House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 25 February 1651

Die Martis, 25 Februarii, 1650.

Prayers.

Militia.

ORDERED, That Mr. Say do take care of the Bill for the Militia.

Irish Affairs.

Major Salwey reports, A Letter from the Deputy General of Ireland, from Waterford in Ireland, of the Sevenand-twentieth Day of December 1650; with Propositions approved of, and granted, by the Deputy General of Ireland, to Colonel Richard Lawrence, for the raising in England, and transporting into Ireland, a Regiment of Twelve hundred Foot Men, for the planting and guarding the City of Waterford, and Towns of Rosse and Carwick, with other Places adjacent.

Which were this Day read, as followeth;

Propositions approved of, and granted, by the Deputy General of Ireland, to Colonel Richard Lawrence, for the raising in England, and transporting into Ireland, a Regiment of Twelve hundred Foot Men, for the planting and guarding the City of Waterford, and Towns of Ross and Carwick, with other Places adjacent.

I. Imprimis. That all Persons engaging, as aforesaid, shall have appointed them, and be put into Possession of, convenient Dwelling-houses, suitable to their Conditions, Families, and Callings, within the Walls and Guards of the aforesaid Places; for which they shall stand Tenants to the State, at reasonable Rents, not exceeding One Moiety of the Rent they were set for, before the Reducing of them; and shall hold the same by Lease for Three Years or more: And, in case the State should find Cause to put the said Houses to Sale, the said Tenants shall have the first Resusal of them; and shall be admitted Purchasers at Twelve-pence per Pound cheaper than any other, with due Consideration for what they shall disburse in the needful Repairing, or in Improving of them, to be either allowed them in their Purchase, if they do purchase them; or repaid to them, if they do not, from them that do: And, in such Cases, where the Tenants are poor, and not able to purchase their Habitations, as aforesaid, they shall then have Liberty to sell their Interest to any Friend, and with him to condition for their own Continuance, or otherwise to their best Advantage, as they shall see good; provided they sell not their Interest to any Enemy to the State, or Persons not licensed to purchase Houses in such Places.

II. The said Persons shall have granted unto them the Benefit and Privilege of a Corporation, together with other English Protestants that are, or shall be, admitted to inhabit in each of the said Places, respectively, with all the Immunities, Privileges, and Liberties, usually belonging to such Corporation Towns, and not prejudicial to the Commonwealth, or common Good of others.

III. All the Lands formerly belonging to the Inhabitants of the said Towns, and appurtenant to the Houses, or lying within the Liberties thereof, or within Two English Miles of the same, now in the State's Possession, or liable to Sequestration, shall be assigned, and set apart, for the Use and Occupation of the aforesaid Persons, and others, that shall be admitted to dwell in them, as aforesaid, or of such of them as shall desire to employ their Stock in Husbandry: Which Lands they shall hold and enjoy from the State, upon the same Conditions they do their Houses aforesaid, except in point of Rent; which shall be according to what any Person permitted to inhabit, as aforesaid, will give; and to be free from other Contribution, and Country Charges, except common Charges for the Corporation; which shall be imposed and taxed by and amongst themselves only.

IV. The said Persons shall not be put upon any Military Service or Employment, without their voluntary Consent, further than in Defence of themselves, and the Garisons in which they shall live; for which Service they shall be freed from Taxes and Contribution, as aforesaid, other than the Rents to the State, for what they have within the respective Towns and Liberties where they serve, and other than the Customs and Excise (which no Member of the Army is freed from): And for such of them as shall do common Duty, in keeping Guards, and being upon the Watch, when their Turn cometh (besides those forementioned Encouragements, as Inhabitants) they shall receive Pay, and other Encouragement, equal to any other Soldiers undertaking the Service for Garrisons only: And such as will engage as Soldiers, for all Services, shall have equal Pay with any other Soldiers.

V. For such as are Persons of competent Estates, and able to transport themselves at their own Charge, and to employ and settle themselves in prositable Trades and Callings, when they are landed, they must depend upon their future Profits and Advantages, to answer their Charge and Expences in the Removing and Transportation. But, for such others, who have little or nothing to depend upon, more than their own Industry and Hand Labour, after their Landing, and shall be willing to do such Duty, as shall be necessary for the guarding and securing the Places in which they shall settle; they, or their Officers, who shall be at Charge of their Conduct to the Waterside, and Transportation into Ireland, as aforesaid, shall receive the same Allowance at their Landing, towards the same, which hath been, and now is, allowed to others, for that Purpose, by the aforesaid Colonel Richard Lawrence, or his Assigns, not exceeding Twenty Shillings per Man.

VI. That Care shall be taken to procure, or move the Council of State, for their effectual Order to all Mayors, Sheriffs, Constables, Justices of Peace, or Officers belonging to the Customhouses, in every Port Town in England, to be aiding and assisting to the said Persons in the Pressing of Boats and Ships for the Transportation of Themselves, Families, and Goods, into Ireland; they paying for the same the usual Rates: And that the said Persons may be admitted to bring over their Houshold stuff, Cloaths, Provisions, and other Necessaries, for their own particular Use, and not for Merchandize, free from Customs and Excise, both in England and Ireland.

VII. That, if any Person shall bring over with them a Servant or Servants, for the better Accommodation of themselves, and Enabling of them to follow their Calling, that no Officer, or other Person, be admitted to entertain any such Person in the State's Service, or their own, for such time as the Contract shall last betwixt the Master and Servants: And the said Servants to be liable to the same Punishments the Law of England doth inflict, in case they shall leave or forsake their said Masters, without their Consent and Licence, before the End of such Time as they shall contract with them for.

These things I do agree to, and grant, so far as is or shall be within my Power; and shall earnestly recommend them to the Parliament, or Council of State, that, if they be approved of, the Parliament would be pleased to confirm them.

Given at Kilkenny, December the Twelsth, 1650.

H. Ireton.

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the Substance of the said Propositions.

Ordered, by the Parliament, That it be referred to the Lord Deputy General of Ireland, and the Commissioners of Parliament there, to take Care that the said Propositions be put in Execution; and that Care be had, that it be with such Circumstances, and in such Manner, as may be most for the Security, Service, and Advantage, of the Commonwealth, and without Prejudice to the publick Good.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Council of State, to consider of these Propositions, how far the same are fit to be made publick.

Ordered, That these Propositions, together with the Votes of the Parliament thereupon, be printed and published.

Mansell's Arrears.

Ordered, That the Commissioners for Compounding with Delinquents be, and are hereby, impowered and required forthwith to pay and satisfy unto Captain Lieutenant John Mansell, or his Assigns, the Remainder of the Sum of Six hundred and Twenty Pounds, due to him upon his Debentures for his Arrears; as also, the Sum of Seventy Pounds, due to him for attending of Duke Hamilton during his Imprisonment, and was ordered unto him out of the Sequestrations of the County of Leicester: And the Acquittance or Acquittances of the said Captain Lieutenant Maunsell, or his Assigns, shall be their sufficient Discharge for the same.

Harrison's Petition.

The humble Petition of Colonel Ralph Harrison, Citizen and Merchant of London, was this Day read.

Ordered, That the said Petition be recommended to the Lords Ambassadors, now going to the Lords the States General of the United Provinces, to take Care of it; and to endeavour, that Justice may be done to the Petitioner therein.

Fee-farm Rents.

Mr. Say reports from the Committee of Obstructions, The Draught of a Letter to be sent into the several Counties of this Commonwealth, touching Liberty given to such as have Debts owing upon the Publick Faith to double upon Fee-farm Rents.

Which was this Day read; viz.

"That it be reported to the House, as the Opinion of this Committee, That Letters be sent to the several Sheriffs of the several Counties of England and Wales, for the Publishing of the late Act for Sale of Fee-farm Rents."

"That the Trustees and Contractors for Sale of the said Fee-farm Rents be desired to prepare a Form of such Letters; and present the same to this Committee: And Mr. Menheire to acquaint the said Trustees and Contractors with this Desire."

"The Parliament, intending to satisfy their just Debts, as also to be supplied with a considerable Sum of Money for the Carrying on of the publick Service, have resolved, That Two hundred and Fifty thousand Pounds shall be raised by doubling Publick Faith Monies, and other Monies admitted by the Parliament to be doubled, on the Sale of the Fee-farm Rents. It is desired, that you give publick Notice, in all the Market Towns within your County, that the People which have Debts owing them by the State, may, by Doubling, in ready Money, in convenient time, their said Debts, have due Satisfaction of the whole Sum, by their Purchasing of Fee-farm Rents; which by the Parliament are set to Sale, for the satisfying the said Debts."

Ordered, by the Parliament, That the Trustees for the Sale of Fee-farm Rents be authorized and required to write Letters into the several Counties, thereby giving them Notice, that such Persons as have Debts owing to them upon the Publick Faith, are admitted to double the same, upon Sale of the said Fee-farm Rents: And that the Sheriffs of the respective Counties do publish the said Letters, in their respective Counties.

Irish Army.

Major Salwey reports from the Council of State,

"That the Council, in pursuance of the Order of Parliament concerning their taking care to prevent Free Quarter, by the Recruits and Forces marching into Ireland, have ordered, That, in all the Warrants whereby they are authorized to beat Drums for the raising those Recruits, and for their March to the Place of their Transportation, there is inserted this Clause; 'That they shall march directly towards their Port, without any unnecessary Delay; and that, in their March, they shall quarter in Inns and Alehouses only, and not in private Mens Houses, unless in Case of Necessity, where there are not Inns or Alehouses upon their March to quarter in; and, in case of such unavoidable Necessity, that they do agree with People where they come to quarter, and duly pay for what they have:' And Major Salwey is desired to make this Report with the first Opportunity he can have: And that the Parliament, if they think sit, will give Order, That the same may be made publick for the better Satisfaction of the People."

Ordered, by the Parliament, That this Report be committed to Sir Henry Vane, Major Salwey, Sir Thomas Wroth, Sir James Harrington, Colonel Rich, Mr. Pury, Mr. Dove, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Ralegh, Sir John Bourcher, Mr. Edwards, Major General Skippon, Mr. Aldworth; or any Three of them: And all that come to have Voices: And this Committee is to meet this Afternoon at Two of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber; and to report it to the House To-morrow Morning: And Major Salwey is to take care of it.

Embassy to Spaine.

Sir Arthur Hesilrig reports from the Council of State, The Opinion of that Council, That One or more Ambassadors be sent into Spaine.

Resolved, by the Parliament, That One or more Ambassadors be sent into Spaine.

Resolved, That it be referred to the Council of State, to consider of fit Persons to be employed in this Ambassy; and the Time; and to present their Opinion therein to the House.

Embassy to Holland.

The House being informed, That the Lords appointed to go from the Parliament Ambassadors to the States General were at the Door, according to the Order of this House, attending the Pleasure of the House;

They were called in; and came to the Clerk's Table, being attended by the Serjeant at Arms, with his Mace.

And Mr. Speaker did there, by Command of the Parliament, deliver unto the said Lords Ambassadors their Commission to be Ambassadors Extraordinary into the Netherlands, their Instructions, and Letters of Credence to the General Assembly of the High and Mighty Lords the States General of the United Provinces, and also several Letters of Credence to each of the Seven Provinces.

Which being received by the Lords Ambassadors; they withdrew.