House of Commons Journal Volume 4: 24 February 1646

Die Martis, 24 Februarii, 1645.

Prayers.

AN Ordinance for Discharge of the Wardship of the Heirs Male of the Body of Sir Christopher Wray, late a Member of this House, deceased in the Service of the Parliament, was this Day read; and, upon the Question, passed; and the Lords Concurrence ordered to be desired herein.

Sir Henry Vane junior is appointed to carry it to the Lords.

Resolved, &c. That the Court of Wards and Liveries, and all Wardships, Liveries, Primer-Seisins, and Oustre le Maines, and all other Charges incident or arising for or by reason of Wardship, Livery, Primer-Seisin, or Oustre le Maine, be from this Day taken away: And that all Tenures by Homage, and all Fines, Licences, Seizures, and Pardons for Alienation, and all other Charges incident thereunto, be likewise taken away: And that all Tenures by Knights Service, either of his Majesty, or others, or by Knights Service, or Socage in Capite of his Majesty, be turned into Free and Common Socage.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein, by Sir Henry Vane junior.

Resolved, &c. That the Ordinance, formerly passed for the Northern Association, be continued till the Twentieth Day of March next, and all Clauses and Powers therein, except those that concern the Receiving and Making use of any of the Revenue of the Crown.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the Northern Association, to consider of some Way of Maintenance for the Forces of the Northern Association; and to offer it to the House.

Ordered, That Mr. Wastall, a Member of this House, shall have Leave to go into the Country.

A Message from the Lords, by Mr. Doctor Aylett and Doctor Health;

The Lords have commanded us to bring you this Letter: It is from Sir Thomas Fairfax: They have expressed, in this Paper, their Sense and Desire concerning it; and have appointed a Day of Thanksgiving: To which they desire your Concurrence.

They desire likewise to put the House in mind of the Petition of Mr. Nicolas Bacon: It is for his going to travel: They desire you would take it into speedy Consideration.

Sir Henry Vane junior carried to the Lords, for their Concurrence, the Vote for taking away the Court of Wards and Liveries.

And, to the end this Message may be the better attended, Mr. Speaker left the Chair for awhile.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree with the Lords, That Mr. Nicolas Bacon shall have Leave to travel beyond the Seas, with his Wife, and Two Servants to attend them.

Ordered, That Mr. Reynolds do prepare and bring in a Letter of Thanks, to be sent to Sir Thomas Fairfax; takeing notice, therein, of the Greatness of the Service performed by him against the Enemy at Torrington.

Sir Henry Mildmay carried to the Lords, for their Concurrence, the Order for the Lord Littleton's Books for Mr. Whitelock: The Order for Five Pounds to John Wilson, out of Haberdashers-Hall: A Form of an Ordinance, mutatis mutandis, for the Discharge of Delinquents: The Order for a Day of Thanksgiving, on this Day Fortnight, in the Cities of London and Westminster, Lines of Communication, and Ten Miles about: The Order concerning the Thanksgiving in the Counties above Ten Miles from London: The Order for the Lord Savile's Enlargement; and an Order for him to declare his Knowledge, concerning some Particulars, to a Committee: An Order giving Power to the Committee at Goldsmiths-Hall to suspend Sequestrations: The Vote for Colonel Kerle to be Governor of Monmouth: The Vote for adding Mr. Thomas Morgan, Mr. William Herbert, and Mr. Edmund Morgan, to be of the Committee of Gloucester, Hereford, and Monmouth, &c.: The Order for remitting the Earl of Carberie's Crimes, in reference to his Military Employments: The Ordinance for a Moiety of the Excise of Bristoll, for Two Months, for the Use of that Garison: And the Order for continuing the Ordinance for the Northern Association.

Sir Henry Vane junior brings Answer from the Lords, That they have taken the Vote, for taking away the Court of Wards, into Consideration; and they have agreed to the said Vote, as it was sent from this House.

Answer returned by the same Messengers;

The House hath considered your Message: And, as to the Pass for Mr. Nicolas Bacon to go beyond the Seas, they do agree: And, as to the other Particulars in their Lordships Paper, they will send Answer by Messengers of their own.

Ordered, That the Vote passed both Houses, for takeing away the Court of Wards and Liveries, be forthwith printed and published.

Mr. Greene reports, from the Committee for the Excise, the State of the Excise, in relation to the present Anticipations, upon an Order of 22 Januarii, for the Advanceing of Fifty thousand Pounds, the Improvement of the Excise, and Abatement of the Charge in bringing in the Receipts of the Excise.

The Petition of the Commissioners of Excise, presented, in Answer to the said Order, to the Committee of Excise; and the Remonstrance of the said Commissioners to the House of Commons; and Propositions for advancing the Revenue of the Excise in the Counties of Yorke and Suffolke to Ten thousand Pounds per Annum, more than the State hath received these Two last Years; and for Advanceing of Fifty thousand Pounds, upon the Credit of the Excise of those Two Counties, to be paid at Two Payments, on the Twenty-fifth of March and Twenty-fifth of April; provided that the Propounders of these Conditions may enjoy, in Farm, the Excise of those Two Counties for Three Years; were all this Day read.

Ordered, &c. That, on Monday next, this whole Report, concerning the State of the Excise, be taken into Consideration.

Ordered, &c. That Sir Humphry Tufton Knight and Baronet, a Member of this House, having been lately sick, shall have Leave to go into the Country, for the Recovery of his Health.

Ordered, &c. That the Commissioners of Excise be desired forthwith to advance, upon the Ordinance of the Twenty-ninth of December 1645, Thirty thousand Pounds for the present Service of the Army; and that they shall be reimbursed out of the Receipts of the Excise, in Intervals, before the First of July; or in Course, if they fail: And it is referred to the Committee of the Army, to acquaint the Commissioners of Excise with this Order; and to move them therein.

An Ordinance for Discharge of the First Year's Accompts of the Commissioners of Excise was this Day read the First time.

Ordered, &c. That, on Thursday Morning next, the Auditors of the Excise do bring in the Accompts of the Commissioners of Excise for the Year commencing 11 Septembris 1643, and ending 11 Septembris 1644.

A Message from the Lords, by Doctor Aylett and Doctor Heath;

The Lords have commanded us to bring you this Letter: It is from the Governor of Leicester, concerning Ashby de la Zouch; and, in it, a Paper, in the Lords Sense concerning it: An Order concerning the Officers of the Court of Wards: To which they desire your Concurrence. They desire you to continue the Ordinance for the Association for the Northern Counties, to the Twentieth of March next:- The Order for the Thanksgiving; with one Alteration: To which they desire your Concurrence. They agree to what was sent from this House to their Lordships, concerning Bristoll.

The Letter from the Governor of Leicester, directed to the Committee of both Kingdoms, was read; and was in bæc verba;

Right Honourable,

UPON my Second Meeting with General Hastings, I found him stifly to prosecute his first Demands, and utterly unsatisfied with what your Lordships had granted; affirming, That the Benefit would very little accrue to him, by taking off his Sequestration, his Estate being little or nothing worth; and so should part with such a considerable Garison upon so poor and inconsiderable Terms; and therefore would have those listed Officers and Gentlemen, that he had given in, to have their Sequestrations taken off, or else no farther Speech to be had upon the Business: But, at last, the Conclusion of the Business came to this, That the Sequestrations of his own, of his Brothers, the Earl of Huntington, and Colonel Perkins, the Governor, their Estates to be taken off: And that, if the Parliament will grant a Power to Sir Richard Skevington of Coventry, and Myself, to compound with them for their Delinquency; that then, upon such a Grant, they have absolutely engaged themselves to slight their Garison, without any further Excuse or Delay. I shall humbly beseech your Honours, that if your Wisdom, and grave Consideration, shall think this fit, and us so faithful as shall incline you to it, that Sir Arthur Haselrigg might be added in the Commission; for I doubt not, but I shall get General Hastings to consent to it, and that the Business might be dispatched with all Expedition: For, besides the great Concernment of this County, it will prove of great Consequence to our Leaguer at Newarke; for Ashby being reduced, their Horse, after once broke out (which shortly is expected), must of Necessity march so far, as they are not likely to annoy them any more; which otherwise is extremely feared: Besides, if once come thither, it is much to be questioned, how the Lord of Loughborough shall be Master of his own Intention in this Business: But I now rest; who am; My Lords,

Your most humble Servant,

John Needham.

The Paper, containing the Lords Sense upon the said Letter, was read; and was in bæc verba; viz. "The Lords agree, That those Three, mentioned in the Governor of Leicester's Letter, shall have their Sequestrations taken off: And that the Composition for the Estates of the rest shall be referred to Sir Richard Skevington, and the said Governor of Leicester;" and, upon the Question, assented unto.

The Order concerning the Officers of the Court of Wards and Liveries was read; and was in bæc verba; viz.

Ordered, by the Lords and Commons, in Parliament assembled, That, upon the taking away the Court of Wards and Liveries, competent Satisfaction shall be given to the Master of the said Court, and such other Officers there, as have adhered to the Parliament, in lieu of their Offices, and the Profits which they respectively had thereby, and in such Sort as both Houses of Parliament shall think fit.

Resolved, &c. That these Words; viz. "or elsewhere depending upon Tenures;" be added to the said Order, in the Fifth Line, after the Word "there," and before the Word "as:" And that Mr. Reynolds do carry the same to the Lords for their Concurrence.

He is likewise to carry to the Lords, for their Concurrence, the Ordinance for Discharge of the Wardship of Mr. Wm. Wray, Son of Sir Christopher Wray Knight, deceased.

Another Order, sent from the Lords, concerning a Provision to be made for Payment of all Debts charged upon the Revenue of the Court of Wards, was twice read; and was in bæc verba; viz.

Resolved, &c. That Provision be made, as shall be, by . . . . both Houses of Parliament, meet, for Payment of such Sums of Money as be charged, or chargeable, or assigned, out of any Revenue belonging to the Court of Wards and Liveries, appointed to be paid to any Person or Persons, out of such Revenue.

The Amendment to the Order for the Day of Thanksgiving was read; and was, for the leaving out Tuesday, and appointing Thursday: And was, upon the Question, assented unto.

Ordered, &c. That the Members of both Houses that are of the Committee of both Kingdoms, do issue a Commission to Colonel John Needham to be Governor of Leicester; which Commission is to bear Date from the Time that Sir Thomas Fairefaxe General appointed him to be Governor there: And likewise one other Commission to him, of the same Date, to be Colonel of a Regiment of Foot there. And

It is further Ordered, That they issue a Commission of the like Date unto Major Cambridge, to be Major of the said Regiment.

Answer returned by the same Messengers;

The House hath considered your Message: And, as to the Paper concerning the Governor of Leicester's Letter, and the Amendment to the Order for the Day of Thanksgiving, they do agree: And they have taken the rest into Consideration; and will send Answer by Messengers of their own.

Sir Wm. Waller reported, from the Committee of both Kingdoms, a Paper of the Scotts Commissioners, signed 17 Februarii 1646, concerning the Business of Monsieur de Montereull: Which was read: And

It is thereupon Ordered, That the said Paper be taken into Consideration on Thursday Morning next.

Ordered, &c. That the Committee of Examinations do take care for the Stay of the Horse, informed to be endeavoured to be transported into France, without sufficient Passport.