House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 20 February 1650

Journal of the House of Commons: Volume 6, 1648-1651. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1802.

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'House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 20 February 1650', in Journal of the House of Commons: Volume 6, 1648-1651, (London, 1802) pp. 368-369. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/commons-jrnl/vol6/pp368-369 [accessed 19 March 2024]

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In this section

Die Mercurii, 20 Februarii, 1649.

Prayers.

Representation and Elections.

THE House this Day, according to former Order, was resolved into a Grand Committee upon the Heads of a Bill for an equal Representative, and the regulating their Elections.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Mr. Say took the Chair.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr. Say reports from the Grand Committee, That the said Committee hath adjourned till This-day-sevennight; and desires the Leave of the House to sit then accordingly.

Resolved, That the House doth resolve itself into a Grand Committee on This-day-sevennight, upon the Heads of the said Bill, &c.: And that Mr. Speaker do forbear to take the Chair.

Council of State.

The House, according to former Order, proceeded to the Election of Five Persons to be of this Council of State, according to the Manner resolved on.

Resolved, upon the Question, That the Door be shut.

Mr. Speaker appointed Colonel Harrison, Colonel Rich, Mr. John Ash and Sir John Danvers, to tell the Number of the House.

Which is by them reported to Mr. Speaker, and by him published to the House to the Number of One hundred and Five.

While the Clerk was receiving the Papers, Three other Members came in.

Resolved, That the Record be amended; and that the Number of the Members, now in the House, be made One hundred and Eight.

The Clerk, having received a Paper from each Member, brought them up, and set them upon the Table.

Mr. Speaker appoints Sir Henry Vane junior, Sir Arthur Hesilrige, Sir Wm. Armyn, and Earl of Salisbury, to count the Papers.

Which being done, they report the Number of the Papers to be One hundred and Eight.

And these Four Members opened each Paper; and caused the Clerk to read each Name distinctly, and to write down each Name in a several Column; and as often as any Name was repeated, the Clerk did write down a Figure under that Name: And, all the Names being read, the Earl of Salisbury reports from the said Four Members, That there are, in the said Papers, these Five Persons, who have the greatest Number of Subscriptions; viz.

Mr. Thomas Challener 60
Mr. John Gurdon 59
Mr. Herbert Morley 37
Sir Henry Vane senior 35
Earl of Pembroke 31
Sir Peter Wentworth 27
The Lord Howard 25

Resolved, by the Parliament, That Mr. Thomas Challenor be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing.

Resolved, That Mr. John Gurdon be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing.

Resolved, That Colonel Herbert Morley be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing.

The Question being propounded, That Sir Henry Vane senior be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing;

The Question being put, That that Question be now put;

The House was divided.

The Noes went forth.

Colonel Ludlow, Tellers for the Noes: 54.
Colonel Marten, With the Noes,
Sir Wm. Armyn, Tellers for the Yeas: 44.
Sir John Trevor, With the Yeas,

So it passed with the Negative.

The Question being propounded, That Philip Earl of Pembroke be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing;

And the Question being put, That that Question be now put;

It passed with the Negative.

Resolved, That Sir Peter Wentworth be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing.

Resolved, That the Lord Howard be one of the Council of State for the Year ensuing.

Resolved, That the Papers delivered in by the Members, and the Notes written by the Clerk thereupon, to find out the Numbers, be burnt.

Ordered, That the Five Persons, now nominated of the Council of State for the Year ensuing, do take one or both of the Tests formerly taken by the Council of State, before they sit as Members of the Council of State.

Ordered, That Sir Henry Vane do bring in the Form of the Oath of Secrecy, to be taken by the Council of State, To-morrow Morning.

The Engagement.

A Letter from the General, of the Nineteenth of February 1649, touching the Officers and Soldiers of the Army having taken the Engagement, was this Day read.

Resolved, upon the Question, by the Parliament, That the Parliament doth declare, That Thomas Lord Fairefax, General of the Parliament Forces, having taken and subscribed the Engagement appointed for the Members of the Council of State; viz. "I A. B. being nominated a Member of the Council of State by this present Parliament, do testify, That I do adhere to this present Parliament, in the Maintenance and Defence of the publick Liberty and Freedom of this Nation, as it is now declared by this Parliament, by whose Authority I am constituted a Member of the said Council; and in the Maintenance and Defence of their Resolutions, concerning the Settling of the Government of this Nation for . . . future, in the Way of a Republick, without King, or House of Peers: And I do promise, in the Sight of God, that, through his Grace, I will be faithful in Performance of the Trust committed to me, as aforesaid, and therein faithfully pursue the Instructions given to the said Council by this present Parliament: In Confirmation of the Premises, I have hereunto subscribed my Name;" his said Taking and Subscribing is a Taking of the Engagement within the Act of Parliament, intituled, An Act for taking the Engagement.

Resolved, That Mr. Speaker do send this Vote to the General, in a Letter; and return unto him the hearty Thanks of this House, for his great Care, in causing the Orders to be put in Execution, touching the taking the Engagement by the Army and Garisons, and Returns of these Subscriptions.

Resolved, That these Votes be forthwith printed and published.