The 8th. In a grand Committee took the Convention into further Confideration, when it was moved, that an Addreís of Thanks be prefented his Majefty for obtaining the Convention; and a great Debate arofe thereupon; See the Debate at large, Volume VI. Page 1. &c. Received found that the Ship and Cargo was no lawful Capture. Upon which Nicholas Holloway, Efq; his Majesty's Conful, made a Demand of the Ship and Cargo, and all Damages to be made good. And proper Application was also made to M. Vander Meer, Embajador from the States General, then at Madrid, and Sir Charles Wager at Gibraltar, from whom great Hopes were conceived that the Ship and Cargo would be restored to the Owners, and the Damages made good, according to the true Intent and Meaning of the Preliminary Articles: But, contrary to all Justice and Equity, there came an Order from Madrid of the 14th of October following, to fell the Ship and Cargo for the Ufe of the cruel Captors. It is very romakable in this Affair, that the Preliminary Articles were figned at Paris the 31st of May 1727, N. S. which was twenty-nine Days before the faid Ship was taken; and, upon the 18th of June, 1727, his Catholic Majefty accepted and figned the faid Preliminaries, tho' he detained them feveral Days before he accepted the fame; and upon the 23d following all Hoftilities ceafed at Gibraltar and the Camp of St. Roche; and upon the 25th of the fame Month it was publicly known at Malaga (from whence the faid Privateer failed the fame Evening) and other Parts of the Sea Coast, which was four Days before the faid Ship was taken. In Confequence of the faid Articles it was advertized in the London Gazette of the 9th of April 1730, that all the Sufferers included in the fame should give in and make their Claims upon Oath, in order to receive Reftitution; which accordingly was done in this Cafe: And by the Treaty of Seville, concluded the 9th of November, 1729, in the fecond, the fifth, and last feparated Articles, it was fully ftipulated in exprefs Words, That immediate Reparation fhould be made to the Sufferers, pufuant to the fifth and feventh Articles of the faid Preliminaries. There have been fundry Applications made in the most refpectful and preffing manner, for Redress in this Affair; and the faid Copithorne hath made a Journey on purpose to Seville, and attended the Commiffaries fome Time, in Hopes of obtaining Satisfaction for himfelf and the other Sufferers, which was attended with a great Expence and Lofs of Time. All which is humbly fubmitted to the Confideration and Petition of Received the Report of Yefterday's Refolution, which gave Rife to the Debate, to be found page 43. &c. The 12th, the House went with their Addrefs to his Ma. jesty *. The 13th. Received a Petition of the Merchants, Clothiers, and Dealers in Wooll, complaining of the Decay of the Woollen Manufactory, and praying Relief, &c. Refer'd to a Committee of the whole House. The 14th. See page 76, The 15th. Agreed to the Report of Yefterday's Refolution on Ways and Means, viz. Refolved, that Two Shillings in the Pound be granted for Land-Tax for 1739. Refolved, That no Drawbacks fhall be paid on the Exportation of wrought Plate or Manufactures of Silver, that fhall have been wrought about 10 Years before the Entry of the fame for Exportation. Ordered an Addrefs to his Majefty, to congratulate him on the Birth of another Prince. Ordered a congratulatory Meffage to the Prince of Wales on the fame joyful Occafion. Mr. Speaker reported that the Houfe had attended his Majefly in the Houle of Peers, when he gave the Royal Affent to the Bill for punishing Mutiny and Desertion, and to two private Bills. The 16th. In a Grand Committee took into Confideration the feveral Petitions, complaining of the Clandeftine Exportation of Wooll to foreign Parts, and alfo of the Decay of the Woollen Manufacture, and came to feveral Refolutions; which See page 71. The 20th. Refolved, That his Majefty be addreffed, to order an Account of the State and Condition of the British Sugar Colonies, to be laid before the House. Read the Land-Tax-Bill a fecond time. Received a Petition from the Merchants trading to Sicily, the Merchants fetting forth that upon the Defeat of the Spanish Fleet in trading to 1718, the Merchants refiding at Meflina were imprisoned, Sicily. their Ships, Goods and Effects feized, confifcated and fold, by order of the General of the Spanish Forces in Sicily, whereby the Petitioners fuffered great Loffes, which were claimed and proved before a Committee of the whole Houfe in 1728-9. and the Estimates of the faid Loffes then delivered in, Duplicates whereof are ready to be produced by the Petitioners, who have had no Reftitution made them; nor, as they ap-/ prehend, did the Commiflaries go thro' the Difcuffion of the. This Addrefs was not printed in the Votes as ufual, Loffes Loffes in Sicily, or make any Report of them: And therefore fubmitting the Cafe of the Petitioners to the Confideration of the House, and praying such Relief, as to the House fhall feem meet. Ordered to lie on the Table. The 22d. Received a Petition of James Buchanan, and And of James others, interested in the Ship Scipio; fetting forth, that the Buchanan. faid Ship having taken in her Cargo on the Coaft of Africa, confifting of Negroes, Gold-Duft, and Elephant's Teeth, to the Value of upwards 6000l. and failing from thence to Jamaica, having touched on the Ifland of Barbadoes, was on the 27th of October 1736, taken on the High Sea by a French Ship or Veffel, and carried into St. Peter's in the Ifland of Martinique; that foon after a Prosecution was commenced against the Captain before the Court of Admiralty there, founded on a Pretence that he was acting in Contravention to a certain Edict for fettling Limits relating to unlawful Trade; but that, upon Trial, the Judges were of Opinion, that the Charge was groundless: Nevertheless the Intention of the Edict not having been qualified, the Judges were obliged to declare the faid Ship and Cargo duly confifcated; and that thereupon the Captain appeared to the Supreme Court of Martinique, who upon Examination annulled the Judgment given by the Court of Admiralty, and decreed him Cofts, and that he should be again put into Poffeffion of the faid Ship and Cargo. And that as the faid Captain was preparing to take Poffeffion of his Ship and Cargo, he received an Ordinance from the Intendant of the Ifland, which impowered the Directors of the Cuftoms to appeal from the Judgment of the Supreme Court, to the French King in Council; but neverthe lefs ordered the faid Ship and Cargo to be reftored, on his producing good and fufficient Security, Inhabitants of the Ifland, for the appraised Value of the fame: And that the faid Captain not being able to procure the Security infifted on, was obliged to confent to the Sale of his Ship and Cargo, and to depofit the Money in the Hands of his Securities, till the Affair should be decided by the King and Council of France. That the faid Captain did follicite oftentimes at Paris, but to no Purpose, he being at length told, that this Ship in Conteft fhould pay for a French Ship, called the Fleuren, taken fome time ago. That upon Petition to his Majefty, Application had been made by his Minifter at Paris, but that the fame had not its defired Effe&, and therefore praying the Houfe to take the Premiffes into Confideration, &c. The 23d. See Page 77. The Petition of The 26th. Received a Petition of Joanna Stephens, fet Mrs. Stephen3 ting forth that the Petitioner has, for fome Years laft paits been poffeffed of a Method of preparing Medicines, which are found by Experience to be a fafe and effectual Cure for the Stone, and by which fhe has her prefent Subfiftence; that several Perfons of Diftinction have endeavoured to raise the Sum of cool. by voluntary Contribution, in order to parchafe of her the Method of preparing and giving the faid Medicines, and have accordingly raised the Sum of 13871. 135. for that Purpose, but fee no Probability of compleating the whole Sum of 5000l. and therefore praying, Votes on the &c. Referred to the Committee on the Supply; on a Divifion, Ayes 106, Noes 65. Agreed to the Report of Friday's Refolutions on the Supply, viz. Refolved, That, for defraying the Charges of his Majesty's Mint, and the Coinage of Gold and Silver Moneys, and thereby to encourage the bringing in of Gold and Silver to be coined, a Revenue of 15,000l. per Annum be fettled and fecured for seven Years, from the ft Day of March 1738. That 39,1241. be granted for reduced Officers of his Majefty's Land Forces and Marines, for 1739. That 39601. be granted for paying of Penfions to the Widows of reduced Officers for 1739. That 20,000l. be granted for the further fettling and improving the Colony of Georgia,in America. That 10,000 1. be granted for the Maintenance of the British Forts and Settlements in Africa. That 10,000 1. be granted towards the Support of Greenwich Hospital. That 3552 1. be granted to replace to the Sinking Fund the like Sum paid out of the fame to make good the Deficiencies of the Additional Stamp Duties at Christmas 1737. That 20,000l. be granted to replace to the faid Fund the like Sum paid out of the fame to the Governors and Company of the Bank of England, for one Year's Intereft on 500,000 1. by them lent on the Credit of the Salt Duties towards the Supply of the Year 1735: The 28th. Ordered in a Bill for Licenfing Tragedies, Commedies, that are to be acted at Edinburgh. The 30th. A Motion was made, and the Queftion being put, that Leave be given to bring in a Bill to repeal so much of an Act paffed in the 25th Year of the Reign of King Charles II. intitled, An Act for preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish Recufants, as obligeth all Persons, who are admitted into any Office, Civil or Military, to re ceive ceive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, within a Time limited by the faid A&t, and for explaining and amending fo much of the faid Act as relates to the Declaration against Tranfubftantiation. It paffed' in the Negative; on a Divifion, Ayes 89, Noes 188. April 3d. Refolved, That towards raifing 150001. per Refolutions Annum for defraying the Charge of his Majefty's Mint, and on Ways and the Coinage of Gold and Silver Monies; the Duties of 10 s. Means. per Ton be laid upon all Wines, Vinegar, Cyder and Beer, imported into Great Britain, which were continued for feven Years, be farther continued for seven Years longer, from the firit Day of March, 1738 That all the Powers, Privileges and Advantages which were granted by an A&t of the 18th King Charles II. for encouraging the Coinage of Gold and Silver, be further continued for feven Years. See Vol. VI. page 72. The 9th. Received the Report of the Coinage-Bill, and ordered it to be engroffed. Play-Houles. The 10th. Received Petitions from the City, Univerfity Edinburgh Pe and Merchants of Edinburgh, fetting forth that the Trade of tition against that City is not able to maintain a Play-Houfe; that fuch tends only to the Debauching the Morals of their Youth; that the Parliament has already prohibited under very severe Penalties the performing any Play, &c. within five Miles of the City of Oxford, and Town of Cambridge, and that Edinburgh, as a Univerfity, fhould be indulged in like manner, &c. Therefore praying that the faid Bill may not pass into a Law. Ordered to lie on the Table till the Bill be read a fecond time. Read a first time a Bill for prohibiting the Importation of English Books reprinted abroad; and for limiting the Prices of Books. Agreed to the Report of Yesterday's Refolution on the Supply, viz. Refolved, That 5000 l. be granted as a Reward to Joanna goool. granted Stephens, upon a proper Discovery to be made by her, for to Joanna Stethe Ufe of the Public, of her Method of preparing her Me- phens. dicines for the Stone. The 17th. Received a Petition of feveral Captains, Commanders and Officers of the Royal Navy, praying to be heard by Counfel, against the Bill for preventing Officers of his Majesty's Ships of War, from carrying Goods and Merchandizes on Freights, or Trading therewith. Refolved, That the Bill be read a tecond time upon this Day Month; on a Divifion, Ayes 134, Noes 80. Petition of the Captains of Men of Weg. |