DIE Lunæ, videlicet, 12 die Decembris.
Prayers.
Earls of Bedford and Portland, about Whittlesea.
Ordered, That the Cause concerning the Earls of
Bedford and Porland, concerning the Fens in Wittlesey
Meere, shall be heard the next Easter Term.
The Messengers sent on Saturday last to the House of
Commons, with the Letter concerning the Inland Letteroffice, returned Answer, "That they have delivered
the same to the House of Commons."
Declaration to The States of Holland.
Next, the Declaration to The States of Holland was
read, which was brought lately from the House of Commons, together with an Order to give Power to Mr. Walter Strickland to present the same, from both Houses of
Parliament. (Here enter it.)
This House thought fit to add these Words to the
Declaration; videlicet, ["and other ill-affected Persons"].
Mr. Strickland to present it.
Ordered, That this House agrees with the House
of Commons, in this Order concerning Mr. Strickland.
Message to the H. C. to acquaint them with it.
A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by
Sir Edward Leech and Dr. Bennett:
To let the House of Commons know, that this House
agrees with the House of Commons in the Declaration
to be sent to The States of Holland, with the small Additions; and that this House agrees with them in the Order concerning Mr. Strickland.
The Messengers return with this Answer:
Answer.
That the House of Commons do agree with their
Lordships in (fn. *) the Amendments in the Declaration to be
sent to The States of Holland.
Message from thence, for Concurrence in the following Orders;
A Message was brought from the House of Commons,
by Sir Tho. Barrington; which consisted of these Particulars:
1. To desire Concurrence in an Order concerning Provision of Match and Powder. (Here enter it.)
Agreed to.
2. An Order to pay One Thousand Pounds a Week
to the Committee for the Safety, for to provide Arms
and Ammunition. (Here enter it.)
Agreed to.
3. An Order for sending Provisions for Relief of Ireland, and to give Licence for the same. (Here enter
it.)
Agreed to.
4. An Order for melting of the Bells at Exon, to
cast into Ordnance. (Here enter it.)
Agreed to.
for an Answer about the Master of the Rolls;
5. To desire an Answer concerning the Propositions
touching the Master of the Rolls.
Return an Answer by Messengers of their own.
and for a Conference about a Declaration in Answer to the King's.
6. To desire a Conference, touching a Declaration in
Answer to a Declaration of His Majesty.
Agreed, To give a Conference To-morrow Morning,
at Ten of the Clock in the Morning.
The Answer returned was:
Answer to the H. C.
That this House will send an Answer, by Messengers
of their own, concerning the Speaker of the House of
Commons to be Master of the Rolls; and that this
House will give them a Conference To-morrow Morning, at Ten of the Clock, as is desired, in the Painted
Chamber; also that this House agrees with the House
of Commons in the rest of the Orders now brought
up.
"A Declaration of both Houses of Parliament,
made the Twelfth of December, 1642, to be
presented to the High and Mighty Lords The
States General of the United Provinces.
Declaration of both Houses to be sent to The States of Holland.
"We, the Lords and Commons in the Parliament
of England assembled, did with much Contentment
and Satisfaction receive the Answer of the High and
Mighty Lords The States General of the United Provinces, to the Declaration presented to them on our
Behalf by Walter Strickland, Esquire; finding therein
many lively Expressions of their Affections to the
Peace and Prosperity of this Kingdom, and tender
Resentment of our Troubles, and of their Care and
Resolution of hindering the Passage of any Men, Ammunition, or Arms, which might foment and increase
the unhappy Differences and Combustion wherewith
this Nation is miserably distracted and distempered,
which we thankfully and gladly received, as a Means
of our present Safety, and a Help towards the settling
of a desired Peace betwixt His Majesty and His most
loyal Subjects, and Foundation of a more near and
beneficial Conjunction betwixt this Kingdom and that
State, for Preservation of the Reformed Religion,
and Relief of many oppressed Princes and States
against the common Enemies, both theirs and ours.
But this Hope and Contentment hath been much impaired, by the frequent Experiments we have had
of the Transportation of Men, Munition, and Arms,
from those Parts, which have been employed against,
and by many undoubted Advertisements of the continual Preparations and Endeavours, by divers Traitors and Fugitives of this Nation now residing in The
United Provinces, to procure great Quantities of
Treasure, and other Warlike Provisions, to be conveyed over from those Parts against the Parliament
and Subjects of this Kingdom; and particularly that
Colonel Goreing, Captain Byron, Sir Francis Mackworth, Captain Lloyd, Captain Brett, and Captain
Windham, with divers Hundreds of Soldiers, being in
the Pay of that State, are either lately shipped, or
ready to embark, from some of the Ports belonging
to the same, for Newcastle, to join with the Army of
Papists and other ill-affected Persons raised in the
North Parts of this Kingdom, against the Parliament,
and for the Subversion of the Protestant Religion
here, which hath exceedingly encouraged that Party,
and confirmed His Majesty in adhering to those evil
Counsellors, which have been the Authors of the
Public Troubles and Miseries of this Kingdom, and
rejecting the many humble Petitions that He would
be pleased, according to the Laws of the Kingdom,
to return to His Parliament, and, by their Counsels
and Advice, to secure our Religion and the Laws
against the wicked Plots and Designs which long
have been and still are in Agitation, for the Subversion of both; in doing whereof, we have offered,
and are still ready, to secure His Majesty's Person,
Honour, and Estate, in any Manner which may be
expected from true Christians and loyal Subjects;
and which we solemnly profess, in the Presence of
Almighty God, to be our real Intention and hearty
Desire to perform; and that, whatsoever is pretended
or published to the contrary, as if we had admitted
any Designs, or expressed any Endeavours, to the
Hurt of His Person, or Prejudice of His Sovereignty,
proceeds from their false malicious Scandal of such
as are Enemies to the Public Peace: Wherefore we
intreat that wise and prudent State to fulfil those
Promises and Declarations, which they have made
to us, of restraining and prohibiting the Transportation of Men, Arms, Money, or other Warlike Provisions, against us; that they will enquire into the
Faults and Neglects of those Officers, who have suffered so many Breaches and Violations thereof;
that they will be pleased, with all just Favour, to
admit of such Complaints and Informations, as shall
be made to them, by Mr. Strickland, in that Behalf;
and that they will look upon this, not only as a Matter of civil Respect to this Kingdom, but as that
which much concerns the Honour of God, the Defence of Religion, their own Safety and Liberty,
who, if we be destroyed, will not only be deprived
of an affectionate and useful Alliance, but environed
with such Enemies as, by the same Rules and Principles, by which they have been active to seek our
Ruin, will be carried on to all Kind of Practices and
Endeavours to ruin them."
Mr. Strickland to present this Declaration.
"It is this Day Ordered, by the Lords and Commons, &c. That Mr. Strickland be authorized to
deliver to The States General this Declaration; and
to communicate it to The States of Holland and Zealand, and also to the Prince of Orange, if he shall
find it convenient; and also to any other of The
States of the other Provinces there."
Committee in London to provide Match, &c.
"It is this Day Ordered, by the Lords and Commons, That the Committee of Lords and Commons
that sit in London, concerning Monies, do take Care
for the providing a Supply of Match, and likewise
for the Payment of such Provisions of Match; and
likewise to make a Supply of Arms and Ammunition,
and to provide for the Payment thereof."
1000 l. per Week to be paid to the Committee in London, till 20,000 l. is paid, to provide Arms, &c.
"It is this Day Ordered, by the Lords and Commons
in Parliament, That the Treasurers at Guildhall, for
the Propositions, do pay unto the Committee of Lords
and Commons sitting in London, upon Accompt, Weekly,
One Thousand Pounds, till Twenty Thousand Pounds
be paid; and that the said Committee be authorized,
or any Three of them, to issue out their Warrants for
the Payments, from Time to Time, out of the
Weekly Payments, such Sums of Money as shall be
by them contracted for, for the Provision of Arms
and Ammunition; and that the said Committee, or
any Three of them, do cause a Certificate to be
made Weekly to the Committee for the Safety of the
Kingdom, of such Monies as shall be received and
expended by Virtue of this Order: It is further Ordered, That all those Persons, that search after and
receive the Arms of any Soldiers, do send them to the
Committee of the Lords and Commons in London, that
they may take Order, that they be laid up in the
Stores, and made serviceable."
Committee to give Licences for transporting of Corn. &c. into Ireland.
"Whereas the Committee for the Affairs of Ireland
have taken into Consideration, that divers Quantities
of Cloaths, Victuals, Cloathing, and other Necessaries
of that Kind, fit for the Supply of His Majesty's
Army in Ireland, and for the Relief of His Majesty's
Protestant Subjects there, have hitherto, by virtue
of His Majesty's Letters of Privy Seal, been suffered to raise out of the Ports of this Kingdom,
and been carried to certain Places of that Kingdom,
Custom-free in both, in such Proportions, and in such
Manner, as the Committee of Irish Affairs, or such
Commissioners as should be appointed by His Majesty,
with the Consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, should from Time to Time appoint, the
Merchants giving good Security to deliver such Provisions at such Ports, as they shall be assigned unto by
such Committee or Commissioners: Forasmuch as it
is conceived, that the granting of such Licences for the
Time to come will very much conduce to the Relief
of that Kingdom, as it hath been heretofore, it is
this Day Ordered, by the Lords and Commons in
Parliament, That Power may be given to the said
Committee, to make forth and sign such Licences, for
the Transportation of Corn, Victual, and Cloathing,
from hence, into the several Parts of Ireland where
His Majesty's Forces are, for Relief of them, and
other His Majesty's Protestant Subjects, and under
the same Cautions and Limitations, as they were formerly granted by the Lords and others His Majesty's
Commissioners for the Affairs of Ireland."
Bells at Exeter to be melted for Ordnance: and Divine Service to be performed, without Chaunting, &c.
"It is this Day Ordered, by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, in regard of the great
and imminent Danger the City of Exon is now in, the
same being threatened to be besieged, and sacked, and
plundered, if they be not enabled to make Resistance,
That the Mayor and Deputy Lientenants of the said
City, or any Three of them, shall have Power to
seize on any of the Bells in the Cathedral, or other
Church within the said City, and the same to melt
and cast into Cannons, or other Pieces of Ordnance,
as shall be by them thought most necessary for their
Defence; and the said Mayor and Deputy Lieutenants,
or any Three of them, are also authorized to take
into their Possession, for the Public Use of the said
City, and to make a Magazine for keeping of Provisions, and other Stores for Ammunition, such Part
of the Cathedral Church, or Bishop's Palace, or
House, as may best be spared, and shall be most
useful for such an Employment: And, in these Times
of Public Danger and Calamity, it is Ordered,
That such Part of the Common Prayer and Service
as is performed by Singing-men, Choristers, and
Organs, in the Cathedral Church there, be wholly
forborn and omitted; and the same to be done in a
reverend, humble, and decent Manner, without Singing, or using the Organs."
Adjourn.
House adjourned till 10 a cras.