House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 7 December 1648

Die Jovis, 7 Decembris, 1648.

PRAYERS.

Thanks to Gen. Cromwell.

RESOLVED, &c. That the hearty Thanks of this House be given to Lieutenant General Cromwell, for very great and eminently faithful Services, performed by him to this Parliament and Kingdom, both in this Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Scotland.

Mr. Speaker did accordingly give him the very hearty Thanks of this House.

Trials at Norwich.

Resolved, &c. That Serjeant Erle be required to go down to Norwich, to execute the Commission of Oyer and Terminer, and Gaol Delivery.

Resolved, &c. That Serjeant Erle and Serjeant Keeble have Liberty, and do advise with such of the Judges as they shall think fit, upon this Business.

Resolved, &c. That the Clerk of the Assizes for the Norffolk Circuit do go down to Norwich; and carry the Records with him; and discharge the Duty of his Place upon the Execution of the Commission of Oyer and Terminer, and Gaol Delivery, for the Tryal of the late Rioters.

Resolved, &c. That Hugh Audeley Esquire, High Sheriff of the County of Norfolk, be and is hereby required and injoined to go down into the said County of Norfolk; and discharge the said Place of High Sheriff, according to his Duty: And that the Serjeant at Arms, attending on this House, do give him Notice hereof.

Secluded Members.

A Letter from Sir Thomas Dacres and Mr. Dodderidge, of 7 Decembris 1648, half an Hour past Nine in the Morning, was this Day read; signifying, That, coming to attend the House, to do their Duties, they were kept back by Force.

The like Signification was made of the like Usage to Sir Edward Partheriche.

Day of Humiliation.

Resolved, &c. That there be a Day of publick Humiliation for this House to seek God, in this Time of Difficulties: And that To-morrow be the Day, and kept here in this House.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Peters, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Caryll, be desired to perform the Duties of the Day of Humiliation, with the House, To-morrow.

Ordered, That Mr. Gurdon and Mr. Smyth do acquaint them with this Desire of the House.

Secluded Members.

Mr. Pierrepont delivers in Four Papers from the Conference with the General, appointed by Order Yesterday for the Discharge of the Members:

The which were read.

WE having Command from the House of Commons, to let your Excellency know, That divers Members of the House of Commons are this Day taken and detained. by some Officers and Soldiers of your Excellency's Army; it is their Pleasure, That they be discharged: For which we desire your Excellency's present Order, that it may be done accordingly.

Having seen the Order, upon which your last Paper is given in, we do not conceive it to be the positive Pleasure of the House, that the Members be discharged: "But, concerning their Discharge, for which you are appointed to confer; so soon as we shall receive the Resolutions of the House upon That Paper, this Day sent in by us to the House, which concerns those Persons detained, we shall then be prepared to give you answerable Satisfaction in the relation to that Particular. By the Appointment of his Excellency, and the General Council of Officers. Signed,

Decembris 6, 1648. John Rushworth.

IN Answer to your Paper of the Sixth of this instant December, now delivered, wherein you do refer to a Paper, sent by you to the Commons; we affirm that since the Reading of that Paper, by the House, it was expressed by them to be their positive Pleasure, That the Members of that House, this Day taken and detained by some of the Officers and Soldiers of the Army under your Excellency's Command, be forthwith discharged: And therefore we do insist, That, according to our former Paper, the said Members be forthwith discharged.

IN Return to your last Paper concerning your insisting for the Discharge of the Members, we refer to our former Answer; and have no more to say to That Particular, till we receive the Resolutions of the House upon our Paper, this Day sent to them. By the Appointment of his Excellency, and the General Council of Officers. Signed,

Decembris 6, 1648.

John Rushworth.

Secluded Members.

A Letter from Westminster, 7 Decembris 1648, from Sir Martyn Lumley, Sir John Temple, George Booth, Thomas Waller, Thomas Middleton, Samuel Gardiner, Esay Thomas, and Arthur Owen, signifying their Restraint from coming to the House to do their Duty there, by some of the Soldiers of the Army, was this Day read.

Army Proposals.

The Question being propounded, That the House proceed with the Proposals of the Army;

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

The House was divided.

The Noes went forth.

Resolved, &c. That the House do proceed upon the Proposals of the Army.

Resolved, &c. That the House do proceed with the Proposals of the Army, the first Business, on Saturday Morning next; nothing to intervene.

City Guards.

Resolved, That this House doth approve of what Major General Skippon hath done in stopping the City Guards from coming to guard this House: And that Mr. Speaker do give him the Thanks of this House for his Care and good Service therein:

Which Mr. Speaker did accordingly.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth approve of what the Militia of the City of London have done in stopping the City Guards from coming to guard the House: And

It is Ordered, That Major General Skippon be desired to give the Militia of the City of London the Thanks of this House, for their Care and good Service herein.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Militia of the City of London do forbear to send any Guards, to guard this House, until this House take further Order therein.