Tuesday, 4th December, 1660.
Prayers.
Milward's Estate.
ORDERED, That the Report from the Committee,
to whom the Bill for enabling Mr. Milward to sell
Lands for Payment of Debts, is referred, be read Tomorrow Morning.
Gostwicke's Estate.
Mr. Crowch reports Amendments to the Bill for enabling Sir Edward Gostwicke to sell Lands for Payment of
Debts, and raising Portions for younger Children: Which
he first read, with the Coherence, in his Place; and were
afterwards read the First and Second time by the Clerk.
Ordered, That the Word "Baronet" be inserted in the
19th Line of the Amendment, Page 8, in the Place of
"Knight;" and the same, so amended, were, upon the
Question, agreed.
A Proviso was tendered to this Bill; viz. "Provided
that the said Sir Rowland Litton, Sir William Beecher,
Serjeant Keeling, and George Blundell, be not from henceforth, in any Sort, accountable or chargeable for or in respect of any thing which the said Sir William Litton hath
done in the ordering or managing of the said Estate; for
any Disbursements which he hath made concerning the
same; or for any Articles or Agreements which he hath
made to any Person or Persons, concerning the said Estate:"
Which was read the First and Second time; and, on the
Question, agreed; and ordered to be part of the Bill.
Resolved, That this Bill, with the said Amendments
and Proviso, be ingrossed.
Millward's Estate.
Mr. Swinfen reports from the Committee, to whom the
Bill for enabling William Milward Esquire to sell Lands
for Payment of Debts, was referred, that the Committee,
upon View of the Bill, and Consideration of the former
Security for the Monies therein mentioned, thought fit to
report the same back without any Amendments.
Resolved, That the said Bill be ingrossed.
Tanning Leather.
A Message from the Lords, by Doctor Littleton
and * *, Two Masters of the Chancery;
The Lords have sent down a Bill, intituled, An Act
for the more speedy and ready Way of dressing and tanning all Sorts of Leather: To which they desire the Concurrence of this House.
Ordered, That this Bill be read To-morrow Morning.
Bills depending.
Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to consider
what publick Bills, sent formerly from this House, do
now depend before the House of Peers, unpassed; and
what may be fit to be offered to the Lords, at the Bar of
their House, as Inducements to the speedy passing
thereof: And that Sir John Northcot, Mr. Prynn, Sir
Walter Erle, Sir John Bowyer, Sir Wm. Lewes, Colonel
King, Mr. Bampfeild, Mr. Crowch, or any Three of them,
be the said Committee: And they are to make Report
To-morrow Morning.
Attainder of Oliver Cromwell, &c.
Mr. Thomas reports from the Committee, Amendments
and Three Provisoes to the Bill of Attainder: Which he
read in his Place; and were afterwards read the First
and Second time by the Clerk.
Challenor's Petition.
The humble Petition of Edmond Challenor Esquire, was
this Day read.
Attainder of Oliver Cromwell, &c.
Ordered, That it be referred to Mr. Ratcliffe, to prepare, and tender to the Bill of Attainder, a Proviso upon
the Sense of the present Debate.
Earl of Dorset's Estate.
A Message from the Lords, by Dr. Brampston and Mr.
Hubart, Two Masters of Chancery;
The Lords have sent you a Bill for settling the Manors
of Knowle, Seale, and Kempsing, upon the Earl of Dorset,
and his Heirs; and charging the Manor of Bexhill, and
the Manor or Farm of Cowding, and other Lands, in the
County of Sussex, with a Rent Charge of One hundred
and Thirty Pounds per Annum, in lieu thereof: To which
they desire the Concurrence of this House.
Attainder of Oliver Cromwell, &c.
The Amendments and Provisoes reported this Day
from the Committee for the Bill of Attainder, were, on
the Question, agreed.
Resolved, That the said Bill, with the said Amendments
and Provisoes, be ingrossed.
Regicides Carcases to be taken up.
Resolved, That the Carcases of Oliver Cromwell, Henry
Ireton, John Bradshaw, and Thomas Pride, whether buried
in Westminster Abbey, or elsewhere, be, with all Expedition, taken up, and drawn upon a Hurdle to Tiburne,
and there hanged up in their Coffins for some time; and
after that buried under the said Gallows: And that James
Norfolke Esquire, Serjeant at Arms attending the House
of Commons, do take care that this Order be put in
effectual Execution.
Ordered, That the Lords Concurrence herein be desired:
And Mr. Tytus is to carry it to the Lords.
Bills sent from Lords.
A Message from the Lords, by Mr. Brampston and
Mr. Hubart, Two Masters of Chancery;
The Lords have sent you these several Bills; and desire
the Concurrence of this House to them; viz.
An Act prohibiting the planting of Tobacco in the
Kingdom of England.
An Act for restoring of Thomas Ratcliffe Esquire to
all his Lands and Possessions in England and Ireland.
An Act for naturalizing Edward Bedle and Ann Bedle,
Son and Daughter of William Bedle, late of Moulsworth
in the County of Huntington, Esquire.
An Act for the Naturalizing of Abraham Wouchter,
born beyond the Seas.
Disbanding the Army.
Ordered, That the Debate upon the Report made
Yesterday, from the Commissioners for Disbanding the
Army, be resumed To-morrow Morning the First Business: and that, next after, this House be resolved into a
Grand Committee of the whole House, upon the Bill for
Six Months Assessments.
Impeachment of Drake.
Resolved, That the Impeachment against William Drake
be carried to the Lords by the Lord Falkland, and delivered at the Bar of the Lords House, in the Name of this
House, and of all the Commons of England:
The said Impeachment being as followeth;
The Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, the House of
Commons, in the Name of themselves, and all the Commons, of England do hereby declare, complain, and
shew, against William Drake Citizen and Merchant of
London,
That whereas, this present Parliament, through the
Blessing of God upon their Endeavours, and the incomparable Grace and Goodness of his Majesty's Royal Condescensions, have proved the happy Instruments of repairing the Breaches of this Kingdom; restoring the ancient
Foundations; and passing many good and wholsome Laws,
for the Safety and Quiet of the People; and are daily preparing such others, as may yet seem to be wanting:
Nevertheless the said William Drake, in Contempt of
his Majesty's Crown and Dignity, and of the Laws and
Government of this Kingdom; and out of a wicked and
malicious Intention, to scandalise and subvert the Authority and Being of this present Parliament, and to raise and
stir up Sedition and Division in this Kingdom; and against
the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King; hath lately, that
is to say, upon or before the Eighteenth Day of the Month
of November last, at Westminster in the County of Middlesex, written, printed, and published, in the Name of
one Thomas Phillips Gent. a certain, false, wicked, malicious and seditious Pamphlet, intituled, The Long
Parliament Revived; or, An Act for Continuation, and the
not Dissolving the Long Parliament, called by King Charles
the First in the Year 1640, but by an Act of Parliament;
with undeniable Reasons, deduced from the said Act, to
prove, that That Parliament is not yet dissolved: Also
Mr. Wm. Pryn his Five Arguments fully answered;
whereby he endeavours to prove it to be dissolved by the
King's Death, &c. By Thomas Phillips Gent. a sincere
Lover of the King and Country; in which said scandalous and seditious Pamphlet, the said William Drake,
amongst many other wicked Expressions, Clauses, and
Assertions, therein contained, doth falsely, maliciously,
and seditiously, affirm and declare,
Page 6. First, That all other Parliaments have no legal
Capacity, till this (meaning the Long Parliament, called
in the Year 1640) be legally dissolved.
Page 14. Secondly, The Act (meaning the Act of
Parliament to which the Title of the Pamphlet refers)
is herein express, That by no other Way or Means, but
by an Act of Parliament, it shall be dissolved: Which,
being it cannot be done by the dead King, but may be
done by the Successor, it ought to be so dissolved; or else
it must and doth, by virtue of this Act, still remain legally
in full Being and Authority.
Page 17. Thirdly, How much it were to be wished,
that the Legislative Authority might revert into that Chanel, meaning the Long Parliament aforesaid; by which
the Peace and Settlement of the Nation, through his
Majesty's most gracious Influence, might durably, and
without Question, be provided for and preserved.
Page 21. Fourthly, If That be a lawful Parliament,
(speaking of the Long Parliament aforesaid, which he
elsewhere affirmed to be in being) then this can be none,
nor no other, till this be legally dissolved.
All which Practices for stirring up of Sedition, the
Commons are ready to prove, not only by the general
Scope of the said Book, but likewise by several Clauses
therein contained, besides these before-mentioned, and
such other Proofs as the Cause, according to the Course
of Parliament, shall require;
And do pray, that the said William Drake may be put
to answer all and every of the Premises; and that such
Proceeding, Examination, Trial, Judgment, and exempplary Punishment, may be thereupon had and executed,
as is agreeable to Law and Justice.
Exceptions in Act of Grace.
Ordered, That the Committee, to whom the Bill of
Attainder was referred, do, with all convenient Expedition, prepare and bring in a Bill, as well in relation to
those Persons who are named in the Act of General Pardon and Oblivion, to have sat upon the late King's Majesty, of blessed Memory, and are since dead; as for the
inflicting Penalties on those, who, by the said Act of General Pardon and Oblivion, are reserved to future Pains
and Penalties, not extending to Life: And they are to
meet in Mr. Speaker's Chamber, at Two of the Clock
this Afternoon; and so to sit de die in diem, till this Business be perfected; the Sitting of any Grand Committee
in the mean time notwithstanding.