House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 4 March 1689

Lunæ, 4 Martii; Primo Willielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

Members take Oaths.

SEVERAL Members of the House, who had not before taken the Oaths, and repeated and subscribed the Declaration, according to the several Acts of Parliament for that Purpose, did take, repeat, and subscribe the same.

Dunwich Return amended.

The House being informed, that the Bailiffs of the Borough of Dunwich in the County of Suffolke, and the Clerk of the Crown, attended, according to the Order of Tuesday last, at the Door, to amend the Double Return, made of Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the said Borough.

Resolved, That the said Bailiffs, and Clerk of the Crown, be called in.

They being come in, the Bailiffs did, at the Table, amend the said Return, by obliterating thereout the Names of Sir Thomas Allen, Knight, and Roger North, Esquire, and such Part of the said Return as related to them.

And they being withdrawn;

Sir Robert Rich, Knight and Baronet, and Sir Philip Skippon, Knight, were, according to the Order of the Three-and-twentieth February last, introduced into the House.

Ryegate Return amended.

The House being informed, that the Bailiff of the Borough of Ryegate, and the Clerk of the Crown, attended at the Door, according to the Order of Friday last, to amend the Return of Burgess, to serve in this present Parliament, for the said Borough;

Resolved, That the said Bailiff, and Clerk of the Crown, be called in.

They being come in, the Bailiff did, at the Table, amend the said Return, by razing out the Name of Sir John Parsons, Knight; and inserting, instead thereof, the Name of Thomas Vincent, Esquire.

And they being withdrawn;

Mr. Vincent was, according to the Order of the Threeand-twentieth of February last, introduced into the House.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir Wm. Strickland and Sir Robert Davers have Leave to go into the Country for their Healths.

King appoints to be attended.

Mr. Comptroller acquainted the House, that he, with other Members of the House who were of His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, having, according to the Order of Saturday last, waited upon his Majesty, to know his Pleasure, when he would be attended with the Address of this House of their Thanks for his most gracious Message relating to the Duty of Hearth-money; His Majesty has been pleased to appoint, to be attended accordingly, To-morrow, at Three of the Clock in the Afternoon, in the Banqueting House at Whitehall.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir Edward Seymour have Leave to go into the Country.

Suspending Habeas Corpus.

Sir Thomas Littleton reports from the Committee, to whom the Bill for impowering his Majesty to apprehend and detain such Persons, as he shall find just Cause to suspect are conspiring against the Government, was referred, That the Committee had thought fit to make several Amendments to the Bill: Which Amendments he read in his Place, with the Coherence; and after delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same, being all read over; and afterwards again, One by One, upon the Question severally put thereupon, were all agreed unto by the House.

A Motion being made, that there be another Amendment to the Bill, by the Addition of these Words, "and also, of all other Laws and Statutes any way relating to, or providing for, the Liberty of the Subjects of this Kingdom: And the same being twice read;

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said Amendment.

Another Amendment being proposed, by adding these Words, "and that this present Act shall continue until the said Seventeenth Day of April, and no longer:" And the same being twice read;

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said Amendment.

Another Amendment being proposed, of these Words, "and is never to be drawn into Precedent, or Example, hereafter;"

And the Question being put, That the House do agree to the said Amendment;

It passed in the Negative.

A Clause being offered to be added to the Bill, in these Words:

"And be it further Declared and Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, that the Fees and reasonable Charges, of all Persons, which shall be confined, committed, imprisoned, or detained in Prison, or Custody, by Virtue or Colour of this Act, occasioned by such Confinement, Commitment, Imprisonment, or Detainer, shall be paid and discharged out of the publick Revenue of the Crown:"

And the Question being put, that the House do agree to the said Clause:

It passed in the Negative.

A Proviso being offered to be added to the Bill, in these Words;

"Provided always, and be it Enacted, that nothing in this Act shall be construed to extend to the ancient Rights and Privileges of Parliament, or to the Imprisonment or Detaining of any Member of either House of Parliament, until the Matter, of which he stands suspected, be first communicated to the House, of which he is a Member; and the Consent of the said House obtained, for his Commitment, or Detaining."

The same was twice read;

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said Proviso.

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said Bill, so amended, with the said Clause, and Proviso added thereunto;

Ordered, That the said Bill, so amended, and with the said Clause and Proviso, be ingrossed.

Address resolving to support the King.

Mr. Hamden junior reports from the Committee, to whom it was referred to prepare an Address unto his Majesty, to contain the Substance of the Vote passed this House on Wednesday last, That the Committee had prepared an Address accordingly: Which he read in his Place; and afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same being read, is as followeth; viz.

WE Your Majesty's most faithful and dutiful Subjects, and Commons, assembled in Parliament, being highly sensible of our late great and signal Deliverance from Popery and Arbitrary Power; whereof it hath pleased Almighty God to make Your Majesty the glorious Instrument; and desiring, to the utmost of our Abilities, to express our Gratitude to Your Majesty, for so heroick an Undertaking, no less necessary for the Support of the Protestant Interest in Europe, than for the Recovering and Maintaining of the Civil Rights and Liberties of these Nations, so notoriously invaded and undermined by Popish Councils and Counsellors * * * *

An Amendment being proposed to be made in the said Address, by leaving out the Word "heroical," and, instead thereof, to insert these Words, "great and generous;"

Resolved, That the Word "heroical," be left out of the said Address.

Resolved, That, instead of the said Word "heroical," be inserted these Words, "great and generous."

Another Amendment being proposed to be made to the said Address, by leaving out these Words, * * * *;

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said Amendment proposed, that those Words be left out accordingly.

Resolved, That the Lords Concurrence be desired to the said Address.

Conference desired with Lords.

Ordered, That Mr. Hamden do go up to the Lords, and desire a Conference, upon the Matter of their Lordships last Message to this House.

Supply Bill; granting a present Aid.

A Bill for granting a present Aid to his Majesty, was read the Second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning at Ten of the Clock, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to take into Consideration the Bill for granting a present Aid unto His Majesty.

Members to propose Commissioners Names.

Ordered, That the several Members of this House do bring in Commissioners Names for the respective Places for which they serve.

Committee of Grievances.

Ordered, That Sir Joseph Tredenham, the Chairman of the Committee of Grievances, do make a Report from the said Committee To-morrow Morning, the first Business.

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

The Address agreed on.

Address resolving to support the King.

WE your Majesty's most faithful and dutiful Subjects, and Commons, assembled in Parliament, being highly sensible of our late great and signal Deliverance from Popery and arbitrary Power, whereof it hath pleased Almighty God to make Your Majesty the glorious Instrument; and desireing, to the utmost of our Abilities, to express our Gratitude to Your Majesty, for so great and generous an Undertaking, no less necessary for the Support of the Protestant Interest in Europe, than for the Recovering and Maintaining the Civil Rights and Liberties of these Nations, so notoriously invaded and undermined by Popish Councils and Counsellors; and being likewise fully convinced of the restless Spirits, and the continued Endeavours, of Your Majesty's and the Nation's Enemies, for the Extirpation of the Protestant Religion, and the Subversion of our Laws and Liberties; do unanimously declare, That we will stand by and assist Your Majesty with our Lives and Fortunes, in supporting your Allies abroad, in Reducing of Ireland, and in Defence of the Protestant Religion, and Laws of the Kingdom.