DIE Veneris, videlicet, 10 die Novembris.
PRAYERS.
Lords present:
Ds. Grey of Warke, Speaker.
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Comes Northumb.
Comes Pembrooke.
Comes Sarum.
Comes Bollingbrooke.
Comes Lyncolne.
Comes Stamford.
Comes Suffolke.
Comes Essex, L. General.
Comes Rutland.
Comes Denbigh.
Comes Nottingham.
L. Viscount Say & Seale. |
Ds. Hunsden.
Ds. Wharton.
Ds. Howard.
Ds. Bruce. |
The Lord General reported to this House, "That
Yesterday there came a Trumpeter to him from the
King's (fn. *) Quarters, and brought a Letter, wherein
there was a Packet."
The Letter was read, as followeth:
Lord Forth's Letter to the Earl of Essex, with a Packet from Ireland, to the Speakers of both Houses.
"For the Earl of Essex. These.
"My Lord,
"This inclosed Packet from Ireland happening into
my Hands; upon View of the Superscription thereof,
I conceived it fit to send the same immediately unto
your Lordship, to do therewith as you shall think
best; remaining,
"Your Lordship's humble Servant,
Forth."
Oxon, 6th November, 1643.
Next, by the Command of this House, the Packet
was opened, and read; directed,
"To our very good Lord, the Lord Speaker of the
Right Honourable the Lords House of Parliament, in the Kingdom of England; and to our
very loving Friend, Will. Lenthall Esquire,
Speaker of the Honourable Commons House
in Parliament, in the said Kingdom."
Ordered, To communicate these Letters to the
House of Commons.
Message from the H. C. to expedite the Ordinance about the Great Seal.
A Message was brought from the House of Commons,
by Mr. Serjeant Wylde, &c.
To desire their Lordships would please to give Expedition to the Ordinance concerning the Great Seal,
which is of so absolute great Necessity, that the Commonwealth suffers great Prejudice for Want thereof.
Ordinance for making a new Great Seal, and annulling the King's.
Hereupon this House taking the Ordinance for the
Great Seal into Consideration, the Ordinance was read,
with the Amendments reported from the Committee;
and then the said Ordinance was read in Parts, and so
passed:
1. Was, "The annulling of the Great Seal at Oxford,
and all Acts passed since the 22th of May 1642, as is
expressed in the Ordinance, to the Word ["Purposes".]"
And it was Resolved, upon the Question, Affirmatively.
2. The Second Part was "To frustrate and make
void every Act and Thing that shall pass any Great
Seal of England, after the publishing of this Ordinance, other than what is appointed and established
by this Ordinance."
And it was Resolved, To pass, with the Affirmative.
The Third Part was read, "for putting the Great
Seal in Ure, and disposing of it in the Hands of
Commissioners."
Which this House Agreed to; and this House named
and appointed the Earls of Rutland and Bollingbrooke
to be Commissioners for this House, for the keeping
of the Great Seal.
L. General desires Supplies, and complains of the Ordinance for associating Kent, Sussex, &c.
The Lord General acquainted this House "of the
Necessity and Wants of the Army, for Want of
Provisions and Money;" and desired "that their
Lordships would take the same into Consideration,
that some Course may be taken for the certain Supplies of it; and that further, there was an Ordinance lately passed, for the associating of the Counties of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire, which
will be prejudicial to the Forces under his Command."
Hereupon this House held it fit to refer the Consideration of these Particulars to the Committee for the
Safety, to think of settling a constant Supply, for
maintaining the Army with Money; and to consider
what are the Inconveniences of the said Ordinance; the
said Committee to meet this Afternoon, at Five of the
Clock, in the Star Chamber.
Answer to the H. C.
The Answer returned to the Messengers that brought
the Message concerning the Great Seal was:
That their Lordships will send an Answer presently
by Messengers of their own.
Message to them, for the Committee of Safety to meet;
A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by
Mr. Serjeant Fynch and Dr. Ayliff:
To desire that the Committee for the Safety may
meet this Afternoon, at Five of the Clock, about important Business concerning the Army.
that the Lords agree to the Ordinance about the Great Seal; and with the Letter from Ireland.
Also to let them know, that this House agrees to the
Ordinance with the Alterations.
Also to communicate to them the Letter from the
Council of Ireland, read this Day.
Alderman Langham's Cause.
Ordered, That the Business between Alderman
Langham and other Merchants shall be heard in this
House on Monday next, in the Afternoon, at Three of
the Clock.
Worthington, a Pass.
Ordered, That Ric'd Worthinton, a Dutchman,
Servant to the Spanish Ambassador, shall have a Pass,
to go to Dover, and transport himself for Flanders, to
his native Country there.
Ordinance for making a new Great Seal, and for annulling the King's.
"Whereas the Great Seal of England, which, by
the Laws of this Realm, ought to attend the Parliament, being the Supreme Court of Justice and
Judicature within this Realm, for the Dispatch of the
great and weighty Affairs of the Commonwealth,
which is especially interested and concerned therein,
was, above a Year last past, that is to say, the 22th
Day of May, Anno 1642, by the then Lord Keeper
thereof, Edward Lord Littleton, then a Member
and Speaker of the House of Peers in Parliament,
contrary to the Great Trust in him reposed, and Duty
of his Place, secretly and persidiously conveyed away
from the Parliament, into the King's Army raised
against the Parliament; the said Lord Keeper departing therewith into the said Army without the Leave or
Privity of the said House; by Means whereof, great
Mischiefs and Inconveniencies have ensued to this
Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Ireland.
"And whereas the said Great Seal ought constantly
to remain in the Hands and Custody of One or more
Officer or Officers (sworn for that Service), and to
be used and employed for the Weal and Safety of
His Majesty's People, which notwithstanding hath
been divers Times, sithence the conveying away
thereof as aforesaid, put into the Hands of other
Persons not sworn, and Popishly and dangerously
affected, who have had the disposing and managing
thereof at their own Wills and Pleasures, and hath
been traiterously and perniciously abused, to the
Ruin and Destruction of the Parliament and Kingdom, by granting and issuing out divers illegal Commissions of Array, and other unlawful Commissions,
for raising of Forces against the Parliament, by issuing
out of most soul and scandalous Papers, under the
Name and Title of Proclamations against both
Houses of Parliament, and divers Members thereof,
and others adhering to them, proclaiming them
Traitors and Rebels; Commissions of Oyer and Terminer to proceed against divers of them as Traitors,
and other Commissions to seize and consiscate their
Estates, for no other Cause but for doing their Duties and Services to the Commonwealth; as likewise
by granting that horrid Commission, for executing
of that most bloody and detestable Design of Waller,
Tomkins, and others, for the Destruction of the Parliament, and City of London, and of the Army raised
for their just Defence; and (as if Massacres and Assassinations had been but light and venial Crimes)
another Commission hath been granted, under the
same Seal, for a Cessation of Arms with the barbarous and bloody Rebels in Ireland, after the Effusion of so much innocent Blood and Slaughter of
above One Hundred Thousand Protestants, Men,
Women, and Children, by their merciless and bloody
Hands; whereupon a Cessation of Arms is accordingly concluded, and those brutish Rebels thereby
emboldened to prepare themselves, not only for a
total Extirpation of the Protestants remaining there,
but for a Conquest also of this Kingdom; and further, by granting of several Commissions, and Offices of Trust and Command, to notorious Papists,
who, by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm, are
made uncapable thereof, and by conferring of Honours and Dignities, and granting of Lands and
Estates, to divers exorbitant Delinquents, who stand
legally impeached of High Treason, and other High
Crimes and Misdemeanors, in Parliament; all which
and many other unlawful and enormous Acts have
passed under the Great Seal, since the Removal
thereof from the Parliament as aforesaid; which the
Lords and Commons taking into their Consideration,
and finding all Ways and Means obstructed for the
procuring of any Redress from His Majesty in the
Premises, notwithstanding their long Hopes and uncessant Labours for the obtaining thereof, are bound
in Duty, and of Necessity, to provide some speedy
Remedy for these insupportable Mischiefs:
"Be it therefore Declared and Ordained, by the
said Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament,
That as well all and every the said Acts formerly
mentioned, which have passed under the said Great Seal,
as also all Letters Patents and Grants of any Lands,
Goods, or Estates, of any Person or Persons whatsoever, for adhering to the Parliament, all Compositions or Grants of any Wardships, or Leases of any
Ward's Lands, Liveries, Primer Seizins, and Ouster
le Mains, since the said 22d of May 1642, which have
not, according to the due Course of Law, passed
through the Court of Wards and Liveries established
by Law; all Grants, since the said 22d of May 1642,
of any Honours, Dignities, Manors, Lands, Hereditaments, or other Things whatsoever, to any Person
or Persons, which have voluntarily contributed, or
shall voluntarily contribute, any Aid or Assistance,
to the Maintenance of that unnatural War raised
against the Parliament; and all Pardons granted to
any such Person or Persons; and all other Acts or
Things whatsoever contrary to, or in Derogation of,
the Proceedings of both or either of the Houses
of Parliament, which have passed under the said
Great Seal, since the Removal thereof from the Parliament, shall be, and are hereby Declared to be, utterly invalid, void, and of none Effect, to all Intents
and Purposes; and that all and every Act or Thing,
which, after the Publication of this Ordinance, shall
pass by or under the said Great Seal, or under any
Great Seal of England (other than what is hereby
appointed and established), shall be utterly void,
frustrate, and of none Effect, and every Person or
Persons, which shall put the same in Use, or shall
claim any Thing thereby, shall be held and adjudged
a public Enemy of this State.
"And be it further Ordained, by the said Lords
and Commons, That a Great Seal of England, already
by them made and provided, shall be forthwith put
in Use, and shall be, and is hereby authorized and
established to be, of like Force, Power, and Validity,
to all Intents and Purposes, as any Great Seal of
England hath been or ought to be.
"And that it shall be put into the Hands and Custody of the Persons hereafter named, who are hereby Ordained Commissioners for that Purpose; that
is to say, John Earl of Rutland, and Oliver Earl of
Bullingbrooke, Members of the House of Peers, and
Oliver St. Johns Esquire His Majesty's Solicitor
General, John Wyld Serjeant at Law, Samuell Browne
and Edmund Prideaux, Esquires, Members of the
House of Commons; which said Persons, or any
Three or more of them, whereof One Member or
more of the Lords House, also One Member or
more of the House of Commons, shall be present,
shall have, and are hereby authorized to have, the
keeping, ordering, and disposing thereof, as also all
such and the like Power and Authority, as any Lord
Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, or Commissioners of
the Great Seal, for the Time being, hath had, used,
or ought to have."
Adjourn.
House adjourned till 10a cras.