House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 16 February 1650

Die Sabbati, 16 Februarii, 1649.

Prayers.

Reduced Officers.

Sir Wm. Allenson reports the State of the Business touching the reduced Officers under the Command of the late Lord Fairefax; viz.

That the reduced Officers, under the Command of the late Lord Fairefax, inserted in a List delivered in to the House, are, by Ordinance of the Two-and-twentieth of May 1647, allowed Seventeen thousand One hundred and Thirty-eight Pounds Ten Shillings and Eleven pence, being the Third Part of Fifty-one thousand Four hundred and Fifteen Pounds Twelve Shillings and Ten-pence, due for their Arrears, to be paid unto them out of the Excise, in Course, with Interest: That the Officers have received Interest, until transferred.

The Ordinance of the Twenty-eighth of May 1647, allowed Two Third Parts to others, and the former but one Third Part to these.

The Officers Third Part is now transferred from the Excise to the Security of Deans and Chapters Lands.

The Officers, in regard of their Necessities, and the Charge of attending, were willing to accept of a Third Part, in full Satisfaction, being informed the Sum, so charged, was as good as ready Money.

This Committee, in regard the Officers lost Two Thirds of their Arrears, and in regard this Security for one Third Part is but half so good as it was before transferred, thought fit to move the House, That the Officers may be allowed another Third Part; and that the Officers in the List, who have raised Horse and Arms for the Service of the Parliament, at their own Charges, and their Accompts stated by the Sub Committees in the Counties, may be referred to the Commissioners for Accompts at Worcester House, to state and allow of them, that the Accompts may be Publick Faith, and be doubled upon Deans and Chapters Lands.

The Question being propounded, That the said Sum of Seventeen thousand One hundred and Thirty-eight Pounds Ten Shillings and Eleven-pence, being transferred upon Dean and Chapters Lands for the reduced Officers under the Command of the late Lord Fairefax, shall be accounted and taken as Monies doubled upon the Sale of those Lands; and the said Officers shall have the same Advantages, as the Persons have, who have doubled Monies on the said Lands;

The Question being put, That that Question be now put;

It passed with the Affirmative.

And the main Question being now put;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

So it was Resolved, That the said Sum of Seventeen thousand One hundred and Thirty-eight Pounds Ten Shillings and Eleven pence, being transferred upon Dean and Chapters Lands for the reduced Officers under the Command of the late Lord Fairefax, shall be accounted and taken as Monies doubled upon the Sale of those Lands; and the said Officers shall have the same Advantages, as the Persons have, who have doubled Monies on the said Lands.

The Question being propounded, That there be an Addition to the former Vote, of these Words; viz. "And that the same shall be in full Discharge of all Demands contained in this Report brought in by Sir Wm. Allanson;"

The Question was put, That that Question be now put:

It passed with the Affirmative.

And the main Question being put;

It was Resolved, That there be an Addition to the former Vote, of these Words; viz. "And that the same shall be in full Discharge of all Demands contained in this Report brought in by Sir Wm. Allanson."

Resolved, &c. That a further Addition be made to the former Vote, of these Words; viz. "as well in reference to their Arrears, as to Horse and Arms."

And so it was Resolved, That the Sum of Seventeen thousand One hundred Thirty-eight Pounds Ten Shillings and Eleven-pence, being transferred upon Deans and Chapters Lands, for the reduced Officers under the Command of the late Lord Fairefax, shall be accounted and taken as Monies doubled upon the Sale of those Lands: And the said Officers shall have the same Advantages as the Persons have, who have doubled Monies on the said Lands: and that the same should be in full Discharge of all Demands contained in the Report brought in by Sir Wm. Allanson, as well in reference to their Arrears, as to Horse and Arms.

Ordered, That Colonel Jones do, on Monday Morning next, report the additional Bill for the Sale of the Lands of the late King, Queen, &c.

An Act for the selling the Fee-farm Rents belonging to the Commonwealth of England, formerly payable to the Crown of England, Duchy of Lancaster, and Duchy of Cornwall, was this Day read the First time.

And the Question being put, That the said Act be read a Second time;

It passed with the Negative.

The Question being put, That the Order for the Committee to name Trustees for Sale of Fee-farm Rents do stand;

It passed with the Negative.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to bring in an Act for Sale of Fee-farm Rents, do meet this Afternoon; and so de die in diem: and bring in the former Bill, with Amendments, on Monday Morning next: And the said Committee are to consider of the best Way, how the Sale of Fee-farm Rents may be made with least Charge, and most Advantage, to the Commonwealth.

Council of State.

Colonel Morley reports the Opinion of the Committee to whom it was referred to consider of the best Way for Naming of Four Persons more to be of the Council of State, in these Words viz.

"That Notice be given, by publick Order, to be made between Eleven and Twelve a Clock in the House, at least a Day before, of the certain Day and Hour, when the Election of Four Persons, to be of the Council of State, shall be: And that, when the House proceeds to the Election, the Door may be shut, and no Member permitted to go in or out of the House, till the Election be ended.

That, When the Door is shut, the Speaker shall appoint Four Members to tell the Number of the House; who shall return the same to the Speaker; which he shall receive and publish, and cause the Clerk to take and write down the Number.

That every Member of the House, present, shall write, or cause to be written down in a Paper, Four Names, such as he shall think fit to be of this Council of State; which shall be an Affirmative, as for all those Four Persons.

That the Clerk of the Parliament be appointed to receive the Papers from the several Members, in manner following:

That the Clerk do carry a Vessel round the House, beginning at the lower End of the First Seat of the Righthand, and so to the Second, Third, Fourth, and the rest of that Side; and then on the other Side, in like manner, and so under the Gallery: And then, as the Clerk passeth by, every Member shall give in his Paper into the Clerk's Hand; who shall receive the same, and put it into the Vessel: And, when all the Members, there present, have given in their Papers, then the Clerk shall return to his usual Place, and set the Vessel upon the Table: Then the Speaker shall appoint Four Members of the House, that are already elected to be of the Council of State, to see the Papers fairly drawn out of the Vessel, and told, one after another; and report the Number to the Speaker; who shall cause the Clerk to enter the same: Then the said Four Members shall cause the Clerk to read distinctly the Names inserted in the several Papers, and write each Name in a Column by itself; and, as any new Name shall be read, to begin a new Column for that new Name: And those Four, who shall have most Nominations, to be offered to the House for their Approbation; and, if there shall be more than Four that have the greatest Numbers, and equal Papers, then their Names shall be written in so many distinct Papers, of equal Bigness, as are Persons; ahd all close rolled up, after the same manner, and put into a Vessel: Then the Speaker shall take them out, one after another, and put the first taken out, first, to the Question: And, if the House reject any, the next in order to be put to the Question; and so the next, till the Four are elected."

Ordered, That the Consideration of this Report be taken up on Tuesday Morning, the first Business; and nothing to intervene: And that Mr. Speaker do put the House in mind thereof.

Sheriff of Norfolk.

Ordered, That Hugh Audley Esquire be, and is hereby injoined to come in, and accept of his Commission, and take the Oath, to serve as High Sheriff of the County of Norfolk, according to Law, on Monday next, by Four a Clock in the Afternoon, upon pain of One thousand Pounds: And that the fixing of this Order on the Door of his Chamber, or Place of his last Abode, shall be a sufficient Notice to him in this behalf.