the most valuable Part of The Weft-Indies, at an eafy "Distance from the Spanish Settlements, and more par"ticularly is in the Neighbourhood of The Havana, "which hath been hitherto the Rendezvous of the "Spanish Galleons and Flotas. 66 might happen; we find ourselves under the highest Obligation of Duty to Your Majesty and the Kingdom, to "make this our humble Addrefs to Your Majesty, That "You will be pleased to take Care, that fo advantageous a Plantation may be effectually and feafonably supplied with all Things proper for its Security and "Defence; and particularly, that the Regiments there may be recruited and kept full; that Instructions be given to the Commanders of Your Majefty's Ships "that attend on this Plantation, to obferve ftrict Dif 66 "This Ifland produces the beft Sugar, Indico, Cot"ton-wool, Dying-wood, &c. and may be yet made more beneficial to England, by being a Staple of our "European Product and Manufactures, and a Mart for "Negroes upon a Peace or Friendship with the Spa-cipline and Order in the preffing fuch Seamen as aré "niards; which Advantage is enjoyed now by the "French, who do not only furnish the Spaniards with "all their Negroes for working in their Mines, but "almost entirely fupply them with all Neceffaries from "Europe, for which they are paid in Pieces of Eight, or other the richest Commodities; which Benefit might 66 accrue to this Kingdom in cafe of a Revolution in Spain, but cannot be maintained without the Island of "Jamaica, there being no other of Your Majefty's "Plantations fituated fo far to the Leeward, and so near to the Spaniards, as to afford a convenient Commu"nication with them, and a Means of protecting them "at the fame Time against the French. "With the Lofs of this Ifland, befides its natural "Product, this Kingdom would alfo lofe the whole "Advantage of fo beneficial a Trade as that of the "Spanish West-Indies; which would fall to the French "and Dutch, who have their Settlements in those "Parts. "Having thus laid before Your Majesty the great "Advantages of this Ifland, we must crave Leave to "obferve, that, in this Place of fo great Concernment "and Importance to the Trade and Profperity of this "Kingdom, there has been no Chief Governor fince the "Death of Colonel Brewer, during this War, till within a few Weeks; which, we are of Opinion, may have "been the Occafion of lofing feveral Opportunities of taking Advantages upon the Enemy, as well as of leffening the Difcipline amongst the Soldiers; the "Authority and Prudence of a Chief Governor always "drawing more Refpect, Obedience, and Dependance, upon him, than is ufually obferved towards any Officer 66 " in an inferior Command. 66 "We have alfo received Informations, from many of "the confiderable Merchants in this City trading to "Jamaica, of feveral French Men of War, to a con"fiderable Number, fitted out, and many Transport "Ships,, with Soldiers on board them, bound for The Weft-Indies, which, the faid Merchants conceive, they "have good Ground to believe are defigned to attack "Jamaica; their Correfpondents in that Place fignify"ing to them, "That the Prifoners from all Parts agree " in their Reports, that the Governors in the French and "Spanish Dominions in The West Indies defign to make a powerful Defcent on that Ifland, which at this "Time is extremely expofed, for Want of Soldiers and Ships of War to protect it." "abfolutely neceffary for the Ufe of the Men of War "The Expedition into The Mediterranean laft Sum mer, under the Command of Sir CloudeЛfly Shovell; "had raised fo great an Expectation in the World, and "concluded with fo little Advantage to the Under"taking, that we thought it our Duty to inquire into "the particular Execution of it: And having feen the "Inftructions given on that Occafion, and obferved the "Time the Fleet failed from hence, we moft humbly "offer it to Your Majefty, "That it is our Opinion, That the Time the Fleet "failed from England, being about the Middle of July, "under the Order Sir Cloudefly Shovell had to return out, "of The Streights within the Month of September, made "it impoffible to execute the main Services that, appeared before the Committee, were required to be performed by his Instructions. "And we do humbly addrefs to Your Majefty, That, "whenever there fhall be a Neceffity of fending a Fleet into The Mediterranean, the Coast and Trade here may not be left fo naked and unguarded, as it was the last Year. "We have judged it neceffary to reprefent at One « Time these feveral Matters to Your Majesty, rela"ting all to the Maritime Affairs; hoping that it will "be approved in Your own Royal Judgement, that a Adminiftration; that the Glory of the English Nation, diftinguishing Care may be had of that Part of the "fo renowned in all Times at Sea, may be preferved in "its higheft Reputation during Your Majefty's happy Reign; and that the Naval Strength of this Kingdom, "in which Your Subjects have a fingular Satisfaction as well as a Security, may be maintained and improved "by all proper Means, efpecially by the encouraging " of the Seamen, and obferving the ancient ftrict Dif "cipline of the Navy, to the immortal Honour of "Whereupon, after due and mature Confideration of "the great and eminent Advantages of this land, in "refpect of its Neighbourhood to the Spanish Settle"ments, which must always be of the greatest Importance to this Kingdom, whether in Time of War or 66 Peace, as alfo of the natural Product of that Place fo highly valuable to Your Majefty's Subjects here," and how irreparable the Lofs of fuch a Place would be, if, by any Accident, fuch a fatal Miscarriage "We likewise represent to Your Majefty, the Com"plaints laid before us from feveral Masters of Merchant "Veffels, in relation to their having been taken Prifoners "by the French, with many other Seamen, and detained "there a long Time, under very hard Ufage; into which Matter having inquired with all due Care and "Confideration, we humbly lay it before Your Majefty, befeeching You to give fuch Orders for the better Manage 66 66 "Management of the Commiffion for the Exchange of "Prifoners, as Your Majefty fhall judge most fit. "That we have been informed, on the Oaths of fe"veral Perfons, who have lately been Prisoners in France, "and who fome of them purchased their Liberty at "great Rates, "That feveral English Prifoners there, "through long Imprisonment, and the Hardships they "underwent therein, put themselves into the French "King's Service, and into French Privateers; alledging, 66 "They would rather do fo than die in Prifon ;" and "fome others had likewife done fo, had they not been "furnished with Money by One of the Informants, who, "in near Three Months he was Prifoner at Dinant, "believes, there died there more than Sixty Prifoners ;" and by another of them, "That he had an Account, that near Three Hundred died there in Four "Months, between the Return of the Transport Vefs "fels" and by another of them, "That in August laft, when he was Prifoner at Martinico, there were between Seventy and Eighty Ships belonging "to Her Majefty's Subjects, that had been taken by "the French, and about Two Hundred Prifoners:" 66 "We have likewife heard the Commiffioners for "Exchange of Prisoners; who faid, "They never had મંદ any Complaint made to them by any Prisoner, after his Return, of bad Ufage in France; nor did they ever hear, that any of them gave Money for his “Ransoni: But, upon Notice given by One of their "Agents (who had frequent Orders to inquire into the "Ufage of Prifoners), "That the French did not make σε fufficient Allowance to their Prifoners," the faid Com"miffioners reduced the Allowance to the French Prifoners, from Five Pence to Three Pence per Diem, till "they were certified from the Prifoners there, that they had their Allowance raised to what it had been "here: That they conftantly, Once in Three Weeks, "after the Return of a Veffel fent for Prifoners, fent "another on the fame Errand, except after the great "Storm in November laft, which, with the Privity of a Principal Secretary of State, they forebore to do juft at that Time, left Intelligence fhould be thereby "carried of our great Loffes in Men and Shipping. "They produced the Inftructions they gave to, and the committed to Newgate: « did, fince the Commencement of Her now Majefty's Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the faid Mrs. and Deputies, and every of them." in Parliament affembled, That Her Majefty's Attorney "It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Mrs. Fox to be profecuted "General do forthwith profecute Mrs. Frances Fox, for "that the having gone into France, and did, fince the "Securities they took of, the Masters of the Tranf-To the Keeper of Newgate, his Deputy Commencement of Her Majefty's Reign, return from 86 "It appeared to us, that, by the Neglect of the Duty "of fome of the Mafters of the Tranfport Vessels, and VOL. XVII. "ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the Gentleman Uther "of the Black Rod attending this Houfe, his Deputy "and Deputies, in whofe Cuftody Mrs. Frances Fox "now is, do forthwith carry the faid Mrs. Frances Fox to the Prifon of Newgate, there to remain until the "fhall be delivered by due Course of Law." "Whereas Mr. Colin Campbell, by Order of the Two Campbell "and Twentieth of February laft, ftands committed to the remanded; "Gentleman Ufher of the Black Rod attending this House, "his Deputy or Deputies, in whofe Cuftody he now is: "It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal "in Parliament affembled, That the faid Gentleman Ufher, "or his Deputy or Deputies, do forthwith deliver the 7 A "faid "We applied our felves to fearch into the Defigns "of Your Enemies, as well by a careful Perufal and "Confideration of the Papers, as by appointing a Com"mittee to examine the Perfons who had been taken "into Cuftody upon Account of the Confpiracy, and "others from whom it might be reasonably fuppofed any Light might be gained towards the Discovery. "And the Committee having made their Report to the "Houfe; upon mature Deliberation of the whole Matter, 66 we came to this unanimous Refolution: 66 cr 66 "Your Reign, and the prefent and future Happiness "and Peace of Your People, to ufe Your Royal En"deavours, by all fuch Methods as Your Majesty in "Your Wifdom fhall judge moft proper, to have the "Succeffion of the Crown of Scotland declared to be "fettled upon the Princefs Sophia, and the Heirs of "her Body, being Proteftants. And we do alfo humbly "befeech Your Majefty to take all other Measures, "which may best and most effectually conduce to the difappointing and fruftrating the Defigns of Your Enemies, and of fuch of Your traiterous Subjects as are engaged with them in this dangerous Confpiracy againft Your Majefty, for the utter Subverfion of "Your Government. And we do moft heartily and "unanimously affure Your Majefty, that, when Your "wife Endeavours for the fettling the Succeffion in "Scotland fhall have taken the defired Effect, we will "do all in our Power to promote an entire and com"pleat Union between the Two Kingdoms of England "and Scotland, for their mutual Security and Advantage." To which the Houfe agreed. ORDERED, That the whole Houfe do attend Her Ma-Houfe to jefty, with the faid Addrefs. It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the Lords with White Staves do attend Her Majefty, humbly to know what Time Her Majefty will be pleafed to appoint, for this Houfe to attend Her, with the Addrefs agreed to this Day. It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the Report made by the Lords Committees appointed to confider of the Scottish Confpiracy, the Twentieth of March Inftant, and the Papers laid before this House by Her Majefty's Command concerning the fame, and the Proceedings and Refolutions of this Houfe thereupon, fhall be forthwith printed and published; and that the Lords Committees appointed to confider of the Public Accompts, the Seventeenth of February laft, or any Five of them, do give Directions how and in what Manner they fhall be printed; and to meet To-morrow, at Ten a Clock in the Forenoon. attend the Queen with it. Dominus Cuftos Magni Sigilli declaravit præfens Par- Adjourn. liamentum continuandum effe ufque ad et in diem Jovis, tricefimum diem inftantis Martii, hora doudecima Aurora, Dominis fic decernentibus. L. Treafurer to lay it before the Queen. Bill for taking, &c. Public Accompts. Tower, Multitudes of Records in feveral Reigns, "fome relating to State Matters, and others relating "to Proceedings in Courts of Juftice, lie in confufed "Heaps; and, if Care be not speedily taken of them, "are in great Danger of utter perifhing. "The Committee are humbly of Opinion, That it will be a public Damage, as well as a Difhonour to "the Kingdom, to fuffer fuch Monuments of An"tiquity to be loft. "This will be too great a Work to be undertaken "by the Keeper of the Records, unless there be al"lowances made to him for a confiderable Number of "Clerks, who understand the Languages and Hands in "which the Records are written, and are capable of "making Abstracts of them, under the Care and Di "rection of that Officer. "It does appear, by the Writs de Calendariis fact"endis, de Rotulis et Scriptis in recto Ordine ponendis, "et Expenfis Clericis miniftrandis, that thefe Allow"ances have been anciently made to Clerks attending "the Office of Records within The Tower. "The Committee alfo inform your Lordships, That, if thefe Records were made clean, and reduced into "Order, the fame might be placed in the Room where "the present Office is kept, at a fmall Expence." Which Report was read, and agreed to. Upon Confideration of the Report, made this Day, from the Lords Committees appointed to confider of the Methods of keeping Records in Offices: It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the Lord Treasurer do lay the faid Report before Her Majefty, and humbly move Her Majefty to give Directions therein: And the Lord Treasurer is hereby defired to acquaint this House what is done in this Matter, the next Seffions of Parliament. Then the House proceeded to take into Confideration the Report of the Conference had with the House of Report of the Commons, upon the Bill, intituled, "An Act for the "taking, examining, and ftating, the Public Accompts "of the Kingdom." Conference. Committee to draw Reasons That it is the Opinion of this Houfe, That no Per- fions of the fon that refused to take the Oaths to the late King, reviewed! Peace to be is fit to be in the Commiffion of the Peace under Her prefent Majefty; and that an humble Addrefs be prefented to Her Majefty, "That She will be pleafed to "order the Commiffions of the Peace to be reviewed, "and give Direction, that no Perfon or Persons be con66 tinued, or put into the Commiffion of the Peace, but "Men of Quality and Eftates, and of known Affection "to Her Majefty's Title and Government, and the "Proteftant Succeffion, and the Church of England, "as they are both established by Law; and that Her Majefty will be pleased to order, that fuch be re"stored who are fo qualified, and have been turned "out without Caufe." 66 Dominus Cuftos Magni Sigilli declaravit præfens Par- Adjourn. liamentum continuandum effe ufque ad et in diem Veneris, The Amendments made by this Houfe to the Bill tricefimum primum diem inftantis Martii, hora duodecima Aurora, Dominis fic decernentibus. were read; (videlicet,) And ORDERED, That the Lords who were appointed for adhering Managers of the faid Conference do draw Reasons, to be offered at a Conference, for the Lords infifting on their First Amendment made in the faid Bill; and alfo for their not infifting on the Second Amendment. to the First Amendment. DIE |