"To the Right Honourable the Lords Com-
"mittees for infpecting and preferving Re-
cords, &c.

"The Reprefentation of Sir John Cotton Ba

ronet.

66

"Houfes, or the Approaches thereto, we think Two
" Hundred Pounds aYear may be accounted a reasonable
"Rate. Sir John alfo affuring us, he hath been offered
"that Sum as a Ground-rent, by Builders: We humbly
"conceive, if Her Majefty fhall be advised, and inclined
to do any Thing in this Matter, it will be better to
"purchase the Fee-fimple (the Value whereof we
"eftimate at Four Thoufand Pounds), than charge the
"Whereas the late Sir John Cotton, his Grandfather, "Crown with a Rent, payable to a Subject. But, as
did, in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Year of the Reign "the Eftate ftands entailed, fuch Purchase must be
"of the late King William, of Glorious Memory, pro-authorized by Act of Parliament.
"cure an Act of Parliament, for fettling and preferving
"his Library, which had been purchafed at a very

great Charge and Expenfe, by vefting the fame in "Trustees, for the Benefit of the Public, according "to the Purposes mentioned in the faid Act; with "which the prefent Sir John Cotton hath been, and still "is, defirous to comply, provided the Library be not "removed, contrary to the Intentions of his Grand

father, expreffed in the faid Act: And whereas the "Manfion-house and Gardens, together with the faid

66

11° March 1705.

66

<<< TRAVERS.

"CHR. WREN."

"To the Right Honourable the Lords Committees Sir J. Cotton's "for preferving Records.

Second Piopotal:

Library, are, by the fame Act, vefted in Trustees, to
"the Ufe of the Heirs Males of the Family and Name;
"Sir John Cotton being defired to give in Writing a
"and fince, by reafon of the Straitnefs of the Place, more particular Eftimate of his Houfe and Gardens
"and ruinous Condition of the Building wherein the at Westminster, called Cotton-House; and having, ac-
"Library is now kept, and the inconvenient Paffage cording to your Lordships Directions, employed fome
"to the fame, it is thought that the good Intentions of
Perfons, jointly with Sir Chriftopher Wren, to view
the faid A&t cannot be conveniently performed; and and furvey the fame; he is advifed, that the faid
"therefore it hath been propofed, that fome Method
"Ground is capable of great Improvements, by the
might be found out, confiftent with the former Act," near Situation to the Two Houfes of Parliament,"
(which the prefent Sir John Cotton thinks himself in-
"difpenfably obliged to follow in all refpects, as the
"Will and Directions of his Grandfather.)

Surveyors Report about it:

66

66

"where Conveniencies might be made for the Accom
"modation of Members, by building a Square, which
"might contain Four and Twenty Houfes, to which
"the Avenue, or coming, would be of wonderful Con-
"venience to Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons
" and would go directly out of the Parliament-house
"into their Lodgings: Yet, though fuch Offers have
"been made to him, and though the House has now
"continued in his Name and Family near One Hun-
"dred Years; yet he is willing to part with it, for the
"better providing for the Library therein, left by
"his Ancestors to the Public, and for fuch other Ufes
to which Her Majefty may think fit to convert the
JOHN COTTON." "fame; being fenfible, that its Situation between the
"Houfe of Lords and Houfe of Commons would have
"cut off all Communication between the Two Houfes,
"had not Sir John Cotton's Ancestors confented to

"The better to enable ourselves to judge of the "Reasonablenefs of Sir John's Demand, which feems "to be founded on a Profpect of Improvement by new building, we have viewed the Premifes, and con"fidered what Improvement of that Kind the Ground "is capable of; and are of Opinion, there is Room "for erecting Sixteen Houfes, which may poffibly "afford a Ground-rent of Ten-pounds apiece, that is, "One Hundred and Sixty Pounds per Annum; yet, in "regard to the convenient Situation of the Premifes

for Accommodation to the Two Houfes of Parlia"ment, and that new Tenements to be erected thereon "would fomewhat darken and incommode the faid

Addrefs to be drawn about

it.

Adjourn.

"To the Right Honourable the Lords Committees DIE Luna, 18° Martii.

"for infpecting and preferving Records.

་་

"The Committee afterwards fpoke with Sir John "Cotton and others of the Family, in hopes to bring "this Matter to fome good Conclufion, for the Public

Service; and, upon difcourfing with them, Sir John "offered a Second Propofal to the Committee, which is "likewife annexed to this Addrefs.

We, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parlia
66 ment affembled, having appointed a Committee, to
"confider of the Methods of keeping Records and
Public Papers in Offices, and how they are kept,
"and to confider of Ways to remedy what fhall be
"found amifs: They reported to us, That they had taken
"into Confideration the State and Condition of the
Cotton Library, which, by an Act paffed in the Twelfth
"Year of the late King, is fettled and vested in Truf-
tees, for the Ufe of the Public; that they fent for
"fome of the Trustees; and, upon Inquiry, they found
"that nothing had yet been done in Purfuance of the
Act, to make the faid Library useful to the Public;
"that there is no Way or Paffage to it fet out, as the
"A&t did direct, fo that no Perfons can refort to it;
"that there is no Library-keeper appointed, to infpect
"and take Care of the Manufcripts; nor any Orders
or Rules appointed, for the reading or ufing the
"fame; and that the Public is wholly deprived of
"the Benefit and Advantage that was defigned by the
"A&t.

66

་

"We are fenfible, that the laft Propofal of Sir John "Cotton is higher than Your Majefty's Surveyors judge, "reasonable: But we humbly hope that this will not, "divert Your Majefty from any Gracious Purpofe You may have to hearken to this our humble Addrefs; not only upon the Account of what we have before, "mentioned, but because the whole Advantage of, "the Price will come to the Family, who have given "this great Treafure of Books to the Ufe of the "Public."

It is ORDERED; by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the Lord High Treafurer of England do attend Her Majefty, with the Addrefs of this Houfe, agreed to this Day, relating to the Cottonian Library.

"The Committee, thinking it did deferve their ut-
moft Care, that this Library fhould not continue in
"this ufelefs State, went themselves to view the Room
where it is kept, and to fee what convenient Way
"might be fet out for a Paffage to it. The Place wherein
"the Library is contained is a narrow little Room,
damp, and improper for preferving the Books and
Papers; there is only One Window at each End, and
"the Arch over One of them in a ruinous Condition,
"and ready to fall, as is alfo the Arch upon which
the Room is built; that there can be no Paffage to
"it but through the best Rooms of the Houfe, which
"would be very inconvenient, and make the Houfe
wholly useless to the Family. This being the Situ-
"ation of Things in refpect to this Library, the Com-
"mittee found, that either it would be impoffible for
"the Public to have any convenient Ufe of it, or it
"must become fo manifeftly prejudicial to the Family
"of the Benefactor; and therefore they propofed to
"fome of the Relations, to fet a moderate Price upon
"the House and Garden (which are adjoining to the
"Two Houfes of Parliament, and might be of great
Ufe to the Public upon many accounts, as well as for
a Repofitory of the faid Library), in order that the
"fame might be again vefted in the Crown.

66

The Lord Halifax reported from the Lords Com- Addrefs con mittees, an Address drawn by them, relating to The Cerning Thi Bahama Ilands.

Accordingly, a Propofal was made, in Writing, by "Sir John Cotton, which we take Leave to annex to this Addrefs; which Propofal the Committee delivered to Your Majefty's Surveyor General of the Lands, and to the Surveyor General of the Buildings; who, "having viewed the Premifes, made their Report, in Writing, to the Committee, which is alfo annexed to this Addrefs.

Which was read, and agreed to, as follows; (videlicet,)

"We, Your Majefty's moft loyal and dutiful Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament "affembled, having received a Petition and Memorial "from John Graves, the Collector of Your Majefty's "Cuftoms in The Bahama Islands, in Behalf of him"felf and other Your Majesty's diftreffed Subjects in "the faid Iflands; and having appointed a Committee,

lilands.

to hear him, and others, who have lately been Inha"bitants in the Ifle of Providence, and have traded "thither; they have reported to us, That they do find, "that the French and Spaniards have Twice in this "War over-run and plundered the fame; and that the "Governor hath deferted the Place; and that there is no "Form of Government remaining amongst them. They "find likewife, that the Situation of thofe Iflands is

very convenient for protecting and fecuring our own Ships, and annoying thofe of the Enemy; and that "the Harbour in the Island of New Providence may eafily be put in a Pofture of Defence; and that it "would be of dangerous Confequence, if it should fall

7

❝ into the Hands of the Enemy; and that the fame DIE Martis, 19° Martii.

"has been wholly neglected by the Proprietors for "fome Time.

Then, it being moved," To read the Bill a Third "Time, without committing it :"

The Question was put, "Whether this Bill shall "be committed?"

It was Refolved in the Negative.

The Question was put, "Whether this Bill fhall "be now read the Third Time?"

It was Refolved in the Affirmative.

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