Thursday, the 23d of June, 1659.
Indemnity, &c.
THE House, according to former Order, was this
Day resolved into a Grand Committee, upon the
Bill of Indemnity, and upon the Petition and Address of
the Army.
Mr. Speaker did forbear to take the Chair.
Mr. Serjeant Hill was called to the Chair.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.
Mr. Serjeant Hill reports from the Grand Committee,
That the said Grand Committee desired Leave to sit again
To-morrow Morning.
Resolved, That the House be resolved into a Grand
Committee To-morrow Morning, upon the Bill of Indemnity, till Eleven a Clock: And that Mr. Speaker do
forbear to take the Chair.
Assessments.
Colonel Downes reports from the Committee for Inspections, A Draught of a Letter to be sent to the Commissioners for the Assessment in the respective Counties:
Which was read:
Gentlemen,
BY the inclosed Act of Assessment you will perceive
that, with respect to the present Exigency of Affairs, and
pressing Necessities, requiring speedy Supplies of great
Sums of Money, the Parliament have Enacted, That
the Twelve Months Assessment of Thirty-five thousand
Pounds by the Month, already imposed upon England,
with the other monthly Sums therein mentioned upon
Scotland and Ireland, shall be assessed, levied, and collected, so as the same may be paid in to the Receivers-General of the whole Assessment, by Two equal Payments; the one Half, on or before the First of August
next; and the other Half thereof, on or before the Tenth
of October next. And, for that the due Execution of this
Act is of great Concernment to the Commonwealth at
this Season, I am therefore commanded by the Parliament,
to recommend it to your especial Care, That the said
Twelve Months Assessment, and all Arrears of the former Two Years Assessment at the same Rate, And of all
other former Assessment due from your County, be fully
and speedily assessed, levied, collected, and paid, to the
said Receiver-General of the whole Assessment. And I
am also commanded by the Parliament to signify to you,
That the Assessing, Collecting, and Payment, of the First
Moiety of the said Twelve Months Assessment, before
the First of August next, will be a very seasonable Service
to the Commonwealth; and that your utmost Diligence
for the present Raising thereof within your County, is
very requisite; and will be accepted as a Testimony of
your Endeavours to advance the Service and Good of this
Commonwealth.
Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do subscribe Letters, in
this Form, to be sent to the Commissioners for Assessments in the several Counties; and that a Postscript be
written to the said Letter, to the City of London, to
hasten a Payment in of the said Assessment in London.
Foreign Embassies.
Sir Henry Vane reports from the Council of State, The
Credential Letters from the King of Sweden, directed
thus; viz. "Bonis nostris Anicis et Fæderatis Reipublicæ
Angliæ et Hiberniæ, &c. illustrissimis et excellentissimis
Dominis Proceribus:" Dated, the One-and-thirtieth of
May 1659.
He also reports, Papers delivered to the Council from
the Envoys Extraordinary from the King of Sweden: And
that the Council have, according to the Order of Parliament, given them Audience; and, finding the same to
be Matters of great Consequence, have thought fit to
report the same to the Parliament, for their Direction:
Which Papers were read.
Sir Henry Vane also reports, The Paper delivered to
the Council by the Dutch Ambassador, concerning the
Ratification of the Treaty at the Hague: Which was also
read.
Ordered, That these Papers be referred back to the
Council of State, speedily to treat with the Plenipotentiaries of the King of Sweden, upon what is, or shall be,
proposed by them; and report it to this House.
Ordered, That the Paper from the Dutch Ambassador
be also referred back to the Council of State, to take the
same into their Consideration; and to present their Opinions to this House, What they think fit to be done in
that Business.
Council of State.
Ordered, That the Order of the Twenty-sixth of May
last, giving Power to the Council of State, for issuing
Money for carrying on the Publick Affairs of this
Nation, be continued for a Month longer.
Impresting Seamen.
Ordered, That the Amendments to the Bill for impresting Seamen be reported To-morrow Morning.