Monday, 27th of February, 1659.

Prayers.

Sequestration suspended.

ORDERED, That the Sequestration of the Estate of Robert Pierpoint Esquire be suspended: And that the Commissioners for Sequestrations do forbear further to proceed therein until further Order: And that the said Robert Pierpoint be also discharged from any Imprisonment or Restraint.

Prisoners discharged.

Ordered, That Ernestus Byron, and Mr. Malcombe Smith, Prisoners in the Gatehouse, be discharged of their Imprisonment: And that the Sequestration of their Estates be suspended, until the Parliament take further Order.

Ordered, That Wm. Cock, Timothy Cock, Michaell Brett junior, Sir Thomas Middleton, Thomas Middleton his Son, and the other Persons, who were taken upon the Surrender of Chirque-Castle, have their Liberty: And that the Sequestration of their Estates be suspended: And that the Commissioners for Sequestrations do forbear any further to proceed in the Sequestration of their said Estates, until the Parliament take further Order.

Chester Corporation.

Resolved, That the several Votes of the Seventeenth of September 1659, touching the Dissolving and Disincorporating the City of Chester; and for making void their Charter; and that the City of Chester, and the County of the City of Chester, be no distinct Jurisdiction; be vacated, and made null and void: And that the Vote of the Fifth of August, touching the Seal of the County-Palatine of Lancaster, be also vacated, and made null and void.

Officer of Customs.

Ordered, That Mr. Laurence Loe, be, and is hereby, admitted and constituted Officer of Cheque Outward, in the Custom-House of London: And that Mr. Shute be, and is hereby, discharged of and from the said Place.

Sequestration suspended.

Ordered, That the Sequestration of the Estates of Mr. Thomas Fanshaw and Sir Thomas Leventhorpe, be suspended, until the Parliament take further Order: And that the Commissioners for Sequestrations do forbear further to proceed in the Sequestration of their said Estates, accordingly.

Chester, &c. Palatinate.

Resolved, That Wm. Lenthall, Speaker of the Parliament, be, and is hereby, constituted Chamberlain of Chester, and Chancellor of the County-Palatine of Lancaster.

Resolved, That an Act be brought in for reviving the Jurisdiction of the Counties-Palatine of Chester and Lancaster: And that Mr. Pryn, Mr. Tho. Birch, and Mr. Lechmere, do bring in the said Act.

Persons discharged, &c.

Ordered, That the Lord Kilmurry, and his Brother Mr. Thomas Needham, Mr. Sperstow, and Mr. Rowland Lucy, be discharged of their Imprisonment: And that the Sequestration of their Estates be suspended until further Order.

Ordered, That it be referred to a Committee, to consider, Who are in Prison, and upon what Account; and who are fit to be discharged of their Imprisonment, and the Sequestration of their Estates suspended; and present their Opinion therein to the Parliament: Mr. Thyn, Sir Anthony Irby, Mr. Pryn, Colonel Tho. Birch, Mr. Lloyd, Sir John Northcott, Colonel Hutchinson, Mr. Bish, Mr. Fra. Bacon, Sir Gilbert Gerard, Sir Tho. Dacres, Colonel Lee, Sir Wm. Waller, Lord Ancram, Major-General Browne, Mr. George Mountague, Mr. Bulkley, Mr. Ansley, Sir Samuell Luke, Mr. Foxwist, Mr. Shapcot; or any Five of them: And are to meet, in the Inner Court of Wards, this Afternoon, at Two of Clock.

Council of State.

Mr. Ansley reports from the Council of State, an Oath to be taken by the Officers attending the Council of State, in these Words; viz.

I, A.B. do promise, in the Sight of God, That I will be true and faithful in the Trust committed to me in my Employment under the Council of State; and that I will not reveal or disclose any thing, in Whole or in Part, directly or indirectly, that shall be debated or resolved upon in the Council, and ordered to be kept secret by the said Council, without the Command, Direction, or Allowance, of the Parliament, or Council.

Which was read.

Resolved, That the Parliament doth approve of the said Oath: And that the Council of State, or any Three of them, be, and are hereby, impowered and authorized to administer the said Oath to the respective Officers and Ministers appointed to attend the Council of State, accordingly: And that this Instruction be added to the Instructions given to the Council of State.

Army.

He also reports from the Council of State, A Proclamation, in these Words; viz.

THE Parliament being desirous that good Order and Discipline may still be continued in the Army, to the end that the Soldiers thereof may not, any wise, be an Oppression to the Country; and whereas divers Officers of the Army, whose Regiments, Troops, and Companies, are quartered in several Counties of this Nation, and do still continue here about the Town, and absent from their respective Charges; doth therefore hereby require all such Officers of the Army forthwith to repair to their respective Charges, and not to depart from them, without special Order from the Lord General: And, in case that any of the Regiments, Troops, or Companies of the Army are removed from their Quarters last assigned them, without Order from the Lord General, the Parliament doth require such Regiments, Troops, and Companies, to return forthwith to their said last Quarters formerly assigned them, or to such other Quarters as shall be assigned them, by Directions from the Lord General: And the Parliament doth further require, That such Regiments, Troops, or Companies, as are not removed, do continue in the Quarters last assigned unto them; and none of them to remove from thence, without the special Order of the Lord General in that behalf.

Which was this Day read the First and Second time; and, upon the Question, agreed unto.

Ordered, That this Proclamation be forthwith printed and published.

Ordered, That all Sheriffs of the respective Counties within this Commonwealth, and all Mayors, and other head Officers of the respective Corporations and Boroughs within the same, be, and are hereby, required to proclaim the said Proclamation in their respective Counties and Boroughs.

Ordered, That the Council of State do take care to see, that this Proclamation be proclaimed, and the said Order put in Execution, accordingly.

Suspected Persons.

He also reports from the Council of State, That the Parliament be humbly moved to declare their Pleasure for giving Liberty to the Council of State, in case of special Exigencies, for publick Safety, to seize and secure any Person or Persons, that they shall have just Ground to suspect to carry on any Designs of publick Danger, though such Person or Persons be, for the present, Members of Parliament.

Resolved, That this House doth agree with the Council of State, That Liberty be given to the Council of State, in case of special Exigencies, for the publick Safety, to seize and secure any Person or Persons, that they shall have just Ground to suspect to carry on any Designs of publick Danger, though such Person or Persons be, for the present, Members of Parliament.

State of the Navy.

Ordered, That Sir John Temple do make Report of the State of the Navy: And that the same be taken into Consideration on Wednesday Morning next.

Information.

Mr. Ansley reports an Information given in to the Council of State, by Captain Fox: Which was read.

Member liberated.

Resolved, That Sir John Segmore, a Member of Parliament, be discharged of his Imprisonment; and every other Member of Parliament, restrained by Colonel Okey, be discharged of their Imprisonment and Restraint.

Bristoll.

Resolved, That the Matters in this Report, concerning the City of Bristoll, and the Safety and Peace of the Nation, be referred to the Council of State; to do therein as they shall think fit.

Col. Okey.

Ordered, That the Information given concerning Colonel Okey be referred to the Council of State; to examine the same; and report their Opinion therein to the Parliament.

Post-Office.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Council of State, to dispose of the Post-Office for the best Advantage of the Commonwealth.

The humble Petition of Wm. Witherings Esquire was read.

Ordered, That the said Petition of Mr. Witherings be referred to the Council of State; to examine the Matter of Fact; and also to hear all Parties claiming Interest in the said Post-Office; and to examine their respective Interests to the said Post-Office; and state Matter of Fact; and report the same, with their Opinion therein, to the Parliament.

Secretaries of State.

Colonel John Birch reports from the Council of State, That John Thompson and John Thurloe Esquires be appointed Secretaries of State.

Resolved, That John Thompson Esquire be one of the Secretaries of State.

The Question being propounded, That John Thurloe Esquire be appointed another Secretary of State:

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

The House was divided.

The Noes went forth.

So it passed with the Affirmative.

And the main Question being put; It was

Resolved, That John Thurloe Esquire be appointed another Secretary of State.

Grant to Gen. Monck.

A Bill for settling the Honour and Manor of Hampton-Court, and other Lands, upon his Excellency General George Monck, and his Heirs, was this Day read the Second time.

Resolved, That there be a further Addition of Lands to the Lands mentioned in this Bill.

Resolved, That this Bill be committed, upon the whole Debate, with the former Vote, to the former Committee: And that Sir Robert Goodwin, Mr. Knightley, Colonel John Birch, Sir Wm. Lewis, Colonel Morley, Mr. Serjeant Glyn, Sir Gilbert Gerrard, Mr. Foxwist, Colonel Dove, Mr. West, Lord Wainman, Sir John Holland, Colonel Hutchinson, Sir John Lenthall, Mr. Serjeant Maynard, Mr. Weston, be added to this Committee.

Hanaper Office.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee to whom the Bill for settling Lands on General George Monck is referred, to consider. How the Title of the Hanaper-Office stands: And, if they find the Title to be clear in the State, that then the same be conferred on Doctor Clergis: But, if it appear, that the Title is not clear in the State, that then the said Committee consider of some other Office to be conferred on the said Doctor Clergis; and report their Opinion therein to the Parliament.

Dissolving Parliament.

A Bill for dissolving this present Parliament was this Day read the First time.

Resolved, That this Bill be read the Second time on Wednesday Morning next.

Writs, summoning Members.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee that brought in the Bill for dissolving the Parliament, to bring in the Form of a Writ, for Election of Members to sit and serve in Parliament; and how, and in what Manner, the new Parliament shall be summoned: And that the Lord Chief-Justice St. John, Sir Peter Wentworth, Mr. Serjeant Maynard, Mr. Packer, Mr. Serjeant Glyn, Sir Anthony Irby, Mr. Povey, Mr. Serjeant Twisden, Mr. Hungerford, and all the Gentlemen of the Long Robe, be added to that Committee: And that they report it with all convenient Speed.

Adjournment.

Resolved, That the House, at their Rising, be adjourned until Wednesday Morning next; saving Power to all the Committees to sit, notwithstanding the said Adjournment.

Militia.

An Act for settling the Militias in the respective Counties of this Commonwealth was this Day read the First time.

Ordered, That this Bill be read the Second time on Wednesday Morning next, the first Business; nothing to intervene.

Sheriff of Carmarthen.

Ordered, That John Vaughan Esquire be, and is hereby, discharged from being Sheriff for the County of Carmarthen: And that Rowland Gwyn Esquire be Sheriff for the said County of Carmarthen for this next Year: And that the Lords Commissioners for the Great Seal of England do pass a Patent or Commission for him to be High-Sheriff of the said County, accordingly.

The House, according to former Order, adjourned till Wednesday Morning next, Eight of Clock.