DIE Veneris, videlicet, 24 Februarii.
PRAYERS.
Earl of Manchester was appointed to be Speaker
this Day.
Message from the H. C. that they agree to the Alterations in the Ordinance for the Weekly Assessment;
A Message was brought from the House of Commons,
by Mr. Marten:
1. That the House of Commons do agree with their
Lordships in the Alterations, Amendments, and Additions, in the Ordinance concerning the Weekly Assessment for the Raising of Monies, for the Maintenance of
the Army. (Here enter it.)
for reducing the Committee of Safety to the Persons it first consisted of;
2. That the House of Commons have made an Order
for the reducing of the Committee for the Safety to the
First Number they were at first, in which they desire
their Lordships Concurrence.
That the Committee for the Safety of the Kingdom
shall be reduced to the First Number of Persons, and the
same Persons that were First nominated.
Ordered, To let the House of Commons know, that
their Lordships think it fit either to continue this Committee as now it is; or, if it be of no Use, that it be
dissolved.
and for Concurrence in an Order.
3. To desire Concurrence in an Order for Payment
of Monies in Arrear in the Hands of the Collectors of
the Isle of Wight, for the Contribution for the Relief of
the poor Irish. (Here enter.)
Ordered, That this House (fn. *) agrees with the House
of Commons in this Order.
The Answer returned was:
Answer.
That this House agrees with the House of Commons
in the Order concerning the poor Irish; but touching
the Order concerning the reducing of the Committee for
the Safety, this House will send an Answer by Messengers of their own.
Report of the Consultation with the Lord General, about the Cessation of Arms.
The Lord Viscount Say & Seale reported, "That
the Lord Howard and himself, with the Committee of
the House of Commons, went to the Lord General,
and acquainted him with the Orders of both Houses,
concerning his Advice touching the Limitations and
Qualifications of the Cessation: Upon this, the Lord
General forthwith summoned a Council of War, and
were very ready to assist and advise the Committees
therein; and, in the Debate, many Difficulties arose,
because there are (fn. †) so many Armies in every Country, which are of different Nature, and spread abroad;
and there being divers Armies of the Voluntiers of
the Countries, which, it is feared, this Cessation will
disband them all; and, after a long Debate, the Result was this:
(Here it was read in a Paper. Here enter it.)
Propositions for it.
"1. That all Manner of Arms, Ammunition, Victuals,
Money, Bullion, and all other Commodities, passing
without such a Safe Conduct as may warrant their
Passage, be free Booty, as if no such Cessation were
agreed on at all.
"2. That all Manner of Persons, passing without
such Safe Conduct as is mentioned in the Article
next going before, shall remain good Prize of War,
as if no such Cessation were agreed on at all.
"3. That none of His Majesty's Forces in Oxfordshire shall advance no nearer to Windsor than Wheatley; and in Buckinghamshire, no nearer to Asebury
than Brill; and that in Berks, the Forces respectively
shall not advance nearer the one to the other than
now they are; and that the Parliament Forces in Oxfordshire shall advance no nearer to Oxford than Henley; and those in Buckinghamshire no nearer to Oxford
than Alisbury; and that His Majesty's Forces shall
take no new Quarter above Twelve Miles from Oxford any Way; and that the Parliament's Forces shall
take no new Quarters above Twelve Miles from Windsor any Way.
"4. That no Siege shall be begun or continued
against Gloucester; and that His Majesty's Forces now
employed in that Siege shall retire to Cirencester and
Malmesbury, or to Oxford, as shall be most for their
Conveniency; and that the Parliament Forces which
are in Wiltshire shall take up their Quarters in The
Devizes and Chip'nam; and the Parliament Forces
which are in Glocestershire shall remain in the Cities
of Glocester and Bristoll, or to retire nearer to Windsor, as they shall see Cause; and that those of Wales,
and all other Forces which are drawn down to Glocester, shall return into their Quarters where they
were before they drew down into Glocestershire.
"5. That the Siege be removed from before Plimouth; or else that the Forces in the Counties of
Devon and Exeter may have Liberty to raise it, if
they can.
"6. That, in Case it be pretended, on either Side,
that the Cessation is violated, no Act of Hostility is
immediately to follow; but first the Party grieved is
to acquaint the Lord General on the other Side, and
to allow Three Days after Notice given for Satisfaction; and, in Case Satisfaction be not given or accepted, then Three Days Notice to be given before
Hostility begins; and the like to be observed in the
(fn. *) remoter Armies, by the Commanders in Chief.
"7. That all other Forces whatsoever, within the
Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, not before mentioned, shall remain in the same Quarters
and Places as they are at the Time of the Publishing
of this Cessation, and under the same Conditions as
are mentioned in the Articles before; and that all
Fortifications and Works may remain as they are at
the Time of the Publication of this Cessation.
"The Preamble to the aforesaid Articles:
"On the 23d Day of Feb. 1642, in Windsor, it is
thought fit, in a Conference between the Honourable
Committee of both Houses of Parliament, and the
Council of War for the Army raised for the Defence
of the King and Kingdom, That, the Houses of Parliament having resolved of a Cessation, these following Considerations may be presented to the further
Examination of the Houses of Parliament: videlicet,
"That Care be taken, that the Cessation of Arms,
which shall be agreed on betwixt His Majesty and the
Parliament, shall be of Force and extend throughout all the Armies and Forces which are a foot in the
Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, on
either Side, under the Restriction and Limitations
hereafter following; and that neither Side shall be
bound or limited by this Cessation, in any other
Wife, or to any other Purpose, than is hereafter expressed."
Ordered, That this House approves of these Articles.
Ordered, That these Articles shall be communicated
to the House of Commons, at a Conference; and to desire that select Committees of both Houses may meet
this Afternoon, at Four of the Clock, and draw up into
Form what shall be presented to the King from both
Houses, touching the Cessation of Arms; and to consider of the Time when the Cessation shall begin, and
what else is to be done therein, and report the same to
this House.
Message to the H. C. for a Conference about them.
A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by
Dr. Bennett and Dr. Aylett:
To desire a Conference, touching the Advice of the
Lord General, concerning the Cessation of Arms.
The Message returned was:
Answer.
That the House of Commons will give a present Meeting, as is desired, in the Painted Chamber.
Mr. Craven, a Pass.
Ordered, That Mr. Craven shall have a Pass, to
travel into France.
Countess of Manchester, a Protection.
Ordered, That the Countess of Manchester shall
have a Protection, for to preserve her House at Hanginghouton, in North'tonshire, from Plundering.
Countess of Monmouth's Servants, a Pass.
Ordered, That John Jesson and John Sedgewicke,
Servants to the Countess of Monmouth, shall have a Pass,
to go to Killenworth, about her domestic Affairs, and to
return to London again.
Wind and Harrison, a Pass to France.
Ordered, That Robert Winde Gentleman, and Wm.
Harrison Gentleman, with their Servants Henry Fulke
and Peter Williams, shall have a Pass, to travel into
France.
Fitchett and Shallaker, Protections; and to supply the House with Firing.
Ordered, That Wilks Fitchett and Wm. Shallaker
shall have Protections of this House, to keep them from
Plundering, and their Horses from being taken away;
and that they and their Servants may have Leave to
ride into the Country, to make Provision of Fuel, for
the House of Peers, as they have formerly done.
Mr. Mountague, a Protection.
Ordered, That Mr. James Mountague shall have a
Protection, for his House (fn. *) at Lacock, in Wiltshire, to keep
in from Plundering.
Mr. Longe, D°.
Ordered, That Mr. James Longe, of Dracott, in
Wilts, shall have a Protection for his House, to preserve
it from Plundering.
Mrs. Fowler's Petition.
Upon reading the Petition of Catherine Fowler; it is
Ordered, That Mr. Justice Reeve shall call the Parties
mentioned in the said Petition before him; and, if the
Petitioner's Adversaries will not accept reasonable Bail,
then the said Mr. Justice Reeve shall report the same to
this House, or remove the said Petitioner to The Fleete.
(Here enter the Petition.)
Bill to indemnify the Judges for bailing Persons arrested for great Debts, to be brought in.
It is this Day Ordered, by the Lords in Parliament,
That Mr. Justice Reeve, Mr. Justice Bacon, Mr. Serjeant Whitfeild, and Mr. Serjeant Glanvile, shall meet,
and consider of fitting Heads for a Bill, to be drawn
for the Safety and Indemnity of the Judges, in taking of
Bail of Parties arrested, sued, or imprisoned, for great
Debts or Damages; and for the Bailing and Relief
of Parties so sued, arrested, and imprisoned; and to
prepare a Bill accordingly, to be presented unto this
House.
Birch, a Pass to France.
Ordered, That Mr. Birch shall (fn. *) have a Pass, to carry Bedding into France.
Riccards, at Coventry, to be released.
Ordered, That Francis Riccards, in Custody at
Coventry, shall be forthwith released, and set at Liberty.
The House was adjourned during Pleasure, and the
Lords went to the Conference; which being ended, the
House was resumed.
Order for Contribution-money for Poor English, from Ireland, in the Isle of Wight.
"Whereas it is informed, That Multitudes of poor
People of the English Nation, most of them being old
decrepid Persons, or else Women and Children, and
all of the Protestant Religion, are lately driven out
of Ireland, and landed in the Isle of Wight; and
whereas it is informed that One Hundred Marks, or
thereabouts, remaineth in the Collector's Hands of
the said Isle of Wight, which was gathered by virtue
of (fn. *) a late Act of Parliament, intituled, "An Act for
a speedy Contribution and Loan towards the Relief
of His Majesty's distressed Subjects of the Kingdom
of Ireland: It is now Ordered, by the Lords and
Commons in Parliament, That the said Collectors shall
forthwith pay the said Monies to Moyses Read, Alderman of Newport, in the said Isle, who is hereby appointed to distribute the same to the poor People
aforesaid, and is to take special Care that no Papists
may receive any Relief hereby; but such of the said
poor People as are Protestants, and of the English
Nation: And the said Alderman is to make a Return
of what he shall do herein to the Parliament."
Mrs. Fowler's Petition, arrested at the Suit of Calt.
"To the Right Honourable the Lords assembled
in the Upper House of Parliament.
"The humble Petition of Katherin Fowler, the
Daughter of Secretary Fowler, once Secretary
to Queen Anne;
"Sheweth,
"That your Petitioner, almost Three Weeks agone,
about Eleven of the Clock at Night, she being alone
in her House with her young Child, and One Maid
Servant, had the Windows about her House defaced,
her House violently broken open, a Pistol shot into
her Face, to her great Astonishment and Terror of
Heart; and then and there was unlawfully arrested,
at the Suit of Daniell Calt, and in a most inhuman
Manner dragged away, by a Company of debauched
Persons, unto the House of one Bates, a Marshal's
Man, where with much uncivil Usage she was detained till the next Day, and thence passed to The
Marshalsey, where she (fn. †) hath since continued, to her
infinite Prejudice, and almost utter Ruin of your
Petitioner and her tender Infant, having the Goods
of her House surreptitiously embezzled, her Monies exhausted by Prison Fees and the Procurement
of a Habeas Corpus, which by the Malice of the
Adversary was eluded, and her Bail not accepted
of, notwithstanding they were honest and sufficient
Men; by which unjust Dealings, your Petitioner
hath since had many pretended Actions of Debt
laid unto her Charge, whereby your Honours
Petitioner, with her young Infant, are like to be
weighed down to the lowest Center of Calamity,
her Means so fast exhausting, and her Friends disheartened by the great and manifold Actions entered
to engage for your distressed Supplicant.
"The Case being thus deplorable, that your Petitioner, a poor Gentlewoman and Widow, hath been
so odiously abused by a Company of Ruffians, and
in a Manner that the like hath seldom been known
in a Civil Government; and that, by reason of the
Evasion of the said Habeas Corpus, your Petitioner is
likely to have an Execution of a Thousand Pounds
served on her by Friday next, for a Matter of small
Value, whereby your Petitioner is likely to conclude
in inevitable Wretchedness; your Supplicant humbly
imploreth your Honours, that your Petitioner may
either be turned over to The Fleete, or that such Bail
may be accepted of as she can procure, being a
Stranger in this Country, that so she may enjoy the
Benefit of the just Laws of this Kingdom.
"And your Petitioner shall pray, &c."
Adjourn.
House adjourned till 10a cras.