Wednesday, January 14, 1656–7.
The Grand Committee, according to former order, sat
upon the Bill for uniting of Scotland into a commonwealth
with England. They passed a great part of it, and upon
long debate, the clause for confirmation of the privileges of
boroughs there passed. (fn. 1)
The clause, that the people of Scotland should have no
taxes nor public impositions whatsoever laid upon them, but
by common consent in Parliament, held us in debate from
eleven till one. The objection against it was, that it put the
people of Scotland into a better condition than those of England, and we ought to be their elder brother.
Mr. Robinson, Mr. Downing, and Major-General Howard.
That clause and the other clause will but clog the Bill, and
hinder his Highness's consent, and put a negatve in his
mouth.
Lord Fiennes. The clause has no coherence with the Bill
of union, so need not be part of the Bill.
Mr. Attorney of the Duchy, Sir John Hobart, and Mr.
Vincent said, that it was a good clause, and fit to be in every
Bill. They desired that, to answer the former objection,
England and Ireland might be added, it being a fundamental right of the people of both nations, that no tax ought
to be laid, but by consent in Parliament.
Sir William Strickland. If any act should pass this House,
to restrain the people in that point, it would be a void act;
for every man was born with a negative in his mouth as to
that, and no Parliament can part with such a fundamental
right of the people.
Some were sorry the clause was in the Bill, but, seeing it was
there, they were much divided in their opinions. To reject
such a clause, though but collateral to the union, might sound
ill abroad. That a Parliament should discourage such a
clause, was a tacit consent that taxes might be laid, out of
Parliament. If it stand, then we tacitly take the tax from
Scotland, and lay it upon ourselves, and so make a disunion
instead of an union. Some were for passing it over, or laying it aside: others, that we might take an occasion hereby
to make claim, continual claim, to our liberties, especially in
disposing of property, and that it were good such a Bill were
provided for the whole nation.
Captain Baynes. I hope that you will provide for securing the peace of the nation, if you lay no tax but in Parliament: for it is no pleasure to his Highness to continue assessments, but of necessity; and by the thirty-ninth article of the
Instrument of Government, he may raise 90,000l per mensem. (fn. 2)
The debate brought forth no question, so we rose in confusion.
In the middle room sat a Committee of Scotch members,
but they rose presently; another Committee, private, in the
duchy chamber.
In the lobby of the Lords' House, sat a Committee for
Bibles. Judge-Advocate Whalley in the chair.
There was a long paper of errata, amounting to two thousand, brought in by the Company of Stationers, against a
Bible of Hill's, now in the press. Most of the faults were but
slight, viz. in commas, points, italics, and slip of a letter, and
the like.
There was one Robinson, a Scotchman, corrector of his
Highness's press, a very busy person, and swelling in his own
opinion, and skill in the tongues, who openly arraigned, not
only the Cambridge translation of the Church Bibles, but all
other bibles whatsoever now in England, as faulty, both in
printing and difference from the original.
Mr. Tymbes took an occasion to say, that a Jesuit could do
no more but arraign our bibles.
Lord Strickland and I were of the same opinion, and that
it was of dangerous consequence to grant that, by a vote of a
Committee. It would hear ill abroad.
Robinson was so nettled at it, that he questioned Mr.
Tymbes, for comparing him to a Jesuit.
The Committee ordered that Robinson should be reproved
sharply, which was done.
Ordered, that Mr. Hill do, within fourteen days, bring
in a note to this Committee, of his amendments, and another
note of what he has not amended, to the end the Committee
may consider, whether the impression may be so amended, by
putting in new sheets, &c. as that the same may be published.
Resolved, that this Committee will take cognizance of no
impressions of bibles, but such as have been printed within
these two years; and that they will take care to suppress all
bibles printed beyond seas, that the same may not be sold,
and other books.
This Robinson presented Hobbes's Leviathan
(fn. 3) to the Committee, as a most poisonous piece of atheism.
Another, of a Jesuit's, called The Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, a little book in 8vo.
There was a report from the ministers (fn. 4) who were appointed
to consider which version of psalms was fittest to be publicly
used. Their return was, that Mr. Rous's (fn. 5) version was the
best, both as to agreeing with the original and better metre;
and that Mr. —'s (fn. 6) version was a good one too. They
desired he might be recompensed for his pains.
We sat till seven. Adjourned to Monday.
Major-General Bridge is very zealous in this business of
the psalms.
(Whitehall, January 14.)
It hath been ordered by his Highness and the Council, that
Mr. Rogers, who was committed to the Isle of Wight, (fn. 7) and
Mr. David Jenkins, commonly known by the name of Judge
Jenkins, (fn. 8) be set at liberty.