June 1644

[25 June, 1644.]

Commissioners' Names.

For the better Execution of the Orders and Ordinances of Parliament in the severall Counties of Berks, Buckingham, and Oxon; and for the raising of money and Forces within the said Counties for suppressing the Rebels there, and for the maintenance of all such Garrisons within the said Counties, as are, or shall be Erected by Authority of Parliament for the better defence of the same: The Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, do hereby Constitute and appoint.

Berks.

For the County of Berks, William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Master of the Rolls, Sir Francis Knollis, Knight; Sir Francis Pile, Baronet; Sir Robert Pye senior; Sir Benjamin Rudyard, Richard Whitehead, Edmund Dunch, Henry Martin, Peregrine Hobby, Tanfield Vachell, Daniel Blagrave, Serjeant Major Generall Richard Browne, William Ball, John Packer senior, Robert Packer, and Cornelius Holland.

Buckingham.

For the County of Buckingham, Thomas Lord Viscount Wenman, Sir Peter Temple, Knight and Baronet; Richard Winwood, Bulstrode Whitlocke, Esquire; Sir William Andrews, Sir Richard Pigott, and Sir William Cobb, Knights; Isaac Pennington, Lievtenant of the Tower; George Fleetwood, Esquire; Sir Richard Ingoldsby, Knight; Anthony Radcliffe, Thomas Lane, Thomas Fountaine, Edward Woodward, Peter Dormer, Richard Sergeant, Henry Beake, Anthony Carpenter, Symond Mayne, Edmund West, Thomas White, Thomas Ayres, Thomas Scot, John Potter, Thomas Ligoe, John Lane, William Theed, of Craston; Thomas Wheeler, John Doylie, Sir Gilbert Gerrard, Baronet; Christopher Henn, Thomas Wyan, and John Barringer, Gent and Major Generall Richard Browne.

Oxon.; Power to Committees to execute former Ordinances.; To assess and tax their several Counties, not exceeding £400 weekly.; Sums raised to be used for maintenance of Forces in said Counties.; Treasurer.; Collectors' and Treasurer's Allowances.; Power to cut Timber on Delinquents' Estates for Fortification of Counties.

For the County of Oxon, Thomas Lord Viscount Wenman, William Lenthall, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Master of the Roles, James Fines, John Fines Esquires, Sir Peter Temple, Knight and Baronet; Sir William Cobb Knight, John Doylie, Thomas Knight, William Typping, Robert Scrope, Edward Clerke, Edmund Dunch, and Bulstrode Whitlocke Esquires; Sir Peter Wentworth, Knight of the Bathe, Sir Nathaniel Brent, Knight, and Serjeant Major Generall Richard Browne; To be Committees of Parliament for the said severall Counties respectively. And doe hereby authorize them, or any three of them respectively, to put in execution within the said severall and respective Counties, the severall Ordinances of Parliament ensuing (viz.) The Ordinance for voluntary Loanes, and Contributions to the Parliament, the Ordinance for Weekly Assessements, the Ordinance for the fifth and Twentieth part, The Ordinance for the Sequestration of Papists and Delinquents Estates, according to the true meaning of the said Ordinances And the said Committees of the severall Counties, or any three or more of them respectively, shall have power within their severall Counties to Assesse, Taxe and Levie, or caused to be Assessed, Taxed and Levied, upon the said Counties, what summe or summes of money, they shall thinke the said Counties are seuerally able to pay, not exceeding foure hundred pounds a weeke, upon any one of the said Counties, with such power for the Assessing, Leavying, and Collecting the same, and with such allowances as by the Ordinance of the weekely assessement is provided. And it is hereby declared that the severall summes of money, Raised or to be Raised within the said Counties, And also all such summes of money as shall be hereafter raised within the said severall Counties by vertue of the Ordinances of Excise be received and disposed of, for the raising and maintaining of all such Forces, as are or shall be raised for the reducing, and defence of the severall Counties aforesaid. And it is further Ordained and Declared, that the severall Committees, or the major part of them, within their severall Counties respectively, shall appoint a Treasurer who shall receive all such moneys as shall be Assessed, and Collected within the said Counties respectively, and shall from time to time issue out such moneys for the necessary uses of the said Counties, for the purposes aforesaid, as any three or more of the Committees of the said Counties respectively, shall by the vote of the major part of the respective Committees, or of any three of them then present, order, and shall by writing under their hands appoint and not otherwise. And it is also Ordained that every Collector shall have foure pence in the pound for every summe of money by him Collected and paid to the Treasurer, and also two pence in the pound shall be allowed to the Treasurer for all moneys by him received and issued out by Warrant as aforesaid. And be it Ordained that the said Committees, or any three of them respectively, shall have power from time to time, to assigne, and by their severall Ministers and Officers, to cut and take sufficient Timber, standing, or being upon the lands of Papists or Delinquents, for the making of Fortifications in such Townes and places of any the said Counties, as by three or more of the Committees of every of the said Counties respectively shall be thought fit, expressing the same by warrant under their hands.

To demand account of Musters made by Commissaries.; Officers to respite part of their pay on Public Faith till War be ended.

And be it further Ordained, that the Committees of the said Counties, or any three of them respectively, shall hereby have Power and Authority from time to time to Demand and take an Account of all Musters that shall be made by the severall Commissaries of the said Counties, And that every Captain both of Horse and Foot, and every other Superiour or Inferiour Officer, whose pay comes to ten shillings a day, or above, shall take but halfe the pay due unto him, and respit the other halfe upon the Publique Faith until the Warre shall be ended; and every Officer, whose pay commeth to five shillings a day or more, and under Ten Shillings a day, shall accept of two parts of three, of such pay due unto him, and respit the other third part upon the Publique Faith, until the Warre be ended. And when there is three Moneths pay due unto any of them, a Certificate thereof under the hands of the said Committees, or any three of them respectively, shall be a sufficient warrant to such Officer to demand and receive the said moneys owing upon the Publique Faith, as aforesaid.

Committees to assemble when they think fit.

And be it further Ordained that Nine, or more of the Committees, aforesaid, whereof three at least of every of the said Counties respectively, shall have power to Assemble themselves together, as often as they shall thinke fit, to advise and direct all things that they shall thinke fit for the more speedy and effectuall execution of this Ordinance, in all or any of the said Counties.

Power to secure Dangerous Delinquents and to eject Scandalous and Malignant Ministers and School-masters, and to appoint others in their stead.

And be it likewise Ordained, that the Committees of the said severall and respective Counties, or any five or more of them respectively, shall have power to secure the persons of all dangerous Delinquents residing in the said severall Counties, and to call before them, or any five or more of them respectively, all Ministers, and Schoole-masters that are scandalous in their lives or ill-affected to the Parliament, or that have deserted their Cures, or ordinary places of residence, not having a sufficient ground for their absence, and they or any five or more of them respectively shall have power to examine any complaint against them, upon the Oathes of such persons as shall or may be produced to give evidence against them; and the said Committees, or any five of them respectively, shall have power to administer such Oath accordingly, and shall have power (upon proofe of their delinquency) to remove such as they, or any five or more of them respectively, shall judge unfit for tneir places, and sequester their Estates and Revenues, and to place other well qualified persons in their rooms, such as shall be approved by three godly and learned Divines, residing in any of the said Counties respectively.

Indemnity.; Power to administer National Covenant.

And be it Ordained that the said Committees and every one of them respectively, and every other person or persons, that shall be ayding or assisting to them, or any of them respectively in the doing or executing any thing by vertue of this Ordinance, shall be defended and saved harmlesse therein by authority of both Houses of Parliament. And be it further Ordained that the said Committees in the said severall Counties, or any three or more of them respectively, in each severall County, shall have power to administer the National Covenant to such person or persons as they shall thinke fit; and to send up, all such as shall refuse to take the same Covenant, unto the Committees of Parliament for Examinations, to be proceeded against, as the said Committee of Examinations shall thinke fit.

No Moneys to be raised by former Ords. save for purposes hereby provided.

And be it further Ordained that there shall not any Moneys, or Provision be raised in any of the said Counties during the continuance of this Ordinance, by vertue of any former Ordinance or Order, other then such as shall be imployed for the purposes, and in such manner as in this present Ordinance is provided.

Repayment to be made out of new Excise, etc., to all that have advanced Money Horse, etc.

And be it further Ordained, that the persons herein named for Committees, or any other person or persons who have advanced, or shall advance any Horses, Plate, Armes, or Money, or maintaine any souldiers Horse or Foot for this service, shall be fully satisfied and repaid all such moneys as they shall disburse, with interest after the rate of eight pounds per cent. and the value of such Horses, Plate, and Armes, as they shall furnish and maintaine for this service, out of the moneys to be raised by the new Excise, and out of such moneys as shall be raised by vertue out of this Ordinance; which payments shall be made to them by such Treasurer or Treasurers that shall be appointed for the severall Counties aforesaid respectively, upon a Warrant given to that purpose; by three or more of the said Committees in each County respectively.