House of Commons Journal Volume 1: 24 March 1604

Die Saturni, viz. 24o Martii

Botlie, a discontinued Borough.

THIS Day Mr. Speaker produced a Certificate under the Hand of the Clerk of the Crown, directed unto himself, touching the Town of Botlie in the County of Southampton, a decayed and discontinued Borough ; which was to this Effect:

And the same being openly read, was referred to the Consideration of the general Committee for Returns and Privileges. Vide Fol. *

Writs of Error.

Lectio 1. B. To take away Writs of Error in certain Cases.

Apparel.

L. 1. B. Concerning Apparel

This Bill contained a Repeal of all former Statutes touching Apparel, or Hats, Caps, &c. forbidden to be worn, or used , and that the King, by his Proclamation under the Great Seal of England, might limit all Degrees of Persons, &c. Which, by sundry Members of the House, was specially misliked; and, upon this first Reading (which is not usually admitted, without some extraordinary Conceit of Mischief, Inconvenience, or Imperfection, apparent in the Bill) spoken unto, and argued pro et contra; and the Opinion inclining for the Rejection, the Question was made by Mr. Speaker accordingly; viz.

Quest. Whether the Bill should be rejected.

But the Voice seeming doubtful, the House was divided : Such as were for the Bill, answered No, in this Question, and did sit still in the House; such as were against it, answered Yea, and went forth into the utter Room; and the Number being taken of both by Mr. Speaker's Direction, there were told

with the Yea, 125.

with the No, 75.

And so the Bill was rejected, with the Difference of Fifty Voices.[c]

Tellers.

Here note, that it belongeth to the Speaker's Place to appoint Tellers of the Number; viz. Two of either Part indifferently.

Statutes.

A Committee moved, and named, for Continuance, Repeal, and Reviving of Statutes; viz.

All the Serjeants at Law of the House, Sir Henry Mountague, Recorder of London, Sir Edward Hobby, Sir Tho. Ridgeway, Mr. Lawrence Hyde, Mr. Wiseman, Sir Robert Wroth, Sir Geo. Moor, Sir Geo. Carew, Sir Rob. Wingfield, Sir Edward Mountague, Sir Henry Nevill, Mr. Winch, Sir Henry Poole, Sir William Strowd, Mr. D. James, Mr. Fr. Moore, Sir Edw. Lewknor, Mr. Robert Hitcham, Sir Thomas Lake, Sir Thomas Beomont, Mr. Martyn, Mr. Hadds, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Brock, Sir William Liggon, Sir Robert Oxenbridge, Sir Anthony Rowse, Sir Francis Barrington, Sir Geo. St. Poll, Sir William Wray, Sir John Boys, Sir John Heigham, Sir Robert Needham, Sir Robert Cotton.

And these Committees were appointed to meet on Thursday following, at Two a Clock in the Afternoon, in the Middle Temple Hall.

It was propounded, That such Statutes as had lost their Life and Force by her late Majesty's Death, should be tendered to the House by special Bill, to be revived in Part, or in All, as the Occasion moved.

Privilege-

Complaint was made of certain Pages, who, disorderly and violently, upon the Parliament-stairs, had taken a Cloak from one Richard Brocke, a young Youth, Servant to a Member of the House, and carried it to the Sign of the Sun, a Tavern, in Westminster, and the Owner following them, and demanding his Cloak, they offered it to the Vintner's Servant for such Wines as they called for; and, when the Reckoning was brought in, they left it in lieu of Payment; and the Vintner's Man by Force kept it from the Owner. The Name of the Vintner's Man was Bryan Ashton, who, with his Master, William Carter, presently were sent for, and brought to the Bar by the Serjeant: And, upon their Examination, the Report of the former Circumstances appeared to be true; and thereupon the Order was, That the Cloak should be restored to the Owner; the Particulars of the Abuse further examined by the Committees for Privileges on Monday following; and Carter, the Vintner, and Ashton, his Man, in the mean time, to remain, in the Custody of the Serjeant, and then to appear before the Committees.

This Offender Ashton was afterwards discharged by the Committee, without further Report or Proceeding in the Matter.