HOUSE OF LORDS MANUSCRIPTS.

VOLUME II.-(NEW SERIES.)

THE

MANUSCRIPTS

OF THE

HOUSE OF LORDS,

1695-1 6 9 7.

[In continuation of the Volumes issued under the authority of the Historical
Manuscripts Commission.]

Ordered to be Printed, 19th March 1903.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE,
BY EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE,

PRINTERS TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from
EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE, EAST HARDING STREET, FLEET STREET, E.C., and
32, ABINGDON STREET, WESTMINSTER, S.W.; or

OLIVER AND BOYD, EDINBURGH; or

E. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN.

1903.

Br 75.5-29

HARVARD COLLEGE

JUL 1903

LIBRARY
Bright kont

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE FOLLOWING
CALENDAR.

MS. Min.-MS. books containing Minutes of the Proceedings in the
House, and intituled "Journal."

Com. Book.-MS. books containing Minutes of the Proceedings of
Select Committees.

Priv. Book.-MS. books containing Minutes of the Proceedings of the
Committee for Privileges.

Joint Com. Book.--MS. books containing Minutes of the Proceedings
of Joint Committees of Lords and Commons.

Long Cal.-MS. list of the Acts, both Public and Private, numbered consecutively for each regnal year, in the order in which they are

kept in the Victoria Tower.

INTRODUCTION.

The Manuscripts of the House of Lords, being no longer printed by the authority of the Historical Manuscripts Commission, will for the future appear as separate volumes, of which this is the second. For the sake of convenience, they will be printed in the same form as the volumes already issued by the Commission.

THIS Volume, which includes two Sessions, begins with the meeting of a new Parliament, the Prorogation on 3 May 1695 having been followed, after further Prorogations, by a Dissolution, proclaimed on 11 October, immediately on the arrival of the King, who returned to England shortly after the successful conclusion of his campaign in the reduction of Namur, which he attributed in a large measure to the courage and bravery of the English troops.

Both Houses of Parliament met on 22 November, and on the following day the King delivered his speech to them. He took notice of the difficulty caused by the "ill state" of the coin" a matter of so general concern and so great importance" that he left it entirely to the consideration of Parliamentrecommended them to pass some good Bill for the encouragement and increase of seamen, and to consider of such laws as might be proper for the advancement of trade, especially that of the East Indies, and expressed a wish that some way might be thought of to raise the necessary recruits during the war without giving occasion of complaint. In view of the late opening of the Session, he urged them to make all possible despatch of the great business" before them, reminding them that the prolongation of the previous Session had been advantageous to the enemy, and that the French were already making great preparations for being early in the field in the coming year.

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