A. C. ・17은응.

Refolutions

Mackworth.

March. Sir Humphry Mackworth, who, by the Report of the Committee, appear'd to have embelled a confiderable Part of the Principal Money and Stock of the Mine-Adventure, having petition'd to be heard by the Houfe, he was, on the Twenty third of March, call'd in, as were alfo the Council for the Petitioners, and in Part heard, relating to the Matters of the faid Report. Being withdrawn, a Debate arofe upon what they had offer'd, which was adjourn'd to the Twenty fifth; when both Sir Humphry Mackworth, and the Council for the Petitioners, were heard again; and the further Hearing of them put off to the Twenty eighth, then to the next Day, then again to the Thirtieth, and fo to the Thirty firft; when the Commons came to these unanimous Refolutions:

I. That it appears to this Houfe, That Sir Humphry against Sir Mackworth, Deputy-Governor of the Company of Humph. 'Mine-Adventurers of England, is guilty of many notorious and fcandalous Frauds, and indirect Practices, in Violation of the Charter granted to the faid Company, in Breach of his Truft, and to the manifeft Wrong and Oppreffion of the Proprietors and Credi tors of the fid Company.

II. That it appears to this Houfe, That William Shiers, Secretary to the faid Company, is guilty of " many notorious and fcandalous Frauds, and indirect Practices, in Confederacy with the faid Sir Humphry Mackworth, to the Wrong and Oppreffion of the Proprietors and Creditors of the faid Company.

III. That it appears to this Houfe, That Thomas Dykes, Treafurer to the faid Company, is guilty of m many notorious and fcandalous Frauds, and in. 'dire&t Practices, in Confederacy with the faid Sir Humphry Mackworth, to the Wrong and Oppreffion of the Proprietors and Creditors of the faid Company.

After which, it was order'd,

f. That the Report from the Committee to whom the Petition of the Creditors and Proprietors of Prin cipal Mony, Annuities, and Shares, in the MineAdventure of England, was referred, and alfo the faid Refolutions, be printed.

6 2. That

2. That a Bill be brought in to prevent the faid Sir Humphry Mackworth, William Sheirs, and Thomas Dykes, their leaving this Kingdom, and their aliena. ting their Eftates until the end of the next Seffion of Parliament.

But before this Bill could be brought to Perfection, the Parliament was adjourn'd,

The Commons having been inform'd by Sir Gilbert Heathcot, a Member of their House, of the Advances made by France, towards the renewing a Negotiation of Peace, and that the States-General were inclin'd to grant Paffes to French Plenipotentiaries to come to Holland for that purpose, refolv'd to prefent an Addrefs to her Majefty, That he would be pleas'd to fend the Duke of Marlborough forthwith into Holland. This Addrefs having been drawn by a Committee, reported to the Houfe,' and agreed to, was fent to the Lords for their Concurrence; and their Lordships having readily join'd in it, both Houfes, on the 18th of February, prefented the faid Addrefs to her Majefty, being as 1ollows:

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

WE

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1722

VE Your Majefty's moft Dutiful and Addrefs of "Loyal Subjects, the Lords Spiritual both Houfes defiring "and Temporal, and Commons in Parliament that the "Affembled, having Reason to believe that the Duke of દ Negotiations of Peace will fuddenly be Marlbo"renewed in Holland, and being juftly Ap- rough be Sent into "prehenfive of the Crafty and Infinuating Holland. "Deligns of our Enemies to create Divi"Gions among Your Allies, or by Amufing "them with Deceitful Expectations of Peace, to Retard their Preparations for War do think our felves bound in Duty, mott humbly to reprefent to Your Majefty, of how great Importance we conceive it is to the Intereft of the Common Caufe,

"that

A. C." that the Duke of Marlborough fhould be "abroad at this Juncture.

"We cannot but take this Opportunity "to express our Senfe of the Great and Unparallel'd Services of the Duke of Marlborough, and with all imaginable Duty to applaud Your Majefty's great Wif"dom, in having honour'd the fame Per"fon with the great Characters of General "and Plenipotentiary, who, in our humble Opinion, is moft capable of discharging "two fuch important Trufts.

"We therefore make it our humble Request to Your Majefty, That You would "be pleased to order the Duke of Marlborough's immediate Departure for Holland, "where his Prefence will be equally necef

fary, to affift at the Negotiations of Peace, "and to haften the Preparations for an ear"ly Campaign, which will most effectually "disappoint the Artifices of our Enemies, and procure a Safe and Honourable "PEACE for Your Majefty and Your "Allies.

To this Addrefs, the Queen return'd the following Anfwer.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

The Queen's I Am So Senfible of the Neceffity of the Duke of Marlborough's Prefence in Holland, at this Critical Juncture, that I have already given the necessary Diretions for his immediate Departure; and

I

I am very Glad to find, by this Addrefs, that you Concur with Me in a juft Sense of the Duke of Marlborough's Eminent Ser

vices.

*

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$7.

The Duke of Marlborough having, the next Day fet * Feb. 19 out for Harwich, landed in Holland the Seventh of March The Duke N. S. after a Difficult Paffage, having been Three MarlboDays at Sea; and lain from Seven in the Morning rough goes tili Two in the Afternoon rowling about Three to HolLeagues off the Shore.

land.

On the Twenty third of February, a Petition of Peter Jaquin St. Pierre, Mathew de Gaftine, Paul Boyer, John Dubourdieu, Peter Silveftre, &c. in behalf of themselves and many other French Proteftants, as alfo of feveral Petition of Children (of French Proteftants deceafed) fettled in the French Her Majefty's Dominions, was prefented to the Houfe Refugees to fetting forth, That the French King had made feveral the House of Edicts, Decrees, and Declarations, whereby all the Commons. French Proteftants, who had fled for Refuge into Her

Majefty's Dominions, on Account of their Religion, were declar'd and adjudg'd to be outlaw'd, and to have forfeited their Goods and Eftates, and excluded from Claiming and Enjoying anyInheritance in France, 'which Edi&s and Declaratians were put in Execution, with the utmoft Rigour; That, on the Contrary, many Perfons living in France, did frequently, 'either come themfelves into this Kingdom of GreatBritain, or appoint Proxies and Attorneys to claim, and Inherit the Eftates of their Deceafed Relations; and being poffefs'd of them, did afterwards return into France with the fame, to the prejudice of the other remoter Relations of the Deceafed, fettled in 'Her Majesty's Dominions; who were thereby for ever depriv'd of fuch Eftates as might fall to them, either by Lineal or Collateral Succeffion; and there'fore the Petitioners pray'd, That Leave be given to

bring in a Bill, to present the Subjects of the French A Bill to King, refiding in his Dominions, from claiming or enjoying prevent the any Eftates of their Relations, dying in Her Majefty's Do- French minions. This Petition having been read, a Bill was King's Suborder'd to be brought in, accordingly, which Mr. jects from Hampden did on the Eleventh of March: But upon Inheriting the private Suggeftions of fome French Proteftants, in Her MaThat jefty's Do

minions

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1.70%.

Acts pass'd

Feb. 27.

Other Alts

pass'd

That this Bill would be more prejudicial, than advantageous to themfelves and their Fellow-Refugees, who, from time to time, receiv'd confiderable Remittances of Money from their Relations in France, the 2d Reading of it was put off, and so the Bill Dropt.

On the Twenty feventh of February, the Queen went to the Houfe of Lords, and the Commons atrending, Her Majefty gave the Royal Affent to these Three publick Bills, viz.

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1 An A&t for continuing the A&t for Recruiting 'Her Majefty's Land Forces and Marines, for the Service of the Year One thousand feven hundred ' and ten.

2. An A&t for employing the Manufacturers, by encouraging the Confumption of Raw Silk and Mo.

'hair Yarn.

3. An A&t for repairing the Highways between 'the House commonly called the Horfefbee-House, in the Parish of Stoke-Goldington, in the County of Bucks, and the Town of Northampton.

As alío to Two private A&ts. A Fortnight after the Queen went again to the House of Peers and past the following publick Bills, viz.

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of Excife, and upon feveral Imported Commodities, An Act for granting to Her Majesty new Duties and for eftablishing a yearly Fund thereby,, and by March13. other Ways and Means, to raise Nine hundred thou

fand Pounds by Sale of Annuities, and (in Default thereof) by another Lottery, for the Service of the Year One thousand feven hundred and ten.

2 An A&t for Clearing, Preferving and Maintaining the Harbour of Catwater lying near Plymouth, in 'the County of Devon, and for cleanfing and keeping the Pool, commonly called Sutton's Pool, lying in Plymouth aforefaid.

And Six private A&s.

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