House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 21 March 1649

Die Mercurii, 21 Martii, 1648.

Prayers.

Delinquents.

THIS House, according to former Order, this Day took up the Debate upon the Report from the Committee touching Delinquents: And, upon some further Resolutions of that Committee, reported by Sir Arthur Heslerigg;

Resolved, &c. That all such Delinquents as have been Members of either House of Parliament; and all Judges, Officers towards the Law Common or Civil; and all Serjeants, Counsellors and Attornies, Doctors, Advocates, Proctors, of the Law Common or Civil; and all Bishops, Clergymen, Masters and Fellows of any College or Hall in either of the Universities, or elsewhere; and all Masters of Schools or Hospitals; as also Humphry Bennet Esquire, Sir Edward Ford, Sir George Vaughan, and all other the Persons named in the Fourth Qualification of the Propositions sent to Hampton Court, to pay One Third, (except such of the said Persons as were included in any Articles, whereof they have the Benefit, or otherwise have compounded, and their Compositions allowed by this House) shall pay one full Third Part of the true Value of their Estates.

Resolved, &c. That all other Persons Delinquents, not included in any the former Qualifications, shall pay one full Sixth Part of the true Value of their Estates.

Resolved, &c. That if any Person, not yet sequestred, conceives or doubts himself to be liable to Sequestration, for any thing said or done in relation to the War, and was not publickly and personally engaged in the latter War, shall come in, and discover his Case to the Commissioners for Compositions, before the First Day of July 1649 (being not before such Discovery judicially impeached and discovered for the same by any other); then such Person, if his Case, so discovered, shall be adjudged liable to Sequestration, shall be admitted to compound, and discharged of his Delinquency, paying one Year's Value for Land, and a Twentieth Part for his personal Estate: But in Case any such Delinquent be first judicially impeached, and discovered, by another, or shall not be discovered by himself before the said First Day of July 1649; then he shall not be admitted to compound at any lower Rate than is appointed for the Qualification under which he falls.

Resolved, &c. That no promissory Oath shall be imposed upon Compounders, as a Condition without which they may not compound.

Resolved, &c. That all Persons who have formerly compounded, and have concealed or undervalued any Part of their Estates, and shall themselves discover it before the First Day of June next, shall be admitted to compound for the same, at the Rates now set down for Compositions, according to their respective Qualifications: But if any such Concealment or Undervalue shall be hereafter discovered by any other Person, before the Delinquent himself discover the same, and shall not be compounded for within the Times herein before limited, according to the Rate heretofore imposed, by Order of Parliament, upon such Discoveries; that then such Estate, which is concealed, or so much as appears to be above the Value compounded for, shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth.

Resolved, &c. That all such Persons as have been engaged in the latter War, and not in any former Engagement against the Parliament, shall pay one full Sixth Part of the true Value of their Estates; except such as are included in any particular Qualification before-mentioned, who are to pay according to the several Rates in those Qualifications.

Resolved, &c. That all such Persons as have been engaged in the latter War against the Parliament, and have formerly compounded, and have not paid their whole Fines, shall make good the Remainder of their Fines, according to their Agreement.

Resolved, &c. That all such Persons as have been engaged in the latter War against the Parliament, and have formerly compounded, shall pay one full Sixth Part of their Estates, over and above their former Fines.

Resolved, &c. That all such Delinquents as shall perfect their Compositions, by the respective Days herein before limited, (whose Sequestrations have continued upon their Estates to this Day) shall be exempted from paying any Fifth, or Twentieth Part.

Resolved, &c. That the Clause in the said Report, touching the Act of Oblivion to Delinquents, be recommitted.

Ordered, That the next Clause, touching Actions to be brought against Delinquents, be also re-committed.

Ordered, That the Clause touching protecting and securing Delinquents, in like manner be also re-committed.

Ordered, That the next Clause, touching Power to be given to the Committee of Complaints, for Relief of Delinquents, be also re-committed.

Sir Arthur Heslerigg reports from the same Committee, That all Deeds be proved, and Sequestrations taken off, only in the Exchequer:

That all Estates possessed by Delinquents in 1641, not to be taken off but by Law; and all that come not in by Times limited, to have their whole Estates sequestred, whatever possessed of in 1641, or fallen to them since.

That, in the Act of Oblivion, Security be given to be quiet.

Ordered, That it be re-committed to the same Committee, to take into Consideration these Particulars: With Power to consider of, and to prepare some Instructions and Rules to be observed therein; and the easiest way, How the same may be effected, in respect of Charge and Trouble; and to present an Act to the House for that Purpose.

Ordered, That the humble Petition of the domestick Servants to the late King, and his Children; and the Letter from the General, touching the same; be referred to the Committee of the Revenue; to take the same into Consideration; and report their Opinions therein to the House.

Ordered, That the Clause touching Papists Compositions be re-committed, upon the Debate thereupon had in this House, to the same Committee, to be brought in on Friday Morning, with the rest; and to take Consideration, What is fit to be done touching discharging all those that are not worth Two hundred Pounds; and report.

Coal Trade.

Ordered, That the Information, given to the House this Day, touching the Abuse in buying up the Coals in the Ships newly come in * * * * be referred to the Council of State; to examine the Truth thereof: and, upon Consideration had thereof, to take such effectual Course for punishing the Offenders, and preventing the Mischiefs that may ensue thereupon, and give such further Order therein, as in their Wisdom they shall think fit.

Staffordshire Petition.

The humble Petition of divers the Well-affected in Staffordsheire was this Day read.

Col. Leveson.

The Question being propounded, That Colonel Thomas Leveson be added to, and included within, the Vote touching the Persons to be banished, and their Estates confiscate;

And the Question being put, That that Question be now put;

It passed with the Affirmative.

And the main Question being put;

It was Resolved, &c. That Colonel Thomas Levison be added to, and included within, the Vote touching Persons that are to be banished, and their Estates confiscate.

Letter read.

A Letter from the Lord Chief Baron Wylde, from Excester, Friday the Sixteenth of March 1648, was this Day read.

Ordered, That the said Letter be referred to the Council of State.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Sir Henry Myldmay have Leave to go into the Country for Seven Days.

Navy.

Ordered, That Sir Arthur Heslerigg do make Report from the Committee of the Navy, on Friday next.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Navy be impowered to treat with any Person or Persons, touching the Farming or improving the Customs; and to present their Opinions thereupon to this House.

Poor.

Ordered, That the additional Ordinance for the Poor be read on Friday Morning.

Navy.

Sir Henry Vane junior reports from the Committee of the Navy, a List of such as are recommended to be restored to their Employment again.

William Parker, Boatswain of the Prince.

Hen. Cowdell, Boatswain of the Merehonour.

Ralph Bayly, Gunner of the Merehonour.

James Marsh, Carpenter of the Merehonour.

Mich. Ridgway, Gunner of the Henrietta Maria.

John Waterman, Carpenter of the Hen. Maria.

Matthew Collyns, Cook of the Charles.

George Hennis, Boatswain of the Victory.

Roger Davis, Cook of the Victory.

John Blundell, Purser of the Vauntguard.

John Countrey, Boatswain of the Vauntguard.

Robert Warwick, Carpenter of the Vauntguard.

Samuel Troughton, Purser of the Rainbow.

John Spencer, Gunner of the Rainbow.

Edward Goodwyn, Carpenter of the Rainbow.

Thomas Severne, Boatswain of the St. Andrew.

Robert Staggs, Carpenter of the St. Andrew.

The Persons above named, being recommended by the Committee of Merchants to the Committee of the Navy, to be again employed, notwithstanding their Subscription to the Petitions; and the Committee of the Navy having thought fit to leave it to the Generals of the Fleet to employ the said Persons for this present Expedition, if they received Satisfaction in their Fidelity to the State;

Resolved, &c. That this House doth concur with the Committee of the Navy herein.

Resolved, &c. That these Votes, passed on Monday last, viz. "That the House doth concur with the Council of State, That the Committee of Merchants for regulating the Navy be desired and ordered from henceforth to leave the Management of the Navy to the Committee of the Navy, as formerly; and to pursue the Regulating of the Customs; and that the Commissioners that command as Admirals of the Fleet, have Power to employ such Ship Carpenters, Artificers, and other Workmen, as they shall think fit, for the Furtherance of the Service of those that have signed the Petition;" be, and are hereby, revoked and repealed.

Assessments.

Ordered, That, Half an Hour hence, the Bill touching the Assessments be read twice.

Ditto.

An Act for raising Ninety thousand Pounds a Month for the Pay for the Forces in England and Ireland was this Day read the First and Second time.

The Question being propounded, That the Proportions formerly set on each County, shall continue for the whole Six Months;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

So the Question passed with the Negative.

Ordered, That it be referred to a Grand Committee of the House, on Friday Morning next: And that the House be then resolved into a Grand Committee, to that Purpose.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the Army, to consider of the particular Proportions and Rates, to be laid equally on all the Counties; and to report the same on Friday Morning, the first Business; And all that come to the Committee, as to this Purpose, have Voices: And they are to meet To-morrow at Eight of the Clock: And every Member is to present the Names of Commissioners for the several Counties.

Obnoxious Publication.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of plundered Ministers, to consider of a Book, intituled, "The Paper called the Agreement of the People, called into Consideration, &c. by the Ministers of the Province of Lancaster," to examine the Business; and to send for the Printer, and such other Persons, Papers, Writings, &c. as they shall think fit; and to report it to the House.

Preventing Printing the Alcoran.

The House being informed by Mr. Speaker, That the Serjeant at Arms did apprehend the Printer of the Turkish Alcoran, licensed by Dr. Downeham; and hath seized the Books;

Ordered, That it be referred to the Council of State, further to examine the Matter; and to discharge the Prisoner, or continue him in Prison, as they shall find Cause; and to take what further Order they shall think fit for the Suppressing of the Books, and further Imprinting of them.

Jersey.

Ordered, That the Business touching Jersey be taken into Consideration on Monday Morning next.

Poor.

Ordered, That the Act for the Poor be read on Friday Morning next.

Wiredrawers.

Ordered, That the Wiredrawers Petition be read on Monday Morning next.