole, from the time of making out these Bills, till the time of cancelling the same, is computed at |
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100,000 |
| So that the Principal and Interest, appointed by Act of Parliament to be made good out of the Capitation-Tax, will amount to |
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1,600,000 |
| The said Capitation-Tax will, by Computation delivered in to the House, make about 700,000l. out of which deduct 40,000l. for the Payments in hammered Money; and then the net Produce, towards discharging the said Bills of Credit, is estimated at |
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660,000 |
| By which Computation, there will be a Deficiency in the said Capitation-Tax, amounting to |
940,000 |
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| The next was the Aid of 1s. in the Pound; which was given for |
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500,000 |
| It appeared, That the said Aid of 1 s. in the Pound, together with New Subsidies of Tonage and Poundage, were made a Security to discharge Bills of Credit, amounting to 1,200,000l. Principal Money, with Interest, at the Rate of 5 d. per. Day, for every 100l.; and the Interest of so many of the said Bills, as are to be cancelled, on the said Aid of 1s. in the Pound, singly, is estimated at |
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33,000 |
| By which Computation, the Principal and Interest, to be made good out of the Aid of 1 s. in the Pound, will amount to |
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533,000 |
| The net Produce of the 1s. in the Pound, which is estimated, in proportion, with the 3s. in the Pound, amounts to |
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404,000 |
| So that there will be a Deficiency, to be provided for, towards discharging so many of the said Bills of Credit, as are to be cancelled, on the 1s. Aid, with the Interest thereof, amounting to |
129,000 |
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| By all which Computations, the Total of all the Principal and Interest Monies, appointed by Parliament to be paid out of the Funds given the last Sessions, except the Tonage and Poundage, and Malt-Duty, which are not estimated, amounts to the Sum of |
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3,753,000 |
| And the Sum Total of all the Monies, which will arise out of the Aid of 3s. in the Pound, the Capitation, and the 1 s. in the Pound, towards discharging the Principal and Interest of the said Loans, is estimated at |
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2,277,000 |
| So that the whole Deficiency, upon the Aid of 3s. in the Pound, the Capitation, and the 1s. in the Pound, by this Estimation, amounts to |
1,476,000 |
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As to the Aid of 3 s. in the Pound, the Committee
examined into the Reasonableness of the Computation
aforesaid; viz. The 120,000l. Interest upon the
1,500,000l. It did appear, That a great Part of the Interest begun above a Year ago, and will not be paid in a
Year's time.
That the Money comes in very slow; and the Agents
for Taxes have sent Letters to the Commissioners in the
Country to hasten them: Who returned Answer, That
there was but very little milled Money. It did appear,
That there had not been above 600,000l. brought in,
both in new and hammered Money; and that the Receivers have committed very great Abuses; particularly,
in keeping new Money in their Hands, and buying up
Exchequer-Bills with the same.
As to the Interest of 100,000l. upon ExchequerNotes, That the Abuses committed by the Collectors and
Receivers, in taking new Money and Guineas, at 22s.
and buying up Exchequer-Bills with the same; and other
Abuses by them committed; has occasioned the Interest
to be so great.
That there is 100,048l. of the Bills not yet made out:
That there is about 570,000l. of the Bills, which are
cancelled.
That 2 or 300,000l. of them have been paid to
Seamen: That there is about 2,000,000l. now out, that
carry the Interest of 5 d. a Day. So that it will be a
considerable time, before they are all cancelled; which
must necessarily occasion the Interest to be so great.
The Committee examined the Chamberlain of London,
in relation to what Money had come in, upon the 3 s.
Aid, the 1s. Aid, and the Capitation: Who informed
them, That there was come in, upon the 3 s. Aid,
120,000l.; 110,000l. whereof was paid him in old
Money, and the rest in Exchequer Bills; and not 200l.
in milled Money.
He further informed the Committee, That the 3s. and
1s. Aid, distinct from the Capitation, within the City of
London, will fall short, at least, 30,000l. of the 4s.
Aid in 1696: That he has received, by the CapitationTax, about 130,000l.; but most in Exchequer Bills, and
old Money: That he hath paid into the Exchequer, in
hammered Money, about 130,000l.; which produced,
when coined, about 110,000l.
The Committee examined Mr. Ryley; and asked him,
What the 3s. and 1s. Aid would produce? Who informed them, That he could not give them an exact Account; but did believe, It would hold near the same, in
proportion to the 4s. Aid, granted in the Year 96.
He also informed the Committee, That the Duplicates
are not yet returned from the Countries; and that the
Agents of the Taxes have done all they can, and have
pressed the Commissioners for the Duplicates; who have
sent Answers to them, That the Reason why the Duplicates are not returned, is, Because of the frequent Removals of Persons and Servants: So that, till the Last
Quarter be paid, they cannot return the same.
Memorandum. The new Subsidy, and the 1 s. in the
Pound, is charged with the Payment of 1,200,000l.
That the 1s. in the Pound will produce, by Computation, 404,000l. But the Subsidy of Tonage and
Poundage, which is granted from the 1st of May 97.
unto the 1st of February 99, is to make good the
said 1,200,000l.
The Committee proceeded upon the Consideration of
the Abstract of the Arrear due to the Land-Forces,
Guards, and Garisons: And it appeared according to
the best Information the Committee could get,
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£. |
s. |
d. |
£. |
s. |
d. |
| That there is due, to clear the Arrears of Pay, from the 1st of April 1692, to the last of September 1697, according to the Establishment |
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1,200,054 |
16 |
3 |
| That there is due, to clear the Arrear of Subsistence to the Troops in England, according to the Regulation thereof, between the 1st of January 1696, and the 1st of August following |
203,415 |
7 |
9½ |
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| Most of which is due to Quarters. |
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| That there is due, to clear the Arrear of Subsistence due to the Troop of Scotch Guards in Scotland, and the Regiment and Companies in the West-Indies, from the 1st of January 1696, to the 20th November 97, inclusive; to which time the Army in England have been subsisted, except for the Seven Months, between the 1st of January 1696, and the first of August following |
21,348 |
— |
9 |
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| Whereof 4,936l. 19s. is set down, as due to the Troop of Scots Guards. |
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| That there is due, to clear the Arrear of Subsistence due to the Troops in Flanders, to the 4th of October last, according to the best Estimate that can be made of the same, 450,816l. 17s. 8d.; and to clear Contingencies to the said time, 28,293l. 2s. 4d. making together, as per Abstract, delivered in |
479,000 |
— |
— |
703,763 |
8 |
6½ |
| That there is due to the General Officers, with their Aids de Camp, and the Majors of Brigade, about |
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50,000 |
— |
— |
| That there will be due, for Arrears of Pay to the Land-Officers, Guards, and Garrisons, which will be due to them from the said last Day of September last, to the 31st of December, inclusive, about |
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75,000 |
— |
— |
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£.2,028,818 |
4 |
9½ |
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Memorandum, It appeared, by an Account delivered in to the Commissioners, by the Lord Ranelagh, there was further due, to clear the Arrear of Subsistence due to the Troops in Flanders, from the 4th Day of October 1697, exclusive, to the last of December, inclusive |
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195,990 |
— |
9 |
| Towards clearing of which, there has been borrowed, and remitted, and not yet paid here, |
100,000 |
— |
— |
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| And there has likewise been furnished, by Mr. Hugueton, and others, who are repaid out of the Loans made to the Exchequer in general, |
58,000 |
— |
— |
£.158,000 |
— |
— |
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Balance remaining |
£.37,990 |
— |
9 |
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£. |
s. |
d. |
| That, upon Consideration of an Account, signed by the Lord Coningsby, and Charles Fox Esquire, it appeared, That there is due to the several Regiments therein mentioned, to the time they were placed on the English Establishment |
99,951 |
18 |
41/8 |
| And that it also further appeared, by an Account signed by Jacob Vander, That there is due to the Regiments therein mentioned, to be cleared of their Irish Arrears, till the last of March 1692 |
27,260 |
17 |
1 |
Ordered, That the said Report be referred to the Consideration of the Committee of the whole House who
are to consider of the Supply to be granted to his
Majesty.
Supply.
Resolved, That this House will, upon Saturday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole
House, to consider further of the Supply to be granted to
his Majesty.
Committees.
Ordered, That all Committees be revived.
Leave of Absence.
Ordered, That Mr. Darrell have Leave to go into the
Country, upon extraordinary Occasions.
Preventing Correspondence with late King James.
The House, according to the Order of the Day,
proceeded to take into Consideration the Amendments,
made by the Lords, to the Bill, intituled, An Act
against corresponding with the late King James, and his
Adherents:
And the same were read; and are as follow; viz.
1st Skin, 32 L. for "6th," read "14th."
2 Skin, 4 Line, for "6th," read "14th."
4 Skin, 22 L. after. "Treason," leave out to "and,"
in the 29th L.; and insert Clause A, That if any
Person who hath taken any such Grant, or Pardon,
as aforesaid, shall deliver up the same, before the 13th
of February, he shall not be punishable for the
same.
The First and Second Amendments were read a Second
time; and, upon the Question severally put thereupon,
agreed unto by the House.
The Third Amendment, 4 Skin, 22 L. after
"Treason," leave out to "and," in the 29th Line, being read a Second time;
And the Question being put, That the House do agree
with the Lords in the said Amendment;
It passed in the Negative.
Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to draw up
Reasons, to be offered to the Lords at a Conference, for
disagreeing to the said Amendment.
And it is referred to Sir William Williams, Sir Richard
Onslow, Colonel Granville, Mr. Conyers, Sir John Bolles,
Mr. Manley, Mr. Price, Lord Norris, Mr. Pocklington,
Mr. Sloane, Mr. Gwynn, Mr. Blake, Mr. Attorney-General, Mr. Berty, Mr. Solicitor-General, Mr. Harcourt,
Sir Edw. Seymour, Mr. Tredenham, Lord Ranelagh, Mr.
Foley, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Hammond, Mr.
Bromley, Mr. Norris: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four a Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.
Counter's, &c. Imprisonment.
An ingrossed Bill for continuing the Imprisonment of
* * Counter, John Bernardi, Robert Cassells, Robert
Meldrum, James Chambers, and Robert Blackborne, committed to Newgate, for the late horrid Conspiracy to assassinate his Majesty, was read the Third time.
An Amendment was proposed to be made to the Bill,
by leaving out "and such other Persons who shall hereafter render themselves, or shall be apprehended; and
against whom there shall be Evidence upon Oath, of
their being concerned in the said barbarous and bloody
Conspiracy to assassinate the Person of his Sacred Majesty."
And the Question being put, That the said Words
stand Part of the Bill;
It was resolved in the Affirmative.
Another Amendment being proposed to be made to
the Bill, by leaving out "and to the End of the next
Session of Parliament;"
And the Question being put, That the said Words
stand Part of the Bill;
It was resolved in the Affirmative.
The Question being put, That the Bill do pass;
The House divided.
The Yeas go forth.
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Tellers for the Yeas, |
Colonel Wharton,
Mr. Norris: |
191. |
| Tellers for the Noes, |
Mr. Brotherton,
Mr. Arnold: |
2. |
So it was resolved in the Affirmative:
And that the Title be, An Act for continuing the
Imprisonment of * * Counter, and others, for the late
horrid Conspiracy to assassinate the Person of his Sacred
Majesty.
Ordered, That Mr. Clark do carry the Bill to the
Lords, and desire their Concurrence thereunto.
Timber in New-Forest.
Resolved, That this House will, upon Tuesday Morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole
House, to consider of the Bill for Increase and Preservation of Timber in the New-Forest, in the County of
Southampton.
Ordered, That such Persons as were ordered to attend
the said Committee this Day, to attend again upon
Tuesday next.
And then the House adjourned till To-morrow
Morning, Nine a Clock.