Die Martis, 28 Aprilis, 1646.

Prayers.

THE Grand Committee of the House, concerning publick Taxes, Payments, and Charges, through the whole Kingdom, and for reducing into one Receipt and Payment all Monies to be levied, both for England and Ireland, sat.

Mr. John Stephens in the Chair.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Ordered, That the Reports and Business, concerning the Northern Garisons, be made, and taken into Consideration, on Thursday Morning next, the first Business.

Ordered, That Paul Best be brought to the Bar on Thursday Morning next: And that the House do proceed then in the further Examination of him.

Ordered, That the Reports of Compositions from the Committee at Goldsmiths-Hall be made on Saturday Morning next.

Ordered, That the House do sit on Monday next, in the Afternoon, to hear Ordinances for Discharge of such Delinquents as have had their Fines approved and accepted by this House: And that no other Business be then taken into Consideration.

The humble Petition of Michael Oldisworth Esquire, a Member of this House, was this Day read: And

It is thereupon Ordered, That the Sum of Eight hundred Pounds and odd, due and payable the Five-and-twentieth of March last, from Mr. Oldisworth, for a Fine and Rent, upon a Composition made in the Court of Wards and Liveries, for the Wardship and Estate of Mr. Edmund Thomas, be remitted and discharged: And that the Lands and Estate of the said Edmund Thomas be freed of the same: And all Bonds and Specialties taken for the Payment of the said Eight hundred Pounds and odd, or any Part thereof, are hereby ordered to be delivered up to the said Mr. Oldisworth, to be cancelled: And that it be referred to the Committee of the Revenue, to stay all Proceedings for the Levying of the said Eight hundred and odd Pounds; and to take such further Order, as shall be necessary for the free and full Discharge thereof, and Delivery up of the said Bonds or Specialties accordingly.

Resolved, &c. That a Commission of Oyer and Terminer be forthwith issued, under the Great Seal of England, for the Tryal of several Persons, late under the Command of Major Babington, and now imprisoned in the Gaol of Leicester, for several Felonies, Murders, Robberies, and other Offences, committed by them in the County of Leicester: And that the Commissioners for the Great Seal of England do appoint fitting Commissioners; and take care for the speedy putting in Execution of the said Commission accordingly.

An Ordinance for Settling of divers Lands of the Earl of Worcester's, Lord Herbert's, and Sir John Somersett's, in Acton in the County of Middlesex, upon Mr. Hugh Peters, in Consideration of Service, was this Day read the First and Second time; and, upon the Question, committed unto Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Denys Bond, Sir Gilbert Gerard, Mr. White, Mr. Cornelius Holland, Mr. Whitelocke, Sir Walter Erle, Colonel Russell, Colonel Moore, Mr. Abbotts, Sir Henry Mildmay, Mr. Wheeler, Sir Thomas Soame, Mr. Ball, Colonel Mountague, Sir John Burgoyne: And are to meet on Thursday next, in the Afternoon, at Two of the Clock, in the Queen's Court: And have Power, in case they shall find the Lands mentioned in the said Ordinance inconvenient to be settled according to the said Ordinance, to consider of some other Way for Mr. Peters' Satisfaction; or to present other Lands, to the Value of Two hundred Pounds per Annum, to be settled and estated upon the said Mr. Peters, and his Heirs: And have Power to send for Parties, Papers, Witnesses, and Records.

Ordered, That Colonel Puresoy be referred to the Committee of Accompts; to receive, state, and certify his Accompts.

The humble Petition of the Adventurers for the Draining of the Great Level of the Fens was this Day read.

An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons, assembled in Parliament, for the Draining of the Great Level, extending itself into the Counties of Northampton, Norfolke, Suffolke, Lincolne, Cambridge, and Huntingdon, and the Isle of Ely, or some of them, was this Day read the Second time; and, upon the Question, committed unto Mr. Pelham, Mr. Trenchard, Lieutenant-General Cromwell, Mr. Scawen, Sir Roger North, Sir Edward Partherich, Mr. Maynard, Sir John Burgoyne, Mr. Denys Bond, Sir John Trevor, Colonel Mountague, Mr. Rigby, Sir Dudley North, Sir Robert Pye, Sir Thomas Walsingham, Mr. Lemman, Lord Grey, Mr. Whitelock, Mr. Grimston, Sir Thomas Trenchard, Sir Peter Wentworth, Mr. Gerard, Sir William Spring, Sir Norton Knatchbull, Mr. Henry Darley, Mr. Recorder, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Blakiston, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Gurdon, Mr. Thorpe, Mr. Baynton, Sir John Danvers, the Burgesses of the University of Cambridge, and the Knights and Burgesses of the several Counties within the said Level: And are to meet upon it on Thursday next, in the Exchequer-Chamber, at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon: And are to hear the several Counties, and all Parties interested; to examine, and, as near as they can, agree and reconcile all Differences; and receive any Petitions that shall be tendered to them: And have Power to send for Parties, Papers, Witnesses, and Records.

Nevertheless, it is hereby further Ordered and Declared, That no Person, that is himself an Adventurer in the said Undertaking of Draining, shall be of the Committee abovementioned.

The House being informed, That Helen Askwith, Widow, had discovered several Sums of Money, or other Estate, belonging to Delinquents; and given Notice thereof to the Committee of Lords and Commons for Advance of Monies, sitting at Haberdashers-Hall;

It is Ordered, by the Lords and Commons, assembled in Parliament, That the said Committee have Power, and are ordered accordingly, to pay unto the said Helen Askwith, and her Assigns, the Proceed of the said Monies or Estate discovered by her, not exceeding the Sum of One thousand Pounds, in Satisfaction of Arrears of Pay remaining due to her late Husband Captain Askwith, deceased in the Service of the Parliament, and of the Losses he sustained by the Enemy.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Edward Leech and Doctor Aylett;

The Lords have commanded us to bring you this Petition from the Earl of Northampton: It is, That he may be admitted to his Composition at Goldsmiths-Hall: The Lords have agreed to it; and desire your Concurrence therein, so as he first take the Covenant.

The Petition was read.

And the Question being put, Whether this House should agree with the Lords, in referring the Earl of Northampton to the Committee at Goldsmiths-Hall, to make his Composition;

It passed with the Negative.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth adhere to their former Votes concerning the Earl of Northampton, and his Servants, and Company's, departing out of the Lines of Communication, and going beyond the Seas: And that, as to this Message, the House will return Answer by Messengers of their own.

Answer returned by the same Messengers;

The House hath considered your Message; and will send Answer thereunto by Messengers of their own.

The First Paper from the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland, containing their Answer to the whole Propositions, according to Order, was this Day read the Second time.

The Question was propounded, Whether the Four Papers from the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland shall be referred to a Committee:

The Question was put, Whether this Question should be now put: And

It passed with the Affirmative.

And then the Question itself being put;

It is Resolved, &c. That the Four Papers from the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland shall be referred to a Committee.

Resolved, &c. That the Committee unto whom the Four Papers from the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland shall be referred, shall be the Members of this House that were of the Committee of Lords and Commons formerly appointed to meet and treat with the said Commissioners concerning the Propositions.

Resolved, &c. That the First Paper from the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland, containing their Answer to the whole Propositions, and this Day read the Second time, be read again, and taken into Consideration on Thursday Morning next.

A Letter from the Scotts Commissioners, from Worcester-House, of 28 Aprilis 1646, was this Day read.

Ordered, That the Clerk do look out the former Orders for Sending of Provisions of Powder and Ammunition to the Forces before Newarke: And that the Members of this House that are of the Committee of both Kingdoms, do acquaint the Scotts Commissioners with the said Orders.

The Question was propounded, Whether, as soon as it shall please God to deliver the Town and Castle of Newarke upon Trent into the Hands and Power of the Parliament, the Fortifications of the Town shall be forthwith slighted, and the Castle made untenable, and no Garison kept there:

The Question was put, Whether this Question should be now put: And

It passed with the Affirmative.

And then the Question itself being put;

It is Resolved, &c. That, as soon as it shall please God to deliver the Town and Castle of Newarke upon Trent into the Hands and Power of the Parliament, the Fortifications of the Town be forthwith slighted, and the Castle made untenable, and no Garison kept there.

Resolved, &c. That the Vote, concerning the Slighting of the Town and Castle of Newarke upon Trent, be one of the Instructions of the Commissioners of both Houses residing with the Scotts Army before Newarke: And that Mr. Pigott and Mr. Millington, Members of this House, do send this Instruction to the said Commissioners accordingly.

A Letter from Sir Thomas Fairfax General, from Andever, of 26 April 1646; with a Letter inclosed, from Sir Ralph Hopton, from Silly, of 15 Aprilis 1646; were this Day read.

A Letter from his Highness the Prince of Wales, directed to the Lords and Commons, assembled in the Parliament of England, dated in the Island of Silly, the Fifteenth of April 1646, was this Day read: And

It is thereupon Ordered, That this Letter from the Prince be communicated to the Lords at a Conference.

A Letter from Three of the Committee of Salop, from Bridgenorth, of 27 Aprilis 1646, concerning the Taking in of the Castle of Bridgenorth, was this Day read.

The Articles for Surrender thereof were inclosed in the said Letter.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth nominate and approve of Colonel Andrew Lloyd to be Governor of the Castle of Bridgnorth: And that the Members of both Houses that are of the Committee of both Kingdoms, do grant him a Commission to be Governor of the said Castle accordingly.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Ordered, That Mr. Hunt and Mr. Corbett do prepare and bring in a Letter of Thanks, to be signed by Mr. Speaker, and sent to the Committee of the County of Salop, for this good Service in reducing the Castle of Bridgnorth, and their many other good Services to the Parliament: And that they do write to the said Committee to keep Mr. Latham in the Country, to be there tried by the Common Law.

Ordered, That Adjutant Evelyn be referred to the Committee of Accompts, to cast up and state his Accompts, for his Service, during the Time he served under the Command of the Earl of Essex, and Major-General Browne.

Resolved, That this Day Fortnight, being the Twelfth Day of May next, shall be set apart for a Day of Publick Thanksgiving within the Cities of London and Westminster, and Lines of Communication, and Twenty Miles of the said City, for the several Mercies of God upon the Forces of the Parliament, in reducing and taking in the several Castles and Garisons of Portland, Ruthyn, Exeter, Barnstaple, the Mount in Cornewall, Dunstar-Castle, TutburyeCastle, Aberistwith-Castle, Woodstock Manor, and the Castle of Bridgnorth: And that the Lord Mayor of the City of London be desired to take care, that the several Ministers within the Limits aforesaid may have timely Notice of this Order.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Resolved, &c. That this Day Three Weeks, being the Nineteenth of May next, shall be set apart, and observed and kept for a Day of Publick Thanksgiving, within the several Counties, Cities, and Places within the Power of the Parliament, for the several Mercies of God upon the Forces of the Parliament, in reducing and taking in the several Castles and Garisons of Portland, Ruthyn, Exeter, Barnestaple, the Mount in Cornewall, Dunstar-Castle, Tutbury and Aberistwith-Castle, Woodstock Manor, and the Castle of Bridgnorth: And that the Knights and Burgesses that serve for the said Counties and Places, do take care, that the respective Ministers may have timely Notice hereof.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Ordered, That Mr. Tassell and Mr. Herle be, from this House, desired to preach before this House on this Day Fortnight, being the Day of Publick Thanksgiving.