House of Commons Journal Volume 3: 6 April 1644

Die Sabbati, Aprilis 6, 1644.

PRAYERS.

Money for Army Services.

ORDERED, That the Committee for the King's Revenue, do sign a Discharge to Mr. Swetnam, for the Four hundred Pounds he has received of the Lord Petre's Estate; and give him Order forthwith to pay it over to Sir Tho. Middleton, for dispatching away Five hundred Foot, and Three Troops of Horse.

Ordered, That the Committee for the King's Revenue, do sign an Order to Sir Wm. Brereton, to receive Five thousand Pounds, formerly assigned him out of the Revenue of the Court of Wards, next after the Monies already assigned upon that Revenue.

Gamull's Bequest.

Ordered, That Mr. Dodds Petition, and the Legacy of Five hundred Pounds given by Mr. Gamull for erecting a free School in the County of Chester, be referred to the Consideration of the Committee of Examinations, who are to report the State of it to the House.

London Forces, &c.

Mr. Ellis reports the Amendments to the Ordinance for giving Power to the Committee of the Militia in London, to send forth Forces for the Defence and Service of the Parliament and Kingdom, &c.: The which were read; and assented unto; and the Ordinance, so amended, passed upon the Question.

Mr. Ellis is appointed to carry up this Ordinance to the Lords; and to desire a speedy Dispatch of it, in regard of the Importance of it: And to desire the Lords to appoint a Committee to join with a Committee of this House, to go to the Militia, to see these Men dispatched forth according to this Ordinance; and the Monies put in a right Way for the accommodating of these Forces.

Resolved, &c. That the Committee of both Kingdoms be required to take the best and speediest Order they can, for the present sending away such Forces as now are, or may speedily be, ready, to Sir Wm. Waller; and to employ their best Endeavours to put all the Forces they can, into such a Posture, as that my Lord General may speedily take the Field.

Ordered, That the Committees of both Kingdoms may presently withdraw, to go upon this Service.

Ordered, That Mr. Ellis do desire the Lords Concurrence in all these Orders; and acquaint them, That this House is now upon Consideration of providing Monies for the Advance of this Service.

Mr. Ellis went up with all these Messages: But the Lords were risen, before he came up;

Whereupon the House Ordered, That the Orders to the Militia; and to the Committee of both Kingdoms; should go from this House only.

Answer from Lords.

Sir Simonds D'Ewes brings Answer, That the Lords will send Answer, by Messengers of their own, to all the Messages carried up by him.

Exchange of Prisoners.

Upon my Lord General's acquainting the House, about the Exchange of Sir Hugh Pollard, Sir Edw. Stradling, and Sir Tho. Lunsford, for Five other Prisoners, the House consents to the whole Exchange, so that Sir Jo. Savile may be the Fifth Man, or otherwise not: And that my Lord General be desired not to exchange any of the former Gentlemen, unless Sir Jo Savile may be exchanged.

Army Affairs.

Mr. Strode, Sir Arth. Haselrigg, Sir Tho. Barrington, Sir Walter Earle, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Spurstoe, Sir Gil. Pickering, Mr. Gurdon, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Bainton, Mr. Ashe, Sir Peter Wentworth, Mr. Bond, Alderman Soames, Mr. Vassall;

This Committee is appointed to go to the Militia, and acquaint them what hath passed this House, concerning the speedy sending forth of Forces; and to acquaint them with the Information given, of the King's drawing all his Forces against Sir Wm. Waller, and his going in Person with them; and to acquaint them, that this House hath ordered the Committee of the Revenue to sign a Warrant for Payment of Three thousand Pounds to Colonel Harvey, to repay the same, as it is received, for so much advanced for him now, out of the Twenty thousand Pounds designed for the present setting-forth of Forces: And this Committee has Power to settle the Matter concerning the late Subscriptions, for the present sendingforth of Forces; and the Payment of the Monies subscribed, in such a Way as may most conduce to the Service: And are to hasten the Committee of Militia, in the dispatching-forth of the Forces designed to go.

Allowance to Knollis.

The humble Petition of Sir Francis Knollis, and the Lady Knollis, Relict of Sir Francis Knollis jun. was this Day read: And

It is Resolved, upon the Question, That Ten Pounds per Week shall be allowed and paid to Sir Francis Knollis, out of the King's Revenue arising in the County of Surrey, until the House take further Order: And that the Committee of the King's Revenue do take Order, that this Order may be complied with, and, from time to time, observed till further Order.

Message from Lords.

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

The Lords have returned an Ordinance they received from this House, concerning the Observation of the Lord's Day, with some Amendments, with which they do agree to the Ordinance; and desire the Concurrence of this House in these Amendments.

They do agree to the Letter to the Prince Elector: They have received a Letter from the Earl of Clare, that shews how he came in to the Parliament upon the Declaration; and one from the Earl of Manchester, that the Earl of Manchester has taken off his Sequestration in Lincolnshire; and they hold it fit to take of his Sesquestration here; and desire the Concurrence of this House.

They desire to put the House in mind of a Petition they long since sent to this House, concerning the Earl of Nottingham; and desire this House to take it into a speedy Consideration.

Observation of Lord's Day.

The Amendments, sent from the Lords, to the Ordinance for the Observation of the Lord's Day, were read, and, by Vote upon the Question, assented unto.

Earl of Clare's Sequestration.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Solicitor, Sir Henry Vane jun. and Sir Thomas Barrington, do write a Letter to the Earl of Manchester, to acquaint him with the Informations the House has received, concerning his Lordship's taking off the Earl of Clare's Sequestration in Lincolnshire; and to desire, that this House may be informed what his Lordship hath done therein.

Earl of Nottingham.

Ordered, That the Committee for the King's Revenue do, with all convenient Speed, make Report of the Earl of Nottingham's Petition, referred unto their Consideration by former Order.

Answer to Lords.

Answer returned by the same Messengers; That this House has considered their Lordships Message; and, as for the Amendments to the Ordinance for the Lord's Day, they do agree; and, as to the Letters concerning the Earl of Clare; and the Petition from the Earl of Nottingham; they will send Answer by Messengers of their own.

Court of Wards.

For the speedier levying of the Revenue within the Survey of the Court of Wards and Liveries; It is Ordained, by the Lords and Commons, assembled in Parliament, That the Commissioners of the Great Seal of England shall forthwith pass a Patent, in Form-usual, under the Great Seal of the Office of the Receiver-General of the said Court of Wards and Liveries, unto Charles Fleetwood Esquire.

Business deferred.

Ordered, That, on Monday Morning next, peremptorily the first Business, the Report concerning the Affairs of Ireland; the Consideration of the Scotts Paper; and of the Papers from the States Ambassadors; be taken into Consideration: And Mr. Speaker is to put the House in mind hereof.

London Forces.

Ordered, by the Lords and Commons, in Parliament assembled, That the Committee of the Militia of the City of London shall have Power, and is hereby authorized, from time to time, to command so many of the several Regiments of the Trained Bands, and of the Auxiliaries, and Troops of Horse, or other Forces raised or to be raised, under their Command within the Cities of London and Westminster, Lines of Communication, and Parishes mentioned in the weekly Bills of Mortality, as to them shall seem convenient, to march under the Conduct of such Person or Persons as the said Committee of the Militia shall think fit to lead and conduct them, for the Defence of the Parliament, Cities of London and Westminster, and Parts adjacent, into any Parts or Places of the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales; to assist the Forces under the immediate Command of his Excellency the Earl of Essex, the Earl of Manchester, Sir Wm. Waller, or any other Forces raised or to be raised, for the Defence of the King and Parliament, by the Advice and Consent of both Houses of Parliament, or the Committee of both Kingdoms. And it is further Ordained, That the said Committee of the Militia shall have Power, and is hereby authorized, to cause all or any of the said Forces, to march with their Colours to any Place or Places aforesaid, and not to depart from the same without Licence from their Captains; and to impose reasonable Fines, or to imprison all Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Serjeants, Majors, Captains, and other Officers and Soldiers whatsoever under their Command, whether Masters or Servants, as shall disobey the Commands or Directions of the said Committee of the Militia, from time to time, as they shall think fit; or otherwise to proceed against them according to the Course of War. And it is further Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, that the said Committee of the Militia shall have Power, and is hereby authorized, to call back all such Forces as they shall appoint to march forth, by virtue of this Ordinance when they shall think fit. And it is further Ordained, that such Forces as shall be sent forth as aforesaid, shall be paid by the Parliament, for the Time they shall continue abroad, according to the new Establishment of the Army under the immediate Command of his Excellency the Earl of Essex. And the said Committee, and all other Persons acting in the Premises according to the Intent of the said Ordinance, shall be saved harmless by Authority of Parliament.