June, 1647
[11 June, 1647.]
Committee for Militia of London may search for and expel papists and malignants,; And search for and seize arms and ammunition; Resistance.; Power to charge inhabitants with horses, riders, and furniture.; Penalty for refusal to find horses, &c.; Disposal of Fines.; Sub-Committees.; Obedience to Warrants of Committee and Sub-committees.
The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament doe hereby
declare and Ordaine, That the Committee of the Militia of
London, shall have power, and are hereby authorized, by themselves, or such as they shall appoint, to search all houses and
places within the Lines of Communication, and Parihses
mentioned in the weekly Bills of Mortality, and Hamblets of the
Tower, where the said Committee shall have cause to suspect
that any Papists are, or other persons who cannot give a good
accompt of their businesse or aboad within the Limits aforesaid,
or who have or shall discover their ill affection to the Parliament
by any Offence for which they ought to be sequestred, questioned,
or punished by any Ordinance of Parliament; And likewise to
search for Armes, Ammunition, and Materials for Warre, in the
custody of such persons, and to seize and take away the same;
and to commit such persons to safe custody, or to expell them
out of the Limits aforesaid, if they shall see cause: And in case
of resistance, to command any Constable or Constables to breake
open any house or place within the said Limits, where any
resistance shall be made. And it is further Declared and
Ordained, That the said Committee shall hereby have Power and
Authority, to charge such Inhabitants who are constantly
dwelling within the Lines of Communication, and Parishes
mentioned in the weekly Bills of Mortality, and the Hamblets of
the Tower, or such persons who have any stocks going in Trade
within the Limits aforesaid, and absent themselves (as shall
appeare to them to be able) to finde and maintaine horses with
Riders and Furniture, at their proper charge, for the defence of
the City and parts adjacent (so as no person shall be charged for
the raising and maintaining more then two horses) to be put
under such Commanders and Officers as the said Committee
shall thinke fit. And if any person or persons who shall be
charged to finde horses, riders, and furniture, as is aforesaid, and
shall refuse or neglect to provide the same within three daies
after notice thereof given to them, or left in writing at their
dwellings, shall forfeit and pay 20l. And if they shall neglect or
refuse to send forth their horse or horses with Riders provided
and furnished, as is aforesaid, when, and as often as he or they
shall be summoned thereunto by the said Commissioners, or
such Commanders or Officers as they shall appoint, in default
thereof that then they shall forfeit and pay ten shillings upon
every such failing, or suffer foure daies imprisonment without
bayle or mainprize to be inflicted upon every such Offendor, in
such manner and form, and by such Officers and persons as are
appointed for the inflicting of penalties upon the failing of the
foot Souldiers of the Trained Bands, expressed in an Ordinance
dated the second day of May, Anno Dom. 1643. and the said
fines to be imployed by the said Committee towards the payment
of the Commanders and Officers of the said Horse, and for such
other uses as the said Committee shall finde necessary for the
better carrying on the said Service. And be it hereby further
Declared and Ordained, That for the better executing of this
present Ordinance, and such former Ordinances which are now
in force concerning the Militia of the City of London, and the
places aforesaid, power and authority be hereby given to the said
Committee, to make one or more Sub-Committee, or SubCommittee within the said limits as they shall thinke fit for the
executing of this and the said former Ordinances; And all
Constables, Headboroughs, and other inferior Officers within the
said limits, and all Commanders and Souldiers of the said
Militia are hereby required to obey, and execute such Warrants
as they from time to time shall receive from the said Committee,
or Sub-Committee, or Sub-Committees, for and concerning the
execution of the same accordingly.
Members of both Houses exempted.; Ordinance to continue 1 month only.
And lastly, that no priviledged place, or person within the
limits aforesaid shall be exempted from the power of this
Ordinance except the Peeres of this Realme, and Members of the
House of Commons, and assistants of the House of Peeres, and
Officers and Attendants of both Houses of Parliament respectively, who shall be exempted from this Ordinance and all things
contained therein. Provided that this Ordinance shall continue
for a moneth and no longer.