Die Veneris, videlicet, 18 die Februarii.
PRAYERS.
Mr. Coningsbey's Bill.
Hodie 1a
vice lecta est Billa, An Act for the settling,
by Fitzwilliam Conigsbie, Esquire, of a Rent-charge,
of Two Hundred Pounds per Annum, upon an Hospital,
in the Suburbs of the City of Hereford, called Coningsby's Company of old Servitors, &c. and for the Settlement of Lands and Tenements, for the Payment of
Debts, and raising of Portions for his younger Children;
and for a new Jointure to his Wife, and a new Settlement of his Estate.
Sir John Blagrave's Bill.
The Committee reported the Bill for enabling Sir
John Blagrave to make a Jointure to his now Wife,
as fit to pass as it is, with some few Alterations; which
being read Thrice, and approved of, the Bill was
Ordered to be ingrossed, with the said Amendments.
Bill for avoiding Actions against Officers.
Hodie 1a
vice lecta est Billa, An Act for the avoiding of some Actions and Suits brought, and others
which might be brought; against Sheriffs and others,
for obeying and executing of Process and Orders in
certain Cases, and for Ease in Pleading concerning the
same.
Bishops to be brought to their Trial To-morrow.
Ordered, That a Warrant be sent to the Lieutenant
of The Tower, to bring the Bishops that are impeached
by the House of Commons To-morrow Morning, to
receive their Trial at this Bar.
Conference about Ireland reported.
The Lord Robartes reported the Effect of the Conference Yesterday: "That Mr. Whitlocke, who managed the Conference, acquainted their Lordships
that he was commanded by the House of Commons
to present a Vote of that House to their Lordships;
which was read, in hæc verba: videlicet,
Propositions of the H. C. for the speedy Reducing of Ireland.
The Vote of the Lords and Commons, upon
the Propositions made by divers worthy and
well-affected Persons, for the speedy and effectual Reducing of the Kingdom of Ireland.
"The Lords and Commons, taking into their serious
Considerations as well the Necessity of a speedy Reducing of the Rebels of Ireland to their due Obedience, as also the great Sums of Money that the
Commons of this Realm have lately paid for the
public and necessary Affairs of the Kingdom, whereof the Lords and Commons are very sensible, and
desirous to embrace all good and honourable Ways,
tending to His Majesty's Greatness and Profit, the
Settling of that Realm, and the Ease of His Majesty's Subjects of England; and whereas divers worthy and well-affected Persons, conceiving that many
Millions of Acres of the Rebels Lands of that Kingdom, which go under the Name of Profitable Lands,
will be confiscate, and to be disposed of; and that,
in case Two Millions and a Half of those Acres, to
be equally taken out of the Four Provinces of that
Kingdom, may be allotted for the Satisfaction of
such Persons as shall disburse any Sums of Money
for the reducing of the Rebels there, that would effectually accomplish this great Work; have made
these Propositions ensuing:
"1. First, That Two Millions and a Half of those
Acres may be assigned, allotted, and divided amongst
them, after this Proportion: videlicet,
"For each Adventure of
"Two Hundred Pounds, a Thousand Acres in
Ulster.
"Three Hundred Pounds, a Thousand Acres in
Connaght.
"Four Hundred and Fifty Pounds, a Thousand
Acres in Munster.
"Six Hundred Pounds, a Thousand Acres in
Lempster.
"All according to the English Measure, and consisting
of Meadow, Arable, and Profitable Pasture; the Bogs,
Woods, and Barren Mountains, being cast in over
and above. These Two Millions and a Half of
Acres to be holden in free and common Soccage of
the King, as of the Castle of Dublin.
"2. That, out of these Two Millions and a Half of
Acres, a constant Rent shall be reserved to the
Crown of England, after this Proportion: videlicet,
|
|
|
|
"Out of each Acre thereof, |
Ulster, |
1 d. |
|
Connaught, |
1 d. ob. |
|
Munster, |
ii d. q. |
|
Lempster, |
iii d. |
"Whereby His Majesty's Revenue out of those Lands
will be much improved, besides the Advantages that
He will have by the coming to His Hands of all other
the Lands of the Rebels, and their Personal Estates,
without any Charge to His Majesty.
"3. That, for the erecting of Manors, settling of
Wastes and Commons, maintaining of Preaching
Ministers, creating of Corporations, and regulating
of the several Plantations, one or more Commissions
be hereafter granted, by Authority of Parliament.
"4. That Monies, on this great Occasion, may be
the more speedily advanced, all the Undertakers of
the City of London, and within Twenty Miles distant
thereof, shall underwrite their several Sums before
the 20th Day of March 1641; and all within Sixty
Miles of London before the 1st Day of April 1642;
and the rest of the Kingdom before the 1st Day
of May 1642.
"5. That the several Sums to be underwritten shall
be paid at Four Payments; videlicet, one Fourth
Part within Ten Days after such Underwriting; and
the other three Parts at Three Months, Three
Months, and Three Months; all to be paid into
the Chamber of London.
"6. That, for the better securing of the said several
Sums accordingly, every one that doth so underwrite
shall, at the Time of of his Subscription, pay down
the Twentieth Part of the total Sum that shall be by
him then underwritten.
"And, in case that the Residue of his First Fourth
Part be not paid in to such Person or Persons as
shall be appointed to receive them within the Ten
Days before limited, then such Party shall not forfeit
the Twentieth Part of the Sum Total formerly deposited, but so much of his First Fourth Payment
to be added thereunto as shall make up the one
Moiety of the said First Payment; and, if the same
Person shall fail in any other of the Three Payments,
he shall then forfeit his entire First Fourth Part,
and all the Benefit of his Subscription, which Forfeiture shall accrue to the common Benefit of the rest
of the Undertakers.
"The Lords and Commons, upon due and mature
Deliberation of these Propositions, have approved
of them, and given their Consent to the same; and
will become humble Petitioners to His Majesty,
for His Royal Approbation thereof; and that hereafter He will be pleased, upon the humble Suit of
both Houses of Parliament, to give His Royal Assent to such Bills as they shall tender unto Him, for
the settling of those Propositions and all other Things
necessarily conducing thereunto.
"Which being read, he afterwards proceeded,
Mr. Whitlocke's Speech.
"That whereas your Lordships were pleased to
return Thanks lately to the King, with the House
of Commons, for His Majesty's Favour, expressed
in the passing of Two Bills, much importing the
Safety, Quiet, and Content of this Kingdom; and
the King had thereupon recommended to both
Houses the Care of Ireland; so as these Propositions
read to your Lordships, even with relation to that
Message, were seasonable.
"Then he offered, by Way of Prevention, something concerning the Title, which was, ["The Votes
of the Lords and Commons"]. This, he knew, your
Lordships understood to be but Matter of Form;
for your Lordships Consents was that which must
make it to be so.
"He then proceeded, and offered to your Lordships
Three Motives, each urging and concluding the Entertainment of this Course:
"1. First, the reducing of Ireland.
"2. Secondly, the Profit of the King.
"3. Thirdly, the Ease of the People of England.
"For the First, Ireland was in that Condition, as not
only the Civil Power, which was wont to be the
former Quarrel, but now even Religion, the rooting up of the Protestant Religion, and Extirpation
of the English, is the Quarrel. The Rebels are so
audacious as to scandalize the King and Queen; and
the Question is not now, whether Irish or English,
but whether the Protestant or Popish Religion, shall
stand in that Kingdom. This Rage of theirs stays
not there; they intend to stain this Land with the
Blood of Protestants. The Life and Soul of Religion is now at Stake; and he made no Doubt every
good Protestant will lay down his Life and Fortune
for the Preservation of it.
"Then he came to the Second Motive, which he
amplified first by Way of Disadvantage, and shewed
what a Loss it would be to the King to be bereaved
of that large and fruitful Island, which was a Third
Part of the King's Dominions; yea, a Third Kingdom.
"He then shewed how much the Preservation of
it conduced to the King's Profit, and how improveable this would be by keeping; that now was the
Time to make him a thorough King there, and
to establish the Throne, which had been disputed
and tottering in that Realm these Four Hundred
Years.
"He then proceeded to the Third Motive; and
said, The People of England have lately undergone
many and heavy Payments; he meant not those
illegal Payments which were a just Punishment to
such as would submit to such unjust Charges; but
he spoke of the Levies by Parliament, the Burthen
whereof, together with the Decay of Trade, our
Neighbours in the Country were very sensible:
By those Propositions read to your Lordships, the
poorer Sort will be eased, the Payments made easy,
because voluntary; and thereupon will be many and
chearful Givers, who must ever have the Honour of
a Memory to have contributed to so good a Work,
so as, where Profit is an Ingredient with Piety and
Loyalty, the Plaster will be sooner applied to Ireland.
"When, therefore, our Duty to God and the King
may invite to so good a Work, he doubted not of
your Lordships Concurrence with the House of
Commons, for the Good of that which was the
Good of this Kingdom.
"Having said thus much in General, he offered
something to the Propositions in Particular: That
whereas the First Proposition demanded Two Millions and a Half of Acre for the Undertakers, which
at first Sight might look as a great Demand to such
as knew not the Extent of that Kingdom, which
is computed, by those who well understand the
Latitude of it, to contain Fifteen Millions of Acres;
and therefore, to take Two Millions and Half when
Two Parts of Three of that Kingdom are in open
Rebellion, is not so great a Demand as may at first
Sight appear; and the Proposition conduceth much
to the raising of Rent to the King. He said, it
was well known that the Revenue of the Exchequer
and Court of Wards in Ireland did not exceed the
Sum of Forty-three Thousand Pounds Yearly, besides the Customs, which your Lordships found not
great, except in Monopolies and undue Charges:
Whatever the Customs are, they will be by these
Propositions much advanced; Twenty or Thirty
Thousand Pounds a Year Rent will accrue to the
Crown, by the Reservations in them expressed; besides
Seven Millions and a Half of Acres, over and above
the Two Millions and Half desired in the Propositions,
left to the King's Disposal.
"The other Propositions, which are for the Manner
of bringing in the Money, are very necessary; nothing being of more Consequence than to dispatch
this War.
"He observed out of Livy, That the Romans made
their War great and short; some they finished
within Six, some within Ten, some within Twenty
Days, as with the Samnites, Latins, &c. He did
not mention this as though it were seasonable for
us to conclude this War in so short a Time; but
only to prove, by the Actions of that great State,
that nothing is more advantageous to a State than
the speedy Dispatch of a War; and he hopes that,
if this Money come in, the War of Ireland might
be brought to a short Issue. He added, that he
remembered with Grief the former Obstructions
for Ireland; but now he hopeth, by the King and
your Lordships Concurrences, that Delays will be
turned into Dispatches; and this was necessary, because Foreign Princes, though now otherwise employed, will be awakened by a lasting War to take
Care of our Affairs.
"He observeth the Course of Ireland's First Plantation to suit much with this propounded.
"King William the First gave Leave to Twelve
Knights to go into Wales, to get what they could,
and to plant themselves there: From those descended Richard Le Strong-bow, First Earl of Pembrooke,
who made the First Impression in that Kingdom, of
which Giraldus Cambrensis saith that it should be
maintained, multis Cædibus, crebris Conflictibus, multoque Certamine. He hopeth the Course now in
Hand will give a Period to that Conquest and this
Prophecy; and that those intended Plantations may
be as prosperous to settle as the former to gain that
Kingdom.
"Wherefore, this Work being so full of Piety, Honour, and Charity, none shall need to speak for it;
the Work will speak for itself.
"And so delivering the Vote of that House to your
Lordships, he concluded the Conference."
This Report being (fn. *) ended; the Lords took the Propositions into serious Consideration; and it was Resolved, upon the Question, nemine contradicente, That
this House agrees and joins with the House of Commons in the Votes and Propositions now read, for
the speedy and effectual Reducing of the Kingdom of
Ireland.
Message to the H. C. that the Lords agree with them in these Propositions.
Then a Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir Edward Leech and Doctor Bennet:
To let the House of Commons know, that the
Lords have agreed to the Votes and Propositions
brought from them, concerning the speedy and effectual Reducing of the Kingdom of Ireland.
Message from the H. C. for the Trained Bands of Midd. to be drawn out on Shrove Tuesday.
A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Gilbert Gherrard, Baronet:
That the House of Commons, considering that upon
Shrove-Tuesday the Prentices of London and others do
take more Liberty to assemble themselves, in Tumults
and Disorders, than at other Times; and considering
the many Concurrences of People that have lately
been; and in regard there hath been formerly used
upon that Day some of the Trained Bands of Midd.
to be drawn, for the preventing of Outrages; the
House of Commons desires their Lordships to join
with them, to desire the Earl of Holland, Lieutenant of
Midd. that he will give Order, That some Companies
of the Trained Bands may be mustered out into the
Parts adjoined to the City, as usually hath been done,
for preventing of Outrages and Disorders on that
Day.
Hereupon this House Ordered, That the Earl of
Holland, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Midd. shall
be hereby required to cause so many of the Companies
of the Trained (fn. *) Bands of the said County to be
mustered, and drawn out into several Parts about the
Suburbs of London and Westm. as may well prevent
any Tumults as shall or may be on Shrove Tuesday
next, by the gathering together of any unruly People
whatsoever.
Order concerning Windsor Forest.
Upon Information this Day to this House, by the
Earl of Holland, Justice in Eyre of His Majesty's
Forests and Parks on this (fn. *) Side Trent, "of the great
Destruction and Killing of His Majesty's Deer in the
Forest of Windsor, especially in The New Lodge,
where the People of the Country, in a riotous and
tumultuous Manner, have lately killed a Hundred of
His Majesty's Fallow Deer, and besides Red Deer,
and do threaten to pull down the Pales about the
said Lodge:" Hereupon this House Ordered, That
the Sheriff of the County of Berks shall attend the
Lords in Parliament on Tuesday next (being the Two
and Twentieth of this Instant February), and to give
an Account to their Lordships why he hath not prevented the late tumultuous and riotous Killing of His
Majesty's Deer, in great Numbers, in The New Lodge,
within the Forest of Windsor. And it is further Ordered, That the Earl of Holland shall send for the
chief Actors in this Business, as he is Lord Justice
of Eyre, to be so punished for their Demerits as his
Lordship shall think fit; but, in case any Resistance
shall be made by them against his Officers or Ministers, that then, upon Affidavit made thereof, and their
Names returned unto this House, the Sheriff of the
said County shall have Order to bring them up before
their Lordships.
Arthur Trevor's Petition.
Upon reading the Petition of Arthur Trevor, in Behalf of his Father Sir Edward Trevor, taken by the
Rebels in Ireland; it is Ordered, That the said Petition
be specially recommended and referred to the Lords
Justices of Ireland, and the Lord Ormond; to the End
that they would take such Care and speedy Course for
the Relief of Sir Edward Trevor, mentioned (fn. *) in the
said Petition, as they, in their Wisdoms and Judgements,
in this Case shall think fit; and afterwards to acquaint
this House what they shall have done herein.
Message from the H. C. for the Royal Assent to the Propositions about Ireland.
A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Reynolds:
To let their Lordships know, that (fn. †) the Life of the
Propositions concerning the Adventure for Ireland is in
the Expedition of them; therefore the House of Commons desires that some Lords may be sent to the King,
to desire His Royal Assent thereunto.
Committee of both Houses to attend the King for it.
Hereupon this House appointed the Earl of Westm.
to join with a proportionable Number of the House
of Commons, to attend the King, and humbly petition Him from both Houses, that His Majesty would
be pleased to give His Royal Assent thereunto.
Answer from the Spanish Ambassador.
The Lord Feilding reported, "That he had delivered
the Message to the Spanish Ambassador, according to
their Lordships Direction; and he returns this Answer for the present, That he will give an Answer
speedily in Writing."
Adjourn.
Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli declaravit præsens
Parliamentum coninuandum esse usque in diem Sabbati,
videlicet 19m diem Februarii, 1641, hora 9a Aurora,
Dominis sic decernentibus.