House of Commons Journal Volume 5: 8 December 1647

Die Mercurii, 8 Decembris, 1647.

PRAYERS.

Leave of Absence.

ORDERED, That the Lord Fairefax, Mr. Elford, Doctor Bond, and Colonel Montague, Members of this House, shall have Leave to go into the Country.

London Agents.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Edward Leech and Mr. Page;

The Lords have appointed the Members of their House that are of the Committee for the Examination of the London Agents, to meet this Afternoon at Two of Clock; and desire, That this House will appoint the Members of their House, that are of that Committee, to meet then likewise, if it may stand with the Conveniency of this House; and that they may have Power to adjourn themselves, from time to time, as they shall Cause.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree and appoint, That the Members of this House, that are of the Committee for the London Agents, do meet with the Committee of the Lords, for that Business, as is desired, this Afternoon at Two of Clock; and that they shall have Power to adjourn themselves, from time to time, as they shall see Cause.

Answer returned by the same Messengers; That this House has considered their Lordships Message; and do agree, That the Committee of this House, that are for the Examination of the London Agents, do meet this Afternoon at Two of Clock: And that they shall have Power to adjourn themselves, from time to time, as they shall see Cause.

Army.

Colonel White reports from the Committee, Heads extracted out of the humble Representation of the Army.

Message to Lords.

Sir Thomas Dacres carried to the Lords, for their Concurrence, Order for continuing the Custody of the Great Seal of England in the Hands of the present Commissioners for the Space of Twenty Days after the End of the next Term: The Order for Seven hundred Pounds, out of the Moiety of the Receipts at Goldsmiths Hall, not engaged, in Course, for the Relief of the extreme Necessities of Sir Francis Willoughby: And was to put the Lords in mind of the Ordinance for Tonage and Poundage.

Eastern Association.

Resolved, &c. That these Words following be added unto the Ordinance passed both Houses, of 1 Decembris instant, concerning the Twenty thousand Pounds to be repaid to the Eastern Association in the Third Page of the said Ordinance, after the Words "Nineteenth of November 1647;" viz. "for so much only as concerns the Repayment of the said Twenty thousand Pounds unto the Eastern Association, out of the Assessments for the Army, by the Treasurers at War, be and is, &c."

Sir Thomas Dacres carried this Addition to the said Ordinance likewise to the Lords for their Concurrence.

Disbanding Forces.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth concur with the Committee in this Vote, thus amended; viz. That the supernumerary and scattered Forces, both those designed for Ireland, and others, over and above those designed to be kept up in England, upon the last Establishment, be charged upon the several Counties of England and Wales, according to the Proportion of the Ordinance for the Sixty thousand Pounds per mensem; to be by them respectively disbanded, within Eight-and-twenty Days after the Passing of an Ordinance to this Purpose: And such Counties, or Persons in those Counties, as shall pay accordingly, shall not be quartered upon by any Forces: And such Counties, or Persons in those Counties, as shall not pay their Proportions according to the Time limited, are to quarter their Proportion of the said Forces, until their Payment of their proportionable Sums, respectively: And that such Counties as are in Arrear upon the Assessment of Sixty thousand Pounds per mensem, shall reimburse themselves out of their own Arrears of that Assessment: And those Counties who have paid or satisfied that Assessment, by Free Quarter, or otherwise, shall be reimbursed out of the Sequestrations of their own Counties: And in Case the Sequestrations be not sufficient, then out of the Receipts of the Excise, in Course.

Resolved, &c. That a Committee be nominated, to go down and confer, and consider, with the General, and the Officers of the Army, What those supernumerary Forces are that are now to be disbanded; and where they are now quartered: And that such Officers and Soldiers that have been added to the said Forces, to be now disbanded, since the Sixth of August last, without Authority of Parliament, be dismissed immediately, without any further Consideration of Monies for them: And that the General do likewise certify to this House a certain List of the Forces to be kept up in England, according to the last Establishment; and the Names of the Colonels; and where the Regiments are disposed for the present; and how, for the future, they shall be disposed, and proportioned in the Counties and Garisons: And that Care be taken, that no Accession of Forces be made beyond the Establishment; and to dismiss such as are, if there be any such.

Colonel White, Mr. Scawen, Mr. Allen, Mr. Thomas Hodges, Colonel Birche;

This Committee is appointed to prepare an Ordinance, in pursuance of, and according to the former Vote touching Disbanding; and are the Committee appointed to go to the Army upon the former Order.

This Committee is appointed to go to the Army this Afternoon; and to give an Account of this Business on Friday Morning next.

Message to Lords.

Sir Thomas Dacres brings Answer, That, as to the Ordinances carried to the Lords by him, concerning the Great Seal, and the Seven hundred Pounds for Sir Francis Willoughby, the Lords do agree: As also to the Addition to the Ordinance for Repayment of Twenty thousand Pounds to the Eastern Association: And as to the Ordinance for Tonnage and Poundage, they will speedily send Answer by Messengers of their own.

Parliament Guard.

Ordered, That the Committee of the Army do make Provision of Coals and Candles for the Courts of Guard, for the Comfort and Encouragement of those poor Soldiers that guard the Houses.

Impeachments.

Ordered, That, To-morrow Morning, the first Business, Mr. Myles Corbett do report the Impeachments.

Indemnity.

Ordered, That, on Saturday Morning next, the first Business, Mr. Scawen do report the additional Ordinance for supplying many Defects in the Ordinance for Indemnity.