House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 26 June 1651

Thursday, the 26th of June, 1651.

Prayers.

Admiralty.

MR. Holland reports from the Committee to whom the Matter touching the Settling of the Admiralty and Affairs of the Navy was referred, as the Opinion of that Committee;

"That the Office and Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy be placed in Commissioners; the Number to be Seven, the Quorum Four; yearly to be chosen."

"That the same Power that the now Council of State hath by virtue of an Act, intituled, An Act for settling the Power of Admiralty of England and Ireland, dated 23 Februarii 1648; as also what shall be continued in such further Instructions as shall be in this Act; to be tendered to the Parliament."

"That the Power which is now in the Council of State, and Officers of the Ordnance, for providing and disposing the Stores, Magazines, and Provisions, relating to the Navy, be in the Commissioners appointed for the Admiralty and Navy respectively."

"That, in pursuance of the abovesaid Votes, a Bill, prepared by this Committee, be tendered to the Parliament; and an Act for settling the Powers and Authorities of the Lord High Admiral of England, in Commissioners."

Which was this Day read the First time.

And the Question, being put, That the said Bill be now read the Second time;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

So it passed with the Affirmative.

And the said Act was now read the Second time, accordingly.

And the Question being put, That this Bill be Committed;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

The Question being put, That this Bill be ingrossed;

It passed with the Negative.

The Question being put, That this Bill pass as a Law;

It passed with the Negative.

Resolved, by the Parliament, That the same Powers of the Admiralty, that are now in the Council of State, be continued in the said Council of State, until the First Day of December next: And that an Act be brought in to that Purpose.

Admiralty.

An Act impowering the Council of State to have and execute all the Powers, Jurisdictions, and Authorities, belonging to the Lord High Admiral of England, and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, until the First Day of December 1651, was this Day read the First and Second time; and laid aside.

London Petition.

The House being informed, that divers Aldermen of the City of London were at the Door;

They were called in: And Alderman Kenrick, being come to the Bar, made a short Preamble, to this Effect; That he, and the rest of the Aldermen, were commanded, by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, to address themselves to this honourable Assembly; and to present their Petition, together with a Petition of the several Companies of the City of London, with a Schedule thereunto annexed: And that it is their humble Desire, That the same may be read, and Redress given to the Petitioners.

And thereupon presented the Petitions.

Which (after the Petitioners were withdrawn) were read.

Army Affairs.

Ordered, That these Petitions be referred to the Committee of the Army, to consider of this whole Business; how much of the Four hundred thousand Pounds hath been collected, and how much hath been received by the Petitioners towards their Satisfaction; and report the whole State of the Business to the House: And that, in the mean time, the Court of Exchequer do proceed in levying the Sums already collected: And that the Lords Commissioners for the Great Seal of England be authorized and required to issue Commissions into the several Counties, Cities, and Places, where the said Four hundred thousand Pounds hath not been assessed and collected, for the speedy Doing thereof, in pursuance of the said Act.

Ordered, That the Petition of Arthure Samuell be referred to the Committee of the Army; to examine how much of the Two thousand Pounds, lent by the Petitioner, is paid and satisfied; and how much thereof remains yet due; and report their Opinion therein, how the same may be satisfied to the Petitioner.

Ship Discovery.

Resolved, That it be referred to the Council of State, to consider and examine how much of the Sum of Four thousand Six hundred Forty-and-two Pounds, with Interest, charged by Ordinance of Parliament, of the Twentieth of August 1647, to be paid unto the Owners of the Ship Discovery, out of the Tenths, Profits, and Seizures, of Reprizal Ships and Goods, hath been already received by the said Owners, or any of them; and how much is behind and unpaid: And that the Council of State do give Order for Payment of such Part of the said Debt, with Interest, as shall appear to them to be unpaid, due, to be paid out of the said Tenths, Profits, and Seizures; and, if nothing be due, that then they report the same to the House.

Admiralty.

An Act for continuing the Powers settled in the Council of State, by an Act, intituled, An Act enabling the Council of State to exercise the Powers belonging to the Office of the Lord Admiral until the First Day of December 1651, and no longer, was this Day read the First and Second time.

And the Question being put, That this Act be ingrossed.

It passed with the Negative.

And the said Act, being put to the Question, passed.

Army.

A Letter from the Lord General, from Edinburgh, of the Seventeenth of June 1651, was this Day read.

Ordered, That Colonel Fleetwood, commissioned Lieutenant General of the Horse, and Colonel Whalley, commissioned Commissary General, be added to the Establishment of the Army: And that the Committee of the Army do pay them as Lieutenant General and Commissary General, according to the former Establishment, accordingly, from the Date of their said respective Commissions.

Religion.

Ordered, That the Act touching the Conformity in Religion be brought in on Thursday next.

Wye Navigation.

An Act for making the River of Wye in the County of Surrey navigable, was this Day read the Third time.

Resolved, That these Words; viz. "of the Great Seal of England;" be added in this Act.

Resolved, That these Words; viz. "or make any Wharfs in or upon;" be added in the Proviso in this Act.

Resolved, That these Words; viz. "Horse and Foot;" be added in this Bill.

The said Bill, so amended, being put to the Question, passed: And

It is Ordered, That the said Bill be forthwith printed and published.

Judge Advocate.

Ordered, That the Advance of Five Shillings per diem unto the Judge Advocate, to make up his Pay of Fifteen Shillings per diem, be paid unto the said Judge Advocate, as well from the time he went into Scotland, until the Order of the Sixteenth of April 1651, as since: And that the Committee of the Army be, and are hereby, impowered and authorized to make Payment of the Arrears of the said Five Shillings per diem, for that time, unto the said Judge Advocate, or whom he shall appoint, upon the Establishment of the Army.