House of Commons Journal Volume 4: 19 May 1646

Die Martis, 19 Maii, 1646.

Prayers.

THE humble Petition of Thomas Violett, Prisoner in the Tower, was this Day read; and nothing done upon it.

Ordered, That the Sum of Five hundred Pounds be forthwith advanced and paid, by the Committee at Goldsmiths-Hall, unto Jane Atkinson, Widow and Relict of Captain Henry Atkinson, deceased, who was slain in the Service of the Parliament, for and towards the Subsistence and Maintenance of the said Jane Atkinson, and of her Six Children, as a free Gift to her and her said Children, without Account. And

It is further Ordered, That the said Committee do forthwith summon Mr. Francis Nevill, from whom the like Sum of Five hundred Pounds is due for the Remainder of his Fine upon his Composition; and require him to pay in the said Five hundred Pounds; which is to be in lieu of the said Five hundred Pounds hereby ordered to be advanced and paid to the said Jane Atkinson.

Ordered, That Mr. Rigby do, To-morrow Morring, report the Ordinance concerning the Court of Wards.

Mr. Nathanael Fiennes reports the Heads of the Conference to be desired with the Lords, concerning the Words spoken by Sir John Evelyn, at a Conference, on Wednesday last: The which were read; and, upon the Question, assented unto; and were in hæc verba; viz.

Heads for a Conference with the Lords, concerning the Words spoken by Sir John Evelyn.

That, on Saturday last, at a Conference, the Earl of Manchester, in Name of the House of Peers, reciting Two Votes, wherein this House had desired the Lords Concurrence, concerning the Disposal of the Person of the King to such a Place within the Kingdom of England, as both Houses of the Parliament of England should appoint; and that That Place should be Warwick-Castle; which was the Matter of the Second Vote; and the Lords having declared, That they could not agree thereunto; the Earl of Manchester said, That Sir John Evelyn, a Member of the House of Commons, at a Conference desired by this House on Wednesday last, spake these Words, or to this Effect; "Your Lordships have heard the Sense of the House of Commons, How much they conceive themselves concerned in Honour to have this Vote to be passed: Therefore they hope your Lordships will never depart from bearing your Part in such a Demand. They will be very unwilling to be necessitated to do this without your Lordships: Yet, if your Lordships shall not think fit to agree with them, they will never fail to do their Part in making this Demand; it being a thing wherein the Parliament and Kingdom is so much concerned:" That the Lords had thereupon resolved, That these Words, as they conceived, do import this Sense; That, in case their Lordships do not agree with the House of Commons, that they will do it without them: And that the Words spoken by Sir John Evelyn were against the Course and Proceedings of Parliament: And that their Lordships do expect Reparation for the same.

In Answer to their Lordships;

I. The House of Commons doth admit, that Sir John Evelyn, a Member of their House, did speak those Words, or Words to that Effect, in Discharge of his Duty, and of what he had in Command from this House to deliver unto their Lordships, at a Conference on Wednesday last: But do not admit, that the Subject of that Conference were those Two Votes recited by their Lordships at the Conference on Saturday last, but only the former of those Two Votes; wherein the House of Commons desired their Lordships Concurrence, That the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland, and the General of the Scotts Army, should be desired, That the Person of the King might be disposed of to such a Place within this Kingdom, as the Two Houses of Parliament should appoint: For which, at the same Conference, they gave divers Reasons to their Lordships.

II. That the House of Commons is of Opinion, That the Words spoken by Sir John Evelyn do not import that Sense, which their Lordships conceive they do; and must needs account it a great Unhappiness, that, at this Time, when, as (according to the Expressions and Expectations of our common Enemies) nothing in Appearance can destroy us but Differences amongst ourselves, that such Exceptions should be taken, and Reparations expected, for Words, and those of a doubtful Interpretation; which their Lordships only conceive to import a Sense, which admitting they did import, they are not contrary to the Course and Proceedings of Parliament; and the like have been used several times this Parliament, without any Exceptions taken thereunto by their Lordships: And the House of Commons hopeth, that their Lordships did not intend, by their Inference upon those Words, even in the Sense they took the same, so to bind up this House to one way of Proceeding, as that, in no Case whatsoever, though never so extraordinary, though never so much importing the Honour and Interest of the Kingdom, the Commons of England might not do their Duty, for the Good and Safety of the Kingdom, in such a Way as they may, if they cannot do it in such a Way as they would, and most desire.

III. That which the House of Commons have desired your Lordships Concurrence in at this Time, and which they have seconded with many Reasons (whereunto they have received no Answer), is, in their Opinion, so undoubted a Right of the Parliament and Kingdom of England, and so highly concerneth them in Honour and Interest, and so much conduceth to the speedy Settling of a happy and well-grounded Peace, so much desired by all, that they cannot think, but that their Lordships, upon the Consideration of their Reasons, will join with them in this Demand; and that they will not suffer any Business, bythe-bye, to divert or delay their Resolutions therein; whereby the Practices and Expectations of our Enemies will be disappointed; who might justly hope, that there would be no Concurrence between the Houses in Any thing, if it should not be in This, of so undoubted Right, and of so great Importance to the Kingdom, that the Person of the King, being in the Hands and Disposing of an Army of another Nation within this Kingdom, and in the Pay thereof, should be disposed of to such a Place within this Kingdom, as both Houses of the Parliament of England shall appoint.

Sir Robert Pye is appointed to go to the Lords Tomorrow Morning, to desire a free Conference, by Committees of both Houses, at such Time as their Lordships shall think fit, concerning the Matter of the last Conference, touching Words spoken by Sir John Evelyn at a former Conference.

A Letter from the Committee at Yorke, of 15 Maii 1646, was this Day read.

The Question being propounded, Whether this House should declare, That this Kingdom hath no further Use of the continuing the Scotts Army within the Kingdom of England;

The Question was put, Whether this Question should be now put, or no: And

It passed with the Affirmative.

And then the Question itself being put;

It is Resolved, &c. That this House doth declare, That this Kingdom hath no further Use of the Continuing of the Scotts Army within the Kingdom of England.

Resolved, &c. That the Sum of One hundred thousand Pounds be forthwith provided for the Scotts Army; Fifty thousand Pounds thereof to be paid unto them upon the Delivery up of all the Garisons, except Barwick, which is to be ordered and disposed of according to the Treaty; and the other Fifty thousand Pounds, when they shall be in the Kingdom of Scotland.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth again desire, That the Scotts Commissioners will send to this House the Accompts of the Arrears of their Army; and doth declare, That, upon the Adjusting of their Accompts, they shall be satisfied That which shall be due to them, according to the Treaty.

Resolved, &c. That these Votes shall be sent in a Letter, from Mr. Speaker, to the Scotts Commissioners; and their speedy Answer desired thereunto.

Resolved, &c. That the Sum of Ten thousand Pounds be charged upon the Receipts of the Grand Excise, to be paid in Course, and Interest, unto the Advancers or Lenders thereof, or of any Part thereof, at the End of every Six Months, to be employed for the Use of the English Forces that are now in the Counties of York, Northumberland, and Bishoprick of Duresme: And that it be referred to the Committee of the Northern Association, to distribute the said Ten thousand Pounds to the said Forces proportionably.