House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 1 January 1692

Veneris, 1 die Januarii; 3° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

St. Ives Election.

ORDERED, That Mr. Hawles be at Liberty to withdraw his Petition touching the Election for the Borough of St. Ives in the County of Cornwall.

Martyn's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for the Sale of the Manor of Manworthy, with its Appurtenances, in the County of Devon, being the Lands and Estate of Nicholas Martyn, Esquire, by Trustees hereinafter named, for the Payment of the Debts of the said Nicholas Martyn, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Moor's Estate.

An ingrossed Bill from the Lords, intituled, An Act for enabling Francis Moor, Esquire, to sell the Manor of Bay House and Lands in West Thorocke in the County of Essex, and to purchase and settle other Lands in lieu thereof, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

Hackney Coaches.

A Bill for the Regulating of Hackney Coaches, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time, after Eleven a Clock.

Recovery of Tythes.

An ingrossed Bill for the more speedy and easy Recovery of small Tythes, was read the Third time.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass: And that the Title be, An Act for the more speedy and easy Recovery of small Tythes.

Ordered, That Mr. Christie do carry the Bill to the Lords; and desire their Concurrence thereunto.

Commissioners of Accompts.

Sir Christopher Musgrave, according to Order, presented to the House an additional Bill for appointing and enabling Commissioners to examine, take, and state the publick Accompts of the Kingdom. And the same was received.

Rights of Corporations.

Mr. Brockman reports from the Committee to whom it was referred to prepare and bring in a Bill for maintaining and securing the Rights and Privileges of Cities, Towns, Boroughs, Cinque Ports, and Corporations, That they had prepared a Bill accordingly; which they had directed him to present to the House. And the same was received.

Whitchurch Writ.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ for the Electing of a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Whitchurch in the County of Southampton, in the room of Henry Wallop, Esquire, deceased.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Pollen have Leave to go into the Country for Three Weeks, for his Health.

Ordered, That Mr. Morland have Leave to go into the Country for Six Weeks, for his Health.

Aulnage Duty.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee to whom the Bill for transferring the Collection of the Duty of Aulnage to the Custom-house, and giving a Recompence to the Crown for the same, was committed, be made upon Monday Morning next.

Exporting Bullion.

The House being informed, that one Mr. Dodsworth, and one Mr. Leneve, can give the House an Account, What Gold and Silver has been melted down, and exported;

Ordered, That the said Mr. Dodsworth, and Mr. Leneve, do attend this House on Monday Morning next, for that Purpose.

Supply.

Then the House, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Supplies to be granted to their Majesties, for the carrying on a vigorous War against France.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Solicitor General took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Solicitor General reports from the said Committee, That they had come to several Resolutions; which they had directed him to report to the House.

Ordered, That the Report from the said Committee be made To-morrow Morning, before the Business touching the East India Company comes on.

Irish Forfeitures.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to receive Proposals, for raising Monies upon forfeited Estates in Ireland: And it is referred to Mr. Smith, Mr. Bathurst, Lord Falkland, Mr. Culliford, Mr. Foley, Colonel Titus, Sir Rob. Henley, Mr. Palmes, Mr. Colt, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Slater, Mr. Bridges, Sir Edw. Hussey, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Gray, Sir Jos. Tredenham, Mr. Tilney, Mr. Hutchinson, Lord Ranelagh, Mr. Harley, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Bertie, Sir Cha. Sidney, Mr. Vincent, Mr. Bickerstaffe, Sir Rob. Cotton, Sir Ralph Dutton, Mr. Carter, Sir Peter Colleton, Mr. Blowfeild, Colonel Granvile, Mr. Leving, Mr. Neale, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Bennett, Lord Fitzharding, Sir Christopher Musgrave, Mr. Wharton, Sir John Guise, Mr. Bertie, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Brownlow, Sir Rich. Reynell, Sir John Wynn, Colonel Earle, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Solicitor General, Mr. Comptroller, Sir Wilfred Lawson, Sir Stephen Fox, Sir John Dorrell, Mr. Sherrard, Sir Wm. Yorke, Mr. Travers, Colonel Perry: And they are to meet this Afternoon at Four of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber: And that Mr. Colt do send for the Persons by him named to the House.

A Witness to be protected.

Mr. Speaker acquainted the House with Two Letters which he had received from Wm. Fuller in the King's Bench, the one dated the Fifteenth of December, the other dated this First of January: Which were read: And also another of the same Date; which was delivered in by Mr. Arnold.

Ordered, That the said Mr. Fuller have the Protection of this House from all Violence, in his attending upon and returning from the House.

East India Company.

Ordered, That the Committee of the East India Company do attend this House To-morrow Morning.

Cieling and Roof of the House.

The House being acquainted, that Sir Christopher Wren had delivered in his Report, touching the Condition of the Cieling and Roof of the House, pursuant to an Order of the Twelfth of December last; the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.

That the Cieling, according to the manner of former Times, is made of Plaster of Paris, and not, as the modern Way is, of Lime and Hair, which, yielding to the Timbers, when they shrink or swell with Weather, doth not discover Cracks; whereas all Plaster Cielings, having the Firmness of Stone, do, for that Reason, always crack, but without Danger, because the Lath is preserved in Plaster, and is more apt to decay in Lime: Yet, for greater Caution, it is fit there should be a new Cieling, because this Way, being out of Use, is not generally understood to be safe.

About Eight Years since, upon the like Order, not only the Cieling and Floor above, but the Roof also, was examined very carefully: The Records above were moved to the Walls, and many Things then done rather out of Caution, than apparent Necessity; and this very Summer I caused the Gutters to be uncovered, the Timbers to be laid open and secured, and great Part of the Roof to be new leaded; in doing of all which, no great Defect could lie undiscovered: And now again, in pursuance of this Order, I have viewed the Cieling and Roof, accompanied with their Majesties Master Carpenter; and, though no Person ought to be confident in so great a Concern, yet we were of Opinion, that all was firm, finding all Things as we lately left it.

Notwithstanding, though the Roof were not now in Danger, yet it is very old, and the Covering hath been much neglected in former Time, neither can it be presumed to last many Years longer; and therefore it seems most reasonable, that ere long a new Room be thought of, where the important Affairs of the Nation may be transacted without Suspicions of this sort; or otherwise, for the present, that the Records be moved, and that a new Cieling be laid, and some other Repairs done, as soon as an Interval of Sessions, and the Season of the Year, shall permit. Chr. Wren.

Ordered, That the Roof and Cieling of this House be viewed by Major Vincent, Dr. Barbon, Sir Jam. Rushout, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Mountague, or any Three of them: And that they do report the Condition thereof, with their Opinions therein, to the House.

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