Ann. C. The Commons call in all written protections, and de1695. clare them void in law, ordering, that none be granted 30. for the future; and if any Member granted them, he fhould be liable to the cenfure of the Houfe: And that no perfon should be taken into cuftody upon complaint of any breach of privilege of the Houfe, before the matter was firft examined. Dec. 10. 13. 17. 31. They vote 5,024,853 for the fervice of the year enfuing. After fome debates, the Commons refolve, that all clipped money fhould be recoined according to the established ftandard of the mint, both as to the weight and fineness: That all perfons fhould bring in their clipped money to be recoined into milled money: That the lofs of fuch clipped money should be borne by the public; and a fund fettled for fupplying the deficiencies. They addrefs his Majefty, that all commodities and provifions, tranfported for the use of the forces in his Majefty's pay abroad, might be exempted from any duty or excife, throughout the Spanish and United Netherlands." Both Houses alfo addrefs the King againft an act of Parliament paffed in Scotland for erecting a Company to trade to Africa and the Eaft-Indies; to which his Majefty anfwered, that he had been ill ferved in Scotland, but hoped fome remedies might be found to prevent the inconveniencies which might arife from that act. The Commons refolve to raise 1,200,000 l. for fupplying the deficiency of the clipped money by a tax on 1695-6. windows. Jan. 13. John Lord Murray, eldeft fon to the Marquifs of Athol, is made Secretary of State for Scotland, in the room of the Maifter of Stair, removed. 16. 21. 22. A proclamation is published, for apprehending Robert Fielding, for challenging, affaulting, and wounding Sir Harry Dunton Colt, a Juftice of Peace, in the execution of his office. The following acts receive the Royal affent, 1. For regulating of trials in cafes of treason, and mifprifion of treafon. 2. For remedying the ill ftate of the coin of the kingdom. 3. For preventing charge and expence in elections of Members to ferve in Parliament, &c. King William having granted to the Earl of Portland, and his heirs, the Lordships of Denbigh, Bromefield, and Yale, and other lands in the Principality of Wales, being five parts in fix of a whole county, and ufually fettled on the the Princes of Wales for their fupport; the Commons ad- Ann. C. drefs the King to put a stop to that grant; who anfwers, 1695-6. he would recall that grant, and find fome other way of fhewing his favour to the Earl. The Commons refolve, that the Directors of the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the Indies, adminiftring and taking in this Kingdom an oath de Fideli; and under colour of a Scotch act of Parliament, ftiling themselves a Company, and acting as fuch, and raifing monies in this Kingdom for carrying on the faid Company, were guilty of a high crime and mifdemeanor; and they order them to be impeached. They moreover refolve, That a Council of trade be eftablished by act of Parliament, with powers for the more effectual prefervation of the trade of this Kingdom. The Royal Sovereign, a man of war of 110 guns, and the firft that was built in England of that bignefs, is burnt by accident in the river Thames. 26. 27. King William publishes Directions to the Archbishops Feb. 3, and Bishops, for the preferving unity in the Church, and the purity of the Chriftian Faith, concerning the Holy Trinity; occafioned by the Controverfy between the Doc tors South and Sherlock on that fubject. The Royal affent is given to the following acts, 1. For granting to his Majefty an aid of four fhillings in the pound for one year. 2. To prevent falfe and double re turns of Members to ferve in Parliament. 3. For the A confpiracy is difcovered by Mr. Pendergrass, to raise Thomas Bruce, Earl of Aylesbury, is committed to the A proclamation is iffued out, offering a 1000l. reward, for discovering and apprehending James Duke of Berwick, Sir George Barclay, Major Lowick, George Porter, Cardel Goodman, Sir William Perkins, Rookwood, Keys, and twenty others of the Confpirators. The King communicates to both Houfes the plot for affaffinating him, and invading this Kingdom: And, at the fame time, paffes an act, for taking, examining, and ftating the public accounts; And to another, for repairing the VOL. III. highways D 13. Reg. 8. 14. 23. 24. Vol. III. Ann, C. highways between the city of London and the town of 1695-6. Harwich, in the county of Effex, &c. 25, 26, 27. 27. 28. Mar. 2. The fame evening, both Houfes wait upon the King with an addrefs, wherein they congratulate his Majesty's happy prefervation; declare their deteftation and abhorrence of fo villainous and barbarous a defign; assure him of their utmost affiftance to defend his Perfon, and fupport his Government against the late King James; and declare, that, in case his Majefty fhould come to any violent death, they would revenge the fame upon all their enemies, and their adherents. Admiral Ruffel comes to Deal, to get the fleet in a readinefs to oppofe the French invafion. The Members of the Houfe of Commons draw up and fubfcribe an Affociation, wherein they profeffed and declared, That King William was rightful and lawful King of these Realms; that they would stand by and affift each other to the utmost of their power, in the fupport and defence of his Majefty's Perfon and Government against King James, and all his Adherents; and, if King William came to any violent or untimely death, they obliged themfelves to affociate and stand by each other, in revenging the fame upon his enemies, and in fupporting and defending the fucceffion of the Crown. Admiral Ruffel being joined by Sir Cloudefly Shevel with feveral men of war from the weftward, fails towards the French coaft, and comes to an anchor off Gravelines; and Lord Berkley lay half way between him and Dunkirk. There were 17 French men of war among the fands of Dunkirk, in the Flemish road. Our fleet fails along the French coaft near Calais, where lay between 3 and 400 veffels of all forts crowded together, but the English could not deftroy them. Marfhal de Boufflers had drawn a large body of forces down to Calais and Dunkirk ready to embark. King James comes poft to Calais, in order to embark with thofe troops; but the plot being discovered, and Admiral Ruffel appearing before Dunkirk with a fuperior fleet, all the Rebels fchemes are defeated. The royal affent is given to the following acts: 1. For continuing feveral duties upon wine, vinegar, tobacco, Eaft-India goods, &c. for carrying on the war against France: 2. For empowering his Majefty to apprehend and detain fuch perfons as he fhall find caufe to fufpect are confpiring against his Royal Perfon and Government: 3. Far taking off the obligation and encouragement for coining Ann. C. guineas, &c. Guineas went at the rate of 30 s. at the 1695-6. time of calling in the clipped money. Robert Charnock, Edward King, and Thomas Keys, three of the perfons engaged in the Affaffination-plot, were tried and convicted of high-treafon, and executed at Tyburn the 18th following. The Duke of Wirtemberg arrives in England with 20 battalions of the Confederate troops, for the defence of the Kingdom. The Earl of Aiblene burns the French magazine at Givet, confifting of all manner of ftores for an army of 100,000 men for three months. A proclamation is published, offering a reward of 500 1. for apprehending Herbert, Lord Montgomery, and Sir John Fenwicke. II. 16. 17. Sir John Friend, and Sir William Perkins, two of the 23. accomplices in the affaffination-plot, are tried and found guilty of high-treafon : 24. They are executed at Tyburn; and Jeremiah Collier, 1696. Cook, three Nonjuring Divines, Apr. 3. Snatt, and give them abfolution; for which they are prefented in the King's Bench, and Snatt and Cook are committed, the next day, to Newgate. Admiral Bembow bombards Calais. King William gives the Royal affent to these acts: 1. For granting to his Majesty several rates or duties upon houses, for making good the deficiency of the clipped money, being the window-tax. 2. For an additional duty upon all French goods and merchandizes. 3. For the continuing, meeting, and fitting of a Parliament, in cafe of the death or demife of his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors. further regulating elections of Members to ferve in Parliament, and for the preventing irregular proceedings of Sheriffs, and other Officers, in electing and returning fuch Members. 5. For the increafe and encouragement of feamen: And to many others. 4. For But he refuses the Royal affent to an act, for the regulating elections of Members to ferve in Parliament; which fome of the Commons take extremely ill. Brigadier Ambrofe Rookwood, Major Robert Lowick, and Charles Cranburn, three others of the Confpirators, are brought to their trials, and found guilty of high-treason. Thefe were the first prisoners who had the benefit of the ftatute made this feffion, to regulate trials, in cafes of high D 2 treason, 7. 3. 10. 21. Ann. C. treafon, which allows Counfel, &c. They were executed 1696. at Tyburn, the 29th. 27. May 1. 5. The King gives his affent to the following bills: 1. For continuing certain duties upon falt, glafs wares, ftone and earthen bottles; and for granting feveral duties upon tobacco-pipes, and other earthen wares, for carrying on the war against France, and for establishing a national Land-bank, &c. 2. For enforcing the laws, which restrain marriages, either without licenfe, or banes; and for the better regiftering marriages, births, and burials. 3. For the better fecurity of his Majefty's Perfon and Government. 4. For the more effectual preventing the exportation of wool, and for encouraging the importation thereof from Ireland. 5. For encouraging the linnen manufacture of Ireland, and bringing flax and hemp into, and making fail-cloth in this Kingdom. 6. That the folemn affirmation and declaration of the Quakers fhall be accepted, instead of an oath, in the usual form. Then the Parliament is prorogued to the 16th of June. King William appoints the fame Noblemen to be LordsJuftices, during his abfence, as the year before, except Thomas, Earl of Pembroke, who was left out. Sir Thomas Littleton is made one of the Lords-Commiffioners of the Treasury. The King appoints Commiffioners of trade and plantations; the firft of which, befides the great Officers of the Crown, were, the Earls of Bridgewater and Tankerville, Sir Philip Meadboufe, William Blathwaite, John Pollexfen, John Locke, Abraham Hill, and John Methuen. His Majefty embarks at Margate, and, two days after, lands in Holland. Immediately after, he goes and puts himself at the head of the Confederate forces; but the French, by reafon of the general poverty of their Kingdom, and the English, on account of calling in the money to be recoined, cannot do any thing; fo that both armies spent the whole campaign in obferving one another. Monfieur Caillieres had brought to the Hague, before the King's arrival there, fome proposals for a general peace. Captain Donalow, and one Clancy, a peruke-maker, in Covent-Garden, both Irishmen, are committed to Newgate, for endeavouring to perfuade Captain Porter, who had made himself an evidence in the Affaffination-plot, to go over to France, or to fupprefs his evidence against the Earl of Aylesbury, the Lord Montgomery, and Sir John Fenwicke. They |