House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 2 March 1649

Die Veneris, 2 Martii, 1648.

Prayers.

Excise.

A LETTER from the General, of 20 February 1648, touching Five hundred Pounds borrowed of the Sub-Commissioners of Excise, at York, for Defence of the City of Yorke, was this Day read.

Whereas, at the Beginning of the last Summer's Troubles, when the Enemy appeared in Arms in the County of York, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of York were necessitated, for the Service of the Parliament, in the present Defence of that City against Surprisal, to take up, of the Sub Commissioners of Excise, in that City, Five hundred Pounds of the Monies collected for Excise; and to give Bond to the said Sub Commissioners for Repayment thereof: Be it therefore Enacted and Ordained, by this present Parliament, and by the Authority of the same, That the said Sub Commissioners of Excise do forthwith deliver up the said Bond unto the said Lord Mayor and Aldermen of York: And the Chief Commissioners of Excise, and also the said Sub Commissioners of Excise, are hereby discharged and acquitted of and from the said Five hundred Pounds: And the Auditor and Comptroller of Excise are hereby authorized and required to make Allowance thereof, upon their respective Accompts, accordingly.

Delinquents Compositions.

Mr. Serjeant Widdrington reports Amendments to the Act touching compounding with Delinquents in the Counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland, the County of Durham, the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweede; and their Compositions to be disposed of to the Paying and Disbanding of the late-raised Forces in the said respective Counties and Places; and for discharging the other publick Engagements of the respective Counties and Places aforesaid; together with the Names of Commissioners to be therein named: Which were this Day read; and, upon the Question, assented unto; and some Ommissions and Amendments offered at the Table.

And the said Act, so amended, being put to the Question, passed.

D. Moreton's Arrears.

Ordered, That the Sum of One thousand Pounds, Part of the Fine of Sir Wm. Darcy, a Delinquent, be forthwith paid unto Dr. Moreton, late Bishop of Durham, or his Assigns, towards the Arrears of the Eight hundred Pounds per Annum granted to him by the Parliament: And that the Committee at Goldsmiths Hall do pay the same accordingly: And the Acquittance or Acquittances of the said Dr. Moreton, testifying the Receipt thereof, shall be a sufficient Warrant and Discharge to the said Committee, and to their Treasurer, and to such other Person or Persons as shall pay the same.

Leave to examine a Member.

Ordered, That the High Court of Justice have Leave to examine Mr. Scott, a Member of this House, as a Witness, upon the Tryal of the Delinquents.

Lord Paulett, &c.

Ordered, That the Business of the Lord Paulett and Sir John Paulett be taken into Consideration, the first Business, on Monday Morning.

Lancaster Assizes.

Ordered, That Mr. Love, Colonel Moore, Mr. Blakiston, do prepare on Act for adjourning the Assizes at Lancaster, and the avoiding all Inconveniences that may happen by the not holding the said Assizes; and report it to the House.

Army.

Ordered, That Captain Greenwood's Troop be continued for a Month longer; and paid as formerly.

Petition from the Army.

The House being informed, That there were divers Officers of the Army at the Door;

They were called in: And Colonel Whaley told Mr. Speaker, That the General Council of Officers of the Army had sent these Gentlemen, and himself, to present the House with this Petition; which the General had likewise recommended by his Letter: And that it is their Desire, That the House would take it into their serious, effectual, and speedy Consideration.

The Petitioners being withdrawn, the Letter from the General, dated 2 Martii 1648; and the said Petition, which was intituled, " The humble Petition of the General Council of Officers of the Army, under the Command of his Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax;" were both read.

Resolved, &c. That the Matter contained in the said Petition, presented from the General Council of the Officers of the Army, be taken into immediate Consideration.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Speaker do return Thanks from this House to the Petitioners.

The Petitioners being again called in, Mr. Speaker gave them this Answer;

Gentlemen, The House hath read the Letter of the General, and your Petition, and looked over every Part of it: I must needs say, and you will wonder at it, I should tell you so, This Day will be a Day of much Discontent; I mean, to all the common Enemies of You and Us: But, as to all good Men, that have engaged to carry on the Good of the Kingdom with us, it will be a great Rejoicing and Satisfaction, by this your modest and discreet Petition: And, as in yourselves it shews your Moderation; so all those whose Mouths are open to Malice and Detraction, will see, that both the Army and Parliament are so unanimous in promoting the publick Good: The Things themselves they consider as Matter of great Concernment; and intend to take them into immediate Consideration: And, as you have shewed yourselves in former Services (for all that you and we do is but Service) forward and faithful for these your discreet and serious Representations, they have commanded me to return yo the heartiest Thanks I can: And accordingly I do give you the hearty Thanks of this House; and desire you likewise to return the like hearty Thanks, from this House, to the General, and to the whole General Council of the Army.

Navy Appointments.

Sir Henry Vane junior reports from the Commissioners for Service of the Navy, the Names of Commanders to go in several Ships.

Resolved, &c. That Sir George Ascue be Admiral of the Irish Seas, in the Ship called the St. George.

Resolved, &c. That Captain Wyldy do command in the Leopard, and carry down the Charles into the Downs, for Captain Moulton: And that the Commissioners that serve for the Navy, give him a Commission accordingly.

Resolved, &c. That Captain Hall be Captain of the Triumph, wherein the Commissioners for the Service of the Navy go.

Resolved, &c. That Captain John Peirce be Captain of the Weymouth Frigate.

Army Petition.

The House entering upon the Debate of the Two First Heads, in the Petition of the General Council of Officers of the Army, touching Free Quarter, and for Payment of the Army.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Council of State, to consider, What Forces are now in being in England and Wales; and what Proportion of those Forces are fit and necessary to be kept up in England; and what to be sent into Ireland; and likewise, What the monthly Charges for the Maintenance of the said Forces will amount unto; and how they may best be paid, so as all Free Quarter may be speedily taken off: They are to report the same to the House on Monday Morning next.

Ordered, That the Council of State do also take into Consideration something in order to the Supply of the Forces in Ireland; and present the same to the House with all convenient Speed.

The Third Particular in the said Petition was read.

Publick Accompts.

An Act for constituting a Committee for taking the Accompts of all such Persons as have received any publick Monies, by virtue of any Act, Ordinance, or Order of Parliament, or otherwise, with Instructions for the said Committee, was this Day read the First and Second time; and, upon the Question, committed unto Mr. Allen, Mr. Holland, Mr. Robinson, Sir James Harrington, Mr. Brewster, Colonel Venne, Mr. Dove, Mr. Stephens, Mr. Garland, Alderman Wilson, Mr. Salway, Mr. Luke Hodges, Sir Arther Heslerigg, Commissary General Ireton, Mr. Say, Sir Hen. Vane, Mr. Heveningham, Colonel Harrison, Mr. Gurdon, Mr. Trenchard, Sir Gregory Norton, Mr. James Challener, Colonel Rich, Mr. Lister, Alderman Atkins, Sir Hen. Mildmay, Mr. Ash, Mr. Tho. Challener, Mr. Scott, Lord Munson, Mr. Massam, Mr. Hum. Edwards, Mr. Oldsworth, Mr. Burrell, Mr. Nelthorpe, Mr. Anlaby:

This Committee, or any Five of them, are to sit in the Queen's Court, To-morrow in the Afternoon at Two a Clock; and to sit de die in diem: With Power to send for Persons, Papers, Witnesses, or any thing else that may conduce to the Business: And the more particular Care hereof is referred to Mr. Scott.

Ordered, That the Fourth Clause of the Petition of the General Council of the Army be referred to the same Committee; to consider and examine the Abuses concerning clipped Money; and any Practice used by any Persons in buying up the same at an Undervalue, and putting it off at the full Value: And they are to peruse the former Ordinance touching clip't Money; and consider, Wherein the same is defective; and propound to the House some Remedies for the said Abuses, and preventing thereof for the future; and bring in an Act for that Purpose on Wednesday next.

The Question being propounded, That Collectors in the several Counties do not receive any clip't Money; and, in case they do, they shall make it good;

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

It passed with the Negative.-

Prisoners.

Ordered, That Mr. Garland be added to the Committee of Prisoners.-

Army Petition.

The Fifth Particular in the said Petition being read, touching the Accompts of all the Officers and Soldiers who faithfully served, and constantly adhered to the Commonwealth in this or any other Army, County, or Garison since the Beginning of this War;

Colonel Wauton reports from the Committee of Accompts for the Soldiery, sitting at Worcester House, the Reason, Why they cannot proceed in auditing the Accompts, according to an Order of the Twenty-sixth of February last.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the Army, to confer with the Officers of the Army and Soldiers; and call the Auditors to them; and consider of Obstructions in passing the Accompts; and consider, How the same may be removed: And, in case they meet with any Matters of Difficulty therein, that they report it to the House.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Army be required forthwith to sign, and give out, Debentures to the Soldiery, for the Arrears in the new Model, which are already made up: And to do the same, from time to time, as they be made up, as formerly they have done, and according to the former Directions.

The Tenth Particular, being read, touching the Gentlemen Officers turned out of their Places in Ireland, by Lord Inchequin;

The humble Petition of Sir Wm. Fenton, Knight and Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Phare, Lieutenant Colonel Brodripp, Captain Fenton, Captain Southwell, Captain Courthoppe, Captain Miller, and Captain Norcott, who were exchanged for the Lord Inchequin's Son, was this Day read.

Ordered, That Two hundred Pounds be forthwith provided for Supply of the present Necessities of such of those Officers that deserted the Lord Inchequin, as are most necessitous, not exceeding, in all, the Number of Twenty; of which Number the Petitioners, and Colonel Peregrine Banister, and Captain Love, are to be accounted: And that it be referred to the Committee of . . . Star Chamber, for the Affairs of Ireland, to pay the same out of the Assessments for Ireland.

Ordered, That the Report be made of the Accompts of such of the said Officers as are already stated, on Thisday-sevennight.

Ordered, That it be referred to that Committee, to take care for auditing the Accompts of the rest of the said Officers.

Standard in Palace Yard.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of Westminster, to view the old Standard in the New Palace Yard; and to examine the Value of it; and for what Use the same serves; whether the same be fit to be taken down and demolished; and report their Opinions therein to the House.

Prince Elector.

Ordered, That the Business of the Prince Elector be taken up on Monday Morning, the First Business.