House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 12 March 1652

Friday, the 12th of March, 1651.

Prayers.

Customs.

THE humble Petition of the late Farmers of the Customs being presented to the House;

Resolved, That this Petition be read:

And the said Petition was read, accordingly.

Embassy from Denmark.

The House being acquainted, That the publick Minister from the King of Denmark is come to the Court of Wards;

Ordered, That Lord Commissioner Lisle, Mr. Love, Sir Peter Wentworth, Sir John Hippisley, Lord Commissioner Whitelock, Earl of Pembroke, Sir James Harrington, Sir Wm. Masham, Mr. * Edwards, Sir Henry Vane, Lord Grey, be appointed a Committee to give Audience to the said publick Minister from the King of Denmark.

Forests and Chaces.

Resolved, That it be referred to a Committee, to consider how the Forests and Chaces belonging to the Commonwealth, or any of them, may be improved, for the Advantage of the Publick; and report their Opinion to the House.

Resolved, That This be referred to the Committee of the Navy: And all that come to that Committee, as to this Business, to have Voices; And this Committee have Power to send for Persons, Papers, and Witnesses.

Resolved, That these Words "having especial Regard to the Poor, and to the just Rights of all Persons claiming any thing therein," be added to the First Vote.

And so it was Resolved, That it be referred to a Committee, to consider how the Forests and Chaces belonging to the Commonwealth, or any of them, may be improved, for the Advantage of the Publick; having especial Regard to the Poor, and to the just Rights of all Persons claiming any thing therein; and to report their Opinion to the House.

Council of Officers Petition.

Ordered, That the Petition of the Council of Officers of the Army be referred to the Committee of the Army: And that the Committee for Obstructions for Sale of the Honours, &c. of the late King, Queen, and Prince, be added to the Committee of the Army, as to this Business: And that they consider of the said Petition, and report their Opinions therein to the Parliament.

Embassy from Denmark.

The Lord Commissioner Whitelock reports from the Committee appointed to receive the Publick Minister from the King of Denmarke, That the said Publick Minister, after a short Preamble of Compliment, did deliver his Letters of Credence from the King his Master; with Papers, in Latin and English, of what he delivered by Word of Mouth to the Committee: The said Letters of Credence and Papers were this Day read.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Council of State, to hear the said Publick Minister of the said King of Denmark, and to treat with him.

Impresting Seamen.

An Act for impresting of Seamen was this Day read the First and Second time.

The Question being put, To agree to the Preamble in this Act;

It passed with the Negative.

The Question being put, That this Word "therefore" stand in the Bill;

The Question being put, That this Act, so amended, be ingrossed;

It passed with the Negative.

And the said Act, so amended, being put to the Question, passed: And it is

Ordered, That the same be forthwith printed and published.

Claims on Public Faith.

Mr. James Challoner reports from the Committee to whom it was referred to consider of Qualifications of Persons to receive their Public Faith out of the Ten thousand Pounds in the Hands of the Treasurers at War, some additional Resolutions of the said Committee.

Resolved, That the Committee for Indemnity do forthwith send to the Commissioners for the Assessments of the several Counties, from whence Certificates have been heretofore returned, a List of the Persons on whose Behalf they have received such Certificates: And that the said Commissioners of each County, or any Three of them, do thereupon return, to the Treasurers at Weavers-Hall, in a Book fairly written, the Names of so many of the said Persons contained in the said Lists, as they shall find to be within the Qualifications to have Benefit of the Votes of Parliament of the 13th of January last.

The said Return to be made by the first of June next; and certified under the Hands and Seals of the said Committee, or any Three of them.

Resolved, That the said Commissioners for Assessments, or any Three of them, do likewise authorize, under their Hands and Seals, their Treasurer, or such other Person as they shall think fit, to receive of the Treasurers at WeaversHall the Proportion of Money to be paid to the said County, according to the said former Votes; whose Receipt shall be to the said Treasurers a sufficient Discharge; and, upon Receipt thereof, do forthwith issue the same to the Person on whose Behalf they shall certify.

Resolved, That the Commissioners for Assessments have Power to administer an Oath to the Persons on whose Behalf they shall certify, That, according to the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Qualifications, they have not assigned their Debts, nor have received Satisfaction for the same, either by Allowance thereof out of their Fifth and Twentieth Part thereof, or any otherwise; nor have any visible Estate or Income of the Value of Forty Pounds, or upwards.

Resolved, That these Votes be reported to the House, that they may be added to the former Votes of the 13th of January last.

The Question being put, That the Clause in the said Resolutions, concerning the incident Charges to Weavers Hall, do stand;

It passed with the Negative.

Resolved, by the Parliament, That there be an Alteration in the former Vote; and instead of "40l. per Ann." it be made "40l;" and the Words "per Ann." omitted.

Resolved, by the Parliament, that "the first of April," be made "the first of June next."

Resolved, That this House doth agree to the said Report, so amended.

Letter read.

A Letter from Lieutenant General Ludlow, from Dublin, of the Second of March 1651, was this Day read.

Grant to Reynolds.

Resolved, by the Parliament, That Lands of Inheritance, of the clear yearly Value of Five hundred Pounds per Ann. of some of the Lands forfeited to the Commonwealth in Ireland, be settled upon Commissary General Reynolds, and his Heirs, as a Mark of the Parliament's Favour to him, for his eminent and faithful Services to this Commonwealth: And that it be referred to the Commissioners of the Parliament now in Ireland, to set out the same; and to take care that he have the present Benefit thereof.

Ordered, That an Act be brought in for settling the same accordingly: And Mr. Love is to bring in an Act, accordingly.

The House, according to former Order, adjourned itself to Tuesday Morning next, Eight of Clock.