April 1643
[11 April, 1643.]
City of London to have Public Faith for repayment of 24000li. for every 40000li. monthly collected there.; Money to be paid in to Treasurers at Guildhall.
Whereas by an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons,
intituled, An Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, for the
speedy raysing and levying of money, for maintenance of the
Army raysed by the Parliament and other great affaires of the
Common-wealth, by a weekely Assessement upon every County,
the weekely summe of 10000li. is charged upon the City of
London, which sum doth very much exceed their proportion,
having respect to the rule and measure with the rest of the
places and Counties in the said Ordinance mentioned were
rated. And although the necessity of present supply of money
to the Army, urged the imposing of so great a sum upon the
said City where it might be more speedily Assessed and Collected
for the present occasion, then in other remoter parts; Yet
because the whole Kingdome in generall receive an equall
benefit thereby as well as the City of London, it stands with the
rule of Equitie and Justice, that it should beare an equall
proportion of charge, especially considering the cheerful and
bountifull Assistance the City hath already given to this publike
cause, not to be paralelled, by any president of former time, or
forgotten by future ages; It is therefore Ordained by the Lords
and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled, that the
City of London, shall have the publique Faith of the Kingdome
for the repayment of 24000li. for every 40000li. that shall be
monethly Collected, and payed in, by the said City upon the said
Ordinance, which said sum of 24000li. shall be respectively paid
into the hands of the Chamberlaine of London for the time
being, to be restored proportionably to the parties that shall
advance the same upon the same Ordinance; And the said
Lords and Commons doe Ordaine, and hereby engage the
publique Faith of the Kingdome, that they will by Act of Parliament or otherwise, provide for the payment of the said
24000li. in manner as before is hereby declared. And whereas
by the said Ordinance, the money to be thereupon Collected
within the City of London, is to be payd into the hands of the
Treasurer of the Army raysed by the Parliament; Be it now
Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, that the same shal be
from time to time payd at the Guildhall London, into the hands
of Sir John Wollaston Knight, John Warner, John Towse, and
Thomas Andrewes Aldermen, or any two of them, and to no
other hands. And that the severall Assessements shall be returned to them, or any two of them, in the same manner as
they are directed to be done by the said Ordinance to the
Treasurer of the Army raised by the Parliament, and the said
Treasurers hereby named, or any two of them shall give their
Acquittances of the Receipts of such sums as shall be payd in
unto them upon the said Ordinance, which acquittances shall
be brought unto John Trenchard and William Wheler, Esquires,
Members of the House of Commons, who are to enter the same
in a Booke to be kept for that purpose, and then the Acquittance
shall be a sufficient discharge to the party that payd in the said
sum, and not otherwise.
Lord Mayor and Aldermen to be Committees instead of Aldermen Deputies and Common Councillors.
And whereas by the said Ordinance, the Aldermens Deputies,
and Common Counsell men of the said City, are made Committees for the said City and Liberties thereof, which may
prove very Inconvenient to the Service, in regard that they being
many in number, and consisting of persons of great integritie,
their Assistance will be requisite in another kind; Be it therefore
Ordained, that the Lord Maior and the Aldermen of the said
Citie and no other, shall be Committees for the said City, in the
same manner as they were appointed by the said Ordinance,
when the same first past both Houses. And the said Aldermens
Deputies, and Common Counsell men, are hereby discharged of
the same, and of the Paines and troubles thereof.