House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 20 October 1656

Monday, the 20th of October, 1656.

Private Petitions.

ORDERED, That no private Petitions be admitted for a Month.

Marriages, &c.

A Bill touching Marriages, and the Registering thereof; and concerning Births and Burials; being tendered and read; before the same was opened, Exceptions was taken thereunto; for that the same was in divers Places razed, interlined, and half of one of the Sheets cut off; It was, upon the Question,

Ordered, That the said Bill be delivered back to the Gentleman who brought in the same: And the same was delivered back accordingly, without being opened.

Leave of Absence.

Ordered, That Mr. Bedford have the Leave of this House to go into the Country for a Fortnight.

Lynne Regis Election.

Colonel Chadwick reports from the Committee of Privileges, the Case of the City of Lynne Regis in the County of Norfolk, as followeth:

11 October 1656.

IN pursuance of an Order of this present Parliament, of the 25th of September last, the Business of Election for the Town and Borough of Lynne Regis in the County of Norfolk, where three are elected, coming this Day to be heard before this Committee, in the Presence of Council, for the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the said Town, and of Thomas Toll Esquire, late Mayor thereof; the State of the Case being, by both Sides, agreed to be, That Time out of Mind, before the Reign of Henry the VIIIth, late King of England, the Elections of Burgesses to serve in Parliament for the said Borough were made by Twelve Persons chosen out of the Burgesses at large: That from the 28th Year of the Reign of the said King Henry the VIIIth until the Year of our Lord 1640, all Burgesses to serve for the said Town, in the respective Parliaments called during all that Time, were respectively elected by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the said Town, for the Time being: And that in the said Year 1640, the ancient Custom and Usage aforesaid was interrupted: And that then, and ever since, till the Calling of this present Parliament, the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the said Town have claimed to have Voices; and accordingly have joined with the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Council of the said Town, in the Election of Burgesses to serve in the respective Parliaments, since that Time; and by virtue thereof, pretended a Right in having Voices in the Election of Burgesses to serve for the said Town, in this present Parliament: Which being denied them, and the said Mayor, Aldermen, and CommonCouncil, proceeding to the Election, without admitting them thereunto; and having made Choice of General Disbrow, and Major-General Skippon, to be Burgesses for the said Town, sealed to an Indenture testifying such their Choice: And thereupon the said Burgesses and Inhabitants proceeding likewise to an Election; and, having made Choice of the said General Disbrow, and Guibon Goddard Esquire, Recorder of the said Town, divers of the said Burgesses and Inhabitants sealed to another Indenture, testifying such their Choice: Which Indenture they delivered to the said Thomas Toll, the Mayor of the said Town, who returned the same, together with the first-mentioned Indenture, sealed by him the said Mayor, and the said Aldermen, and Common-Council, to the Sheriff of the said County of Norfolk; both which Indentures, together with the Writ of Summons to Parliament, to him directed, annexed, he, the said Sheriff, hath since returned into the Office of the Clerk of the Commonwealth in Chancery; as by the Return thereof produced to this Committee, by the said Clerk of the Commonwealth, appeared:

Now, upon Debate of the whole Matter, and hearing what could be alleged on either Side, this Committee do not find, that, before the said Year 1640, the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the said Town had Voices in the Election of Burgesses for Parliament; and therefore are of Opinion, that the Election made by them of General Disbrow, and Guybon Goddard, as Burgesses for this present Parliament, as aforesaid, is void: And that the said General Disbrow, and Major General Skippon, elected Burgesses by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Council, as aforesaid, have been duly elected: And that the Return of the Indenture, made by the said Thomas Toll, testifying such Election, is a good Return: All which this Committee think fit to be reported to the Parliament; and to order, that Colonel Chadwick do report the same accordingly.

The Question being put, That the House do agree with the Committee in this Report;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

So it was Resolved, That the House do agree with the Committee in this Report.

Ordered, That the Clerk of the Commonwealth in Chancery do bring in the Writ of Elections, with the Returns for the Borough of King's Lynn, to the Bar of this House, To-morrow Morning.

War with Spain.

Ordered, That the Business touching the Carrying on the Spanish War, be taken up To-morrow Morning: And that the House be resolved into a Grand Committee to that Purpose.

Trade.

Resolved, That a special Committee be appointed to take into Consideration the Matter of Trade: Viz. Mr. Alsop, Mr. Bond, Mr. St. Awbin, Mr. Ric. Carter, Mr. Robinson, Major-General Haynes, Colonel Rous, Mr. Moody, Mr. Bampfield, Provost of Edinburgh, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Noell, Alderman Foote, Major Templar, Mr. Collins, Mr. Dunch, Lord Cockram, Lord Commissioner Fiennes, Mr. Lockhart, Mr. Hopkins, Colonel Beamont, Mr. Wakering, Mr. Tho. Burton, Mr. Fowell, Major Burton, Colonel Bethell, Colonel Crompton, Mr. Whitgrave, Mr. Cobb, Captain Hatsell, Alderman Dickenson, Mr. Wall, Captain Phillippes, Mr. Young, Sir Christopher Pack, Colonel Whetham, Sir James Mackdowell, Mr. Tighe Alderman of Dublin, Mr. John Clerk, Mr. Crooke, Sir Alexander Widderborne, Mr. Downing, Mr. Stanley, Colonel Casle, Colonel Cely, Mr. Delanoy, Major Audley, Captain Blakwell, Colonel Cock: And all that come to have Voices: And are to meet on Thursday next, at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon, in the StarChamber.

Obnoxious Publication.

Colonel Jephson acquaints the House with a Book delivered at the Door, in print, intituled, "Thunder from the Throne of God against the Temples of Idols;" with an Epistle in it, directed to his Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of England, &c. which Epistle was now read; it being * * * *

The Question being propounded, That Samuell Chidley, be called in to the Bar;

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

It passed in the Affirmative.

And the main Question being put; It was

Resolved, That Samuell Chidley be called in to the Bar: And he was accordingly called in.

And being come to the Bar, the Book was shewed him: Who acknowleged he wrote the Epistle; and doth own it, and all that is in it; and owns the Book too, and all in it, the Printer's Errors excepted.

Ordered, That this Book, intituled, "Thunder from the Throne of God against the Temple of Idols," and the Epistle of it be referred to a Committee; Viz. to Lord Commissioner Whitelock, Colonel Jephson, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Bampfield, Major-General Boteler, Mr. Gorges, Mr. Bodurda, Sir John Reynolds, Sir Gilbert Pickering, Major General Packer, Major General Haines, Captain Blakwell, Major Morgan, Mr. Highland, Mr. Hoskins, Mr. Stanley, Alderman Dickenson, Lord Commissioner Lisle, Mr. John Lockiers, Colonel Purefoy, Mr. Lucy, Mr. Fowell, Mr. Reynell, Mr. Moody, Mr. Ash, Mr. Robinson, Colonel Shapcott, Major Saunders, Mr. Bedford, Mr. Attorney of the Duchy, Mr. West: And this Committee are to meet in the Duchy Chamber, at Three of the Clock this Afternoon: With Power to send for Persons, Paper, Witnesses.

Regulating the Press.

Ordered, That it be referred to the same Committee, to consider of a Way to suppress private Presses, and regulating the Press, and suppressing and preventing scandalous Books and Pamphlets.

Resolved, That Samuell Chidley be committed to the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House.