House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 4 June 1657

Thursday, the 4th of June, 1657.

Ld. Moore's Estate.

A BILL for enabling Henry Lord Viscount Moore, of Drogheda, to sell Part of his Lands, for Payment of his Composition, was this Day read the Second time; and, upon the Question, committed to Colonel Jephson, Major Aston, Major-General Kelsey, Sir Lislebone Long, Colonel Phil. Jones, Lord Strickland, Major Morgan, Mr. Rushworth, Sir Thomas Wroth, Colonel John Jones, Lord Cockram, Alderman Foote, Sir Christofer Pack, Mr. Timbs, Colonel Zanchy, Major-General Lilbourne, General Disbrow, Major Brisco, Mr. Bampfeild, Mr. Nevill, Mr. Gookin, Major Beake, Colonel Carter, Mr. Lloyd, Colonel Cooper, Major Audley, Major-General Whalley, Colonel Fowke, Colonel Twisleion: To meet To-morrow at Two of Clock in the Afternoon, in the Inner Court of Wards.

Letter from the Protector.

A Letter from his Highness the Lord Protector, of the 29th of May 1657, directed to Mr. Speaker, and by him communicated to the Parliament, was this Day read.

Petition and Advice.

Colonel Shapcott reports from the Committee to whom it was referred to consider of the additional Resolves of this House to the Petition and Advice, and to put them into a Method, That the said Committee have thought it best to put the same by way of additional Articles to the Petition and Advice: Which were read; and were intituled, The humble additional and explanatory Petition and Advice of the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, now assembled in Parliament of this Commonwealth.

Places of Trust.

He also reports a Bill, intituled, An Act for the better Choosing of Persons into Places of Trust.

Which were both this Day read the First time.

Ordered, That this Bill be read the Second time, upon Monday Morning next: And that the additional and explanatory Petition and Advice be then also taken into Consideration.

Assessment.

A Bill for an Assessment upon England, for Three Months, at the Rate of Sixty thousand Pounds by the Month, to commence from the Twenty-fifth of March 1657, was this Day read the Third time.

A Proviso was tendered to this Bill, in these Words; viz. "Provided, and be it Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That, for the Removal of Obstructions in the Bringing in of the Three Months Assessment aforesaid, by the Times limited for Paying in of the same, That all Lands shall be henceforth charged in that Constablewick, Division, or Allotment wherein it lieth; and that no Person be taxed for one and the same Land in Two Counties, but unto that County only unto which it hath ever paid:

Which was twice read.

Resolved, That this Proviso shall be Part of . . Bill.

A Rider was offered in Parchment, with the Name of Francis Harvey Esquire, to be a Commissioner for the Town of Northampton:

Which was twice read; and ordered to be Part of the Bill.

Another Proviso was tendered to this Bill, in these Words; viz.

"Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby Declared, That, in case the Ordering and Payment of the Monies by this Act appointed, in to the immediate Receipt of the Exchequer, shall be found inconvenient, so as the Monies raised hereby cannot be paid in by the Time limited in this Act, for the seasonable Supply of the public Service, that then it shall and may be lawful for his Highness the Lord Protector and Council (if they shall so judge it fit) to order and direct the Managing, Levying, and Payment of the said Monies, in such a Way, Method, and Manner, as the monthly Assessments for the Army have been formerly managed, raised, and paid; any Thing in this Act to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding."

Which was this Day read the First and Second time.

Resolved, That this Proviso shall be Part of this Bill.

A Rider was tendered to this Bill in these Words; viz. "The Mayor for the Time being, William Stone, James Heley, and Humphrey Ditton, to be Commissioners for the City of Salisbury:" Which was twice read; and, upon the Question, ordered to be Part of the Bill.

And the Bill, with these Schedules, was, upon the Question, passed.

Resolved, That the Lord Protector's Consent be desired to this Bill.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to wait on the Lord Protector, to acquaint his Highness, That the House hath prepared a Bill for the Assessments; and some other Bills: And desire his Highness will be pleased to appoint a Time for the Passing of them: Viz. General Disborow, Sir Christofer Pack, Major-General Whalley, Mr. Bampfeild, Mr. Westlake, Col. Carter, Col. Sidenham, Mr. Dunch, Captain Blackwell, Colonel Zanchy, Sir Tho. Honeywood, Sir Sam. Sleigh, Mr. Williams, Colonel Purefoy, Sir Theophilus Jones, Lord Ewres, Mr. Timbs, Mr. Moody, Sir Gilbert Pickering, Alderman Geldart, Colonel Castle: And this Committee are to meet at Seven of Clock in the Afternoon, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Ordered, That the Committees to whom the Bills of Assessment for Scotland and Ireland are referred, do bring them in To-morrow Morning.

Proceedings concerning Cook, &c.

The Question being propounded, That Mr. AttorneyGeneral be required to move the Barons of the Exchequer to put off the Trial of the Cause, wherein the Trustees at Drury-House are Plaintiffs against Colonel Edward Cook, and others, appointed to be tried at the Bar To-morrow, to be tried in Michaelmas Term next; the Defendants in that Case paying such Costs for the Charge of the Jury, and otherwise, as that Court shall think fit;

And the Question being put, That that Question be now put;

The House was divided.

The Noes went forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Mr. Carter thanked.

Ordered, That the Thanks of this House be given to Mr. Carter, for his great Pains taken in his Sermon, preached Yesterday before the Parliament at Margarett's, Westminster, (being a Day set apart for publick Thanksgiving:) And that he be desired to print his Sermon: And that he have the like Liberty and Privilege in printing the same, as hath been allowed to others in like Cases: And that Major-General Goff and Colonel Carter, or One of them, do give him Thanks.