House of Commons Journal Volume 4: 11 February 1646

Die Mercurii, Februarii 11 , 1645.

Prayers.

ACcording to former Order, the Grand Committee for Religion sat, to receive, and take into Consideration, the Votes passed both Houses, concerning Church-Government.

Mr. Whittacre in the Chair.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

A Letter from the Scotts Commissioners, from WorcesterHouse, of 3 Februarii 1645; representing the Necessities of their Forces before Newarke; and one of the Ninth of February, to the same Purpose; were both read:

A Letter from the Scotts Commissioners, of 9 Februarii 1645, touching a Paper of theirs, formerly given in, concerning Informations proceeding from an unknown Knight, and from one Robert Wright; another Letter from the Scotts Commissioners, of no Date, delivered this Morning, concerning the Business of the Letters taken out of the Earl of Northumberland's Lodgings, by Mons. Mountereul, and the Courier; were likewise read.

A Letter from the Commissioners of both Houses, from Lincolne, of 7 Februarii, desiring an Allowance of Twelve hundred Pounds, to be presently paid for incident Charges, was likewise read.

Ordered, That Fifteen thousand Pounds, Part of the Oneand-thirty thousand Pounds per mensem, appointed for the Pay of the Scotts Army, shall be monthly paid to the Scotts Forces before Newarke: And that this Fifteen thousand Pounds per mensem shall not be extended to the Pay of any supernumerary Horse; but that the Horse be reduced to the Number expressed in the Treaty, according to the Votes of both Houses: And that the Soldiers, upon the Receipt of this Allowance, do constantly pay and discharge their Billet.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Ordered, That Mr. Benjamin Weston, a Member of this House, shall have Liberty to go and visit the Lord Savile, a Prisoner in the Tower.

Resolved, &c. That it be referred to the Committee of the Northern Association, to state the Matter of Fact informed to this House, concerning the Violences committed by some of the Scotts Horse at Tickhill, and in some other Places in Yorkeshire; and prepare it ready to be represented by the Members of both Houses, that are of the Committee of both Kingdoms, to the Scotts Commissioners; to be treated and considered of by them; to the end that the Business may be brought to Effect, for a timely Redress thereof: And that the Horse may be reduced according to the Treaty, and Votes of both Houses: And this Committee are to meet upon this Business this Afternoon.

It is further Ordered, That it be referred to this Committee, to prepare a Letter to be sent from this House to the Committee at Yorke, concerning the Business of Tickhill and Ireland.

Ordered, That the Answer to the Scotts Commissioners Papers, of the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-seventh of January, concerning Robert Wright's Letters, and the Informations proceeding from a Knight, whose Name is yet unknown, be taken into Consideration To-morrow Morning.

Sir Walter Erle reported, from a Committee thereunto appointed, a Letter, of Januarii 17 1645, from Mr. Jermyn, from Paris, directed to the Lord Culpeper, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or either of them, written all in Characters; a Letter from Mr. Mackworth, directed to them, likewise written in Characters, from Paris, of Januarii 8/18;; and a Letter from Mr. Henry Jermyn, to the Lord Culpeper, from Paris, of Januarii 18 , written Part in Cyphers; were all this Day read, being all decyphered: In the Decyphering of which, Sir Walter Erle has bestowed great and faithful Pains; and was so thought of, by the House.

Resolved, &c. That the Thanks of this House be given to Sir Walter Erle, for his great and faithful Pains taken in the Decyphering of these Letters.

And Mr. Speaker, accordingly, by Command of the House, gave him Thanks.

Ordered, That these Letters be referred back again to the same Committee that was appointed to decypher them; to put them into a fair Way of a Narrative; together with the whole Proceedings, held in the Decyphering and Discovery of them: And that Mr. Salwey junior be added to the said Committee.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Army do take care to write to Sir Thomas Fairfax General; to send up a Key, which Sir Wm. Davenant, in his Letter to Sir Hugh Pollard, refers him to take out of his Cabinet at Dartmouth, for the uncyphering a Paper inclosed in his Letter to the said Sir Hugh Pollard; which Paper was sent up with the other Letters from Dartmouth.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Wm. Murray be kept close Prisoner: And that he have neither Pen, Ink, nor Paper, permitted him: And that no Person be suffered to come to him, or to speak with him, without Leave of this House: And that no Letters be brought to him, or received from him.

Ordered, That Henry Harleston be discharged from all Attendance upon any Committee of Parliament.

Ordered, That Henry Harleston be forthwith sent for, as a Delinquent, by the Serjeant at Arms attending on this House.

Ordered, That Mr. * Cunningham be committed close Prisoner to the Serjeant at Arms attending on this House.

Ordered, That Sir John Evelyn of Wiltes do go to the Lords, To-morrow Morning; and to press the Lords with the Reasons and the Necessity of passing the Ordinance for Martial Law.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Tower do, this Afternoon, go to the Tower; and examine Mr. Murray very strictly and throughly: And that they do make use of the decyphered Letters that were read here, if they shall judge it necessary.

It is further Ordered, That they do likewise strictly examine Mr. Cunningham.

The House was informed, That there was this Morning a Common-Council, to which the Commissioners of Scotland repaired; and that some Matters were by them there communicated, of which some Members of this House could give more particular Information: And

It is thereupon Ordered, That if any of the Members of this House were present at the Common-Council this Morning, that they should acquaint the House with their Knowledge of what passed there.

Mr. Francis Allen, a Member of this House, acquainted the House, That he was present at the Common-Council this Morning: And

It is thereupon Resolved, &c. That Mr. Allen do declare to the House the Truth of the whole Business and Proceedings this Morning at the Common-Council.

* * * * (fn. 1).

Ordered, That To-morrow Morning, the first Business, the Business concerning the Letters from the Scotts Commissioners to Mr. Speaker, this Day read; the Answer to the Scotts Papers, of the Twenty-fourth and Twentyseventh of January; the Business of the Letters decyphered; and the Report concerning the Scotts Commissioners repairing to the Common-Council, and communicating some Letters unto them from the Parliament of Scotland, be taken into Consideration.

Ordered, That, on Saturday Morning next, the House do take into Consideration the City-Petition last preferred to this House; and likewise the Lords Message concerning the City-Propositions.