DIE Lunæ, videlicet, 26 Februarii.
PRAYERS, by Dr. Smith.
Lords present this Day:
Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker this Day.
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Comes Pembrooke.
Comes Sarum.
Comes Rutland.
Comes Nottingham.
Comes Stamford.
L. Viscount Say & Seale.
Comes Northumb.
Comes Lyncolne.
Comes Bolingbrooke.
Comes Kente.
L. General.
L. Admiral. |
Ds. Howard.
Ds. Hunsden.
Ds. Dacres. |
Answer from the H. C.
The Messengers sent to the House of Commons on
Saturday last return with Answer from the House of
Commons:
That they agree to the Ordinance concerning the Importation of Bullion. (Here enter it.) And touching
the Ordinance concerning the Lord Howard, they will
send an Answer by Messengers of their own.
Algier Captives.
Upon reading the Petition of divers poor Women,
whose Husbands and Friends are Captives in Argier,
Tunis, and other Places; desiring, "That some Course
may be taken for their Releasement:" It is Ordered, To be referred to the Care of the Lord Admiral.
Le Cœur, & al. Hooper's Creditors.
Upon reading the Petition of Wm. Le Cœur and
Tranchepin, Creditors of Anth. Hooper, Merchant, late
deceased, concerning his Estate: It is Ordered, That
this House refers this Cause (fn. *) to the due Course of Law.
Ordinance for sealing Writs of Error under the Great Seal.
Next, the Ordinance concerning sealing of Writs of
Errors under the Great Seal of England was read the
Second Time, and committed to a Committee of the
whole House.
And the House was adjourned during Pleasure into a
Committee, to take this Ordinance into Consideration,
and hear the Judges concerning this Business.
The House resumed.
Referred to the Judges.
And it is Ordered, That the Judges do take this
Business into Consideration, and propose to this House
on Saturday next what Expedient may be found, that
Justice may have a due Course in this Particular, that
so this House may give a speedy Direction concerning
this Business.
Petition from Hertfordshire, about free quartering of Forces there.
A Petition was presented to this House, from divers
Gentlemen of the County of Hertford, (fn. †) complaining of
the great Burthen of the free Quartering of Forces
that lies upon them;" and desiring, "That the Lord
General's Army there may be recruited, and removed
from thence; whereby their Burthens may be eased,
and such Rates and Taxes that are or shall be laid
on the County may be suspended, until the Damages
by free Quarters in the said County be re-paid."
The Gentlemen that brought this Petition withdrew,
and the House took this into Consideration.
Soldiers mutinous for Want of Pay.
And the Lord General acquainted this House with a
Letter he received from Major General Skippon on Saturday, of the Necessity of the Soldiers, and their Insolencies
for Want of Pay.
Hereupon this House Ordered, To communicate this
Petition and the Letter, at a Conference with the House
of Commons To-morrow, and desire them to take this
Business into serious Consideration.
Answer to the Hertfordshire Petitioners.
The Gentlemen were called in again; and the Speaker,
by the Directions of the House, told them, "That
their Lordships are very sensible of their Burthens
by the Soldiers; and their Lordships will take their
Petition into Consideration, and have a Conference
with the House of Commons, that some speedy Course
may be taken for paying of the Soldiers and recruiting them, that so the County of Hertford be eased."
Their Petition.
"To the Right Honourable the Lords and Peers
in the High Court of Parliament assembled.
"The humble Petition of the Committee and
others of the Inhabitants of the County of
Hertford, in Behalf of the said County,
"Humbly sheweth,
"That we, your Petitioners, having ever since the
very Beginning of these unhappy Distractions wholly
given ourselves over, in the Hazard of what is most
dear to us, against all Opposition for the Defence of
the King and Parliament, which we are still ready to
continue to our utmost with all Chearfulness: But
now, having groaned these Seventeen Weeks under
the intolerable Burthen of free Quarters of many
Horse and Foot under the Command of his Excellency the Lord General the Earl of Essex, the Vastness
of which Charge we forbear to particularize to your
Lordships, having formerly made it known to the Honourable House of Commons by our humble Petition;
and hoping now again, by humbly representing it to
his Excellency, to have found Relief from this our
so heavy a Pressure, whereby we have not of a long
while so much as enjoyed the Freedom of our own
House, but have been in many Places subjected to
many grievous Insolencies, besides the Consumption
of all our Provisions laid in for our Families, which
hitherto with all Patience we have undergone, with
assured Hopes of Re-payment: His Excellency's
Answer to our humble Desires is, That it is not in his
Lordship's Power and Way to relieve us unless that
Payment be first made to the Army, nor fit that the
Soldiers be removed to Places of Danger unless recruited; to which your Petitioners not able to reply,
and finding no Means of Relief of this their so sad a
Condition, many of us being now cast into deep Debts
by making Provision for the Soldiers, are, besides our
own utter Undoing, rendered unable to sustain our
own Families, and not possible to pay those Sums and
Monthly Taxations laid on our County for the Earl of
Manchester and others, some whereof are far beyond
the equal Proportion agreed on at the first by the
Committees of the associated Counties, besides the
eating up of those Provisions within so nigh a Distance
to London, as we fear may prove of a far greater Inconveniency to the City of London, if not timely foreseen and prevented by your Wisdoms.
All which your Petitioners deplorable Condition
we in all Humility submit to your Lordships
most wife and provident Consideration; beseeching your Lordships that your Petitioners
may not be destroyed by their Friends, but
that the Army may be speedily recruited and
removed, and such Rates and Taxes that are
or shall be laid on the County may be suspended until the Damages by free Quarters
in our County be re-paid, since we never
feared nor spared to lay out our Lives and
Fortunes freely for the Defence of the Parliament and Commonwealth, against all Enemies whatsoever."
Ordinance for the free Importation of Bullion.
"The Lords and Commons now in Parliament assembled, having received Information, by Merchant
Strangers and others concerned in the Importation of
Plate and Bullion into this Kingdom, That their Correspondents inhabiting in the Parts beyond the Seas
have conceived many Fears and Jealousies, which have
and do discourage them in the usual Importing of
Bullion into this Kingdom: For the better Security
and Encouragement of all Merchants and Importers
in of Bullion or Coin into this Kingdom, do Ordain
and Declare, That Bullion and Coin that shall be
brought in any English Shipping shall have free and
safe Passage and Protection, as in any former Times,
both by Sea and Land, into the Ports of Dover and
London; and that no Seizure or Detention from this
State shall, upon any Pretence whatsoever, be laid
upon the same, or any Part thereof, in whose Hands
soever the same shall be intrusted, either Stranger or
Native; but that the said Plate, Bullion, or Coin,
shall be brought into and out of His Majesty's Mint in
The Tower of London, as heretofore; and further, that,
as in former Times, they shall have free Liberty to
transport the Two Third Parts of such Bullion or Coin
that shall be so imported, paying Two per Cent. Duty
for the same as formerly, and the other Third Part is
to be brought to the Mint; and further, that from
The Downes they shall have Convoy as usually heretofore, or free Liberty to transport the said Two
Third Parts in Shipping of their own."
Adjourn.
House adjourned till 9a cras.