House of Commons Journal Volume 3: 6 May 1643

Die Sabbati, 6 Maii, 1643.

PRAYERS.

Sir T. Barker.

THE humble Petition of Wm. Barker of London Merchant, concerning the Removal of Sir Thomas Barker, his Brother, from Windesor Castle to London, to take Course for disengaging him of many Debts that he is engaged in for his Brother; was this Day read.

Resolved, &c. That Sir Tho. Barker shall be removed from the Castle of Windesore, where he is now a Prisoner, to the Compter in Southwarke, at his own Charge; there to remain a Prisoner, during the Pleasure of the House: This to be done after Tuesday next.

Morgan's &c. Petition.

Ordered, That the humble Petition of Jo. Morgan, and Rob. Bathur of Gowdherst, in the County of Kent, Yeoman, Collectors of the Subsidies, and of the Poll Money, be referred to the Committee for Examinations; who have Power to examine the Business; and to send for Parties and Witnesses; and to receive all Petitions of the like Nature; and to take Course for Relief of the Petitioners.

And it is further Ordered, That Mrs. Darrell be sent for; and that the Process be stayed in the mean time.

Maxewell's Assessments.

Ordered, That it be referred to Sir Rob. Pye, Mr. Trenchard, and Mr. Wheeler, to give Order, that if the weekly Assessments, set upon Mr. Maxewell by the late Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, be not paid by Monday next, that then they shall give Order for Distress to be made of his Goods, according to the Ordinance of both Houses.

Loan from the City.

An Ordinance for securing Monies borrowed of the Citizens, was this Day read; and, by Vote, upon the Question, assented unto; and ordered to be sent unto the Lords, for their Concurrence, by Sir Rob. Harley.

General Warrants.

Whereas, by Order of this House, several general Warrants have been granted from Mr. Speaker to the Serjeant at Arms, for seizing the Goods, and searching the Houses of Papists, and ill-affected People only; by colour of which Warrants divers good People have been abused and wronged:

It is Ordered, That all such general Warrants, directed from Mr. Speaker to the Serjeant at Arms, for seizing of Goods, or searching of Houses, &c. as aforesaid, be all recalled, repealed, and made void.

Mr. Bagshaw, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Rigby, are appointed to prepare an Order, to this Purpose, to be printed.

Persons sent for.

Resolved, &c. That Tho. Towers and Henry Langley be forthwith sent for, as Delinquents, for abusing the Power and Authority of this House, in entering the Houses, and seizing the Goods, of well-affected People, contrary to any Order of this House.

Resolved, &c. That the Committee in Herts' do forthwith send up to this House, in safe Custody, at their own Charges, Stephen Spratt, Ambrose Leay, and Hanibal Chambers,

General Warrants.

. .Glynn,. . Reynolds,. . Solicitor,. . Rigby,. . Reynolds,. . Pierepointe,. . Pelham,. . Dowse,. . Litton, . . Holles,. . Evelyn,. . Trenchard,. . Vassall,. . Jennour,. . Yelverton,. . Bond,. . Lisle,. . Whitlock,.. Knightley;

This Committee is appointed to consider of the Inconveniences and Abuses of General Warrants, and of some Course to prevent them; and to call all such People to an Account, as have been employed by any such general Warrants, in the seizing of any Goods, Horses, or searching of Houses, &c. And that this Committee shall have Power, from time to time, to take Account of all such Persons, as shall seize any Goods by virtue of any Warrant; and to receive the Complaints of such as shall complain of the Abuses of such Warrants; and are to meet when and where they please.

Countess of Rivers' Goods.

Ordered, That Mr. Corbett shall give Order for staying and detaining the Goods of the Countess of Rivers, till the House take further Order.

General Warrants.

Ordered, That Mr. Strode do write unto my Lord General, to acquaint him with the Abuses.. general Warrants granted by his Excellency; and to desire him, that hereafter he will be pleased to grant his Warrants to be executed by the Advice and Direction* * *

Declaration on the Treaty.

A Declaration, upon the Result of the Treaty brought in, with some Amendments, was this Day read; and, by Vote, upon the Question, assented unto; and ordered to be delivered unto the Lords at a Conference.

Ordered, That this Declaration shall be printed, and Mr. Glynn take care for the printing of it; and none shall print or reprint it, but such as Mr. Glynn shall appoint; to the end that by his Care the Records may be rightly cited, and the Letters, and other Matters, ordered to be printed with it, carefully printed.

Ordered, That it be recommended, in the like manner, to Mr. Whitlock, to give Order for printing all the Passages of the Treaty.

Sir H. Pollard.

Ordered, That Mr. Rous, Mr. Hill, and Mr. Strode, do peruse the Letters that are come from Mr. Prideaux to Mr. Nicoll, concerning Sir Hugh Pollard; that some Observations thereupon may be presented to the Lords at a Conference.

Prisoners of War.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee for Prisoners, where Serjeant Wilde has the Chair, to prepare Heads for a Conference with the Lords; to represent unto them the Condition of the Prisoners at Oxon, and of those here, and the Difference of their Usages: And likewise, to represent unto them such Prisoners as have been discharged by their Order, or by their Importunity: And likewise, to prepare Rules, to be held and observed towards all such Prisoners as are or shall be taken in Service against the Parliament. And Mr. Hill is added to this Committee, and Mr. Reynolds.

Message to Lords.

Ordered, That a Message be presently sent to the Lords, to desire, in regard that Justice Mallett was committed by the Authority of both Houses; and that this House is informed, that he is enlarged, by Order of the Lords; may be remanded to Prison; to be disposed of by Order and Authority of both Houses. He is likewise to desire a Conference, concerning a Declaration upon the Results of the Treaty.

Mr. Holles went up with this Message: The Lords were risen, before he came.

Raising Money,

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Edw. Leech and Dr. Bennett;

The Lords have sent down this Ordinance, intituled, An Ordinance for the speedy raising and levying of Money for the Relief of the Commonwealth, by taxing such as have not at all contributed or lent, or not according to their Estates and Abilities; with some Amendments, Additions, and Provisoes; And they do agree unto it.

Loan from the City.

Sir Rob. Harley brings Answer, that the Lords do agree to the Ordinance carried up by him, concerning the securing the Monies now to be lent by the City.

Person ordered into custody.

Resolved, upon the Question, that Justice Mallett be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant; and there detained, till the House take further Order.

Message from Lords.

A Message from the Lords, by Dr. Aylett and Dr. Heath;

The Lords do agree to the Ordinance concerning the making Sir Rob. Harley Workmaster of the Mint: And to the Ordinance concerning the weekly Assessments; And this they have given Order for the printing of it.

Prisoner discharged.

A Letter from the Earl of Essex, dated 5 Maii instant, desiring, that Patrick Strettey, in actual Service in his Army, arrested upon a mean Process, might be delivered, was this Day read.

Ordered, That Patrick Strettey, one of the Gentlemen of the Ordanance employed in the Army under the Command of the Earl of Essex, now in Restraint in the King's Bench, London, a Prisoner upon mean Process, King's Bench, London, a Prisoner upon mean Process, shall be forthwith discharged: And the Keeper of the said Prison is hereby required, forthwith to yield Obedience hereunto: And this House will save the Keeper harmless.

Advance from Customs.

The Customers were called in; and Mr. Speaker told them, the House had considered of what they had said, and are very sensible of their Affections to the Commonwealth, and assured the Continuance of the same: " For the Thing you propound for an Ordinance; they will consider of it on Monday Morning: And propound You, in Writing, what you desire; and send it by any one of yourselves on Monday Morning; which may put the House into a Way to get Monies for the Navy: And this House will use all Diligence in assisting you in procuring the same.

Loan from the City.

Whereas, upon a Motion made, by a Committee of Lords and Commons, in the Name of both Houses of Parliament, for the Sum of Threescore thousand Pounds, to be advanced, by the Citizens of London, for Supply of the Necessities of the Army; the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and divers of the Commons, of the said City, by virtue of an Ordinance of the Eight-and-twentieth of February last, did advance Three-and-twenty thousand Pounds, or thereabouts; which, by another Ordinance of the Fifth of April, was to be repaid, together with Forty thousand Pounds more, or thereabouts, lent and advanced by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen alone, with Consideration for the Forbearance thereof, after the Rate of Eight per Cent. per Annum for the same, out of the first Monies to be raised by the weekly Assessment in the City of London, and Liberties thereof: And whereas the said Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, are contented that the first Three-and-twenty thousand Pounds, that shall be repaid out of the weekly Assessment, shall be set apart to be forthwith sent to the Army, to supply the present pressing Necessities thereof; and to be repaid the same, after the said Forty thousand Pounds, with the Forbearance thereof, as aforesaid, is fully satisfied: And whereas the Commons of London, in Common Council assembled, have undertaken to do their uttermost Endeavours to advanceand lend Seventeen thousand Pounds, to be forthwith also sent unto the Army; to be repaid with the Three-and-twenty thousand Pounds, as aforesaid: All which Advance of Monies is understood and taken to be a very acceptable Service; and tend very much to the Preservation of Religion, Laws and Liberties, and the Safety of the Parliament, City and Kingdom: It is thereupon ordained and declared, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that, as well the said Three-and-twenty thousand Pounds, as also such other Monies as shall be advanced as aforesaid, shall be repaid, with Consideration for the Forbearance thereof, after the Rate aforesaid, out of the first Monies to be raised upon the weekly Assessment to be collected in London, and the Liberties, after the said Forty thousand Pounds, lent and advanced by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, is fully satisfied, as aforesaid; and out of the first Monies collected, or to be collected of the weekly Assessments, in the City of Westminster, the Borough of Southwark, the several Parishes in the weekly Bills, and in the rest of the Country of Middlesex; as also, in the Counties of Hartford, Essex, and Suffolk; as also out of the first Monies, that shall be raised out of the Assessments of such Persons, throughout the Kingdom, (not above the Twentieth Part of their Estate, or the Fifth Part of their Annual Revenue) as have not contributed upon the Propositions of both Houses, or not proportionably to their Estates, according to an Ordinance of the of May And, for their further Security and Encouragement, it is likewise ordained, by the Lords and Commons aforesaid, that, as well Sir Gilbert Gerard Baronet, Treasurer of the Army, as also Sir John Wollaston Knight, John Warner, John Towes, and Thomas Andrews, Aldermen of the City of London, appointed Treasurers for Receipt of the said Monies respectively, shall repay the said several Sums, as aforesaid; and shall not issue the said Monies to any other Purpose whatsoever, until the same shall be fully satisfied, as aforesaid. And it is further ordained, that such Sums of Money as were advanced, and not repaid, according to an Ordinance of the Nine-and-twentieth of November last, shall be repaid out of such Monies as are or shall be raised, by virtue of several Ordinances passed in and about the said November, for assessing of such Persons within the City of London, and Liberties thereof, (not above the Twentieth Part of their Estates) as have not contributed upon the Propositions of both Houses, or not proportionable to their Estates; as also out of such Monies as shall be raised by virtue of the aforesaid Ordinance of the of May aforesaid.

Horses seized

Mr. Solicitor, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Bagshawe, are appointed to prepare an Ordinance, to pass both Houses, to enable an Account to be taken, what Horses have been seized by Virtue of any Warrant whatsoever.