Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 11, 1660-1666. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1767-1830.
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'House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 21 March 1664', in Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 11, 1660-1666( London, 1767-1830), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol11/pp581-584 [accessed 8 July 2024].
'House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 21 March 1664', in Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 11, 1660-1666( London, 1767-1830), British History Online, accessed July 8, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol11/pp581-584.
"House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 21 March 1664". Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 11, 1660-1666. (London, 1767-1830), , British History Online. Web. 8 July 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol11/pp581-584.
In this section
DIE Lunæ, videlicet, 21 die Martii.
Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:
REX.
PRAYERS.
The Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas sat Speaker this Day.
King present.
His Majesty was present this Day, sitting in His Royal Throne, adorned with His Crown and Regal Robes; the Peers being likewise in their Robes.
The King gave Order to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, to let the House of Commons know, His Pleasure was, "That they should presently come up, and attend His Majesty with their Speaker;" who being come, His Majesty made this Speech following:
King's Speech.
"My Lords and Gentlemen,
"You see, GOD be thanked, you have met together again at the Time appointed: And I do assure you, I have been so far from ever intending it should be otherwise, that I do not know One Person who ever wished it should be otherwise. Think, therefore, I pray, what good Meaning those Men could have, who, from the Time of the Prorogation to the Day of your Meeting, have continually whispered, and industriously infused into the Minds of the People, that the Parliament should meet no more; that it should be presently dissolved; or so continued by Prorogation, that they should be kept without a Parliament. I pray, watch these Whisperers all you can, as Men who use their utmost Endeavours to sow Jealousies between you and Me. And I do promise you, they shall not prevail with Me; and I do promise Myself, they shall not prevail with you. And the Truth is, we are both concerned they should not; and we shall then, with GOD's Blessing, prevent all the Mischief they intend.
"You may judge by the late Treason in the North, for which so many Men have been executed, how active the Spirits of many of our old Enemies still are, notwithstanding all our Mercy. I do assure you, we are not yet at the Bottom of that Business. This much appears manifestly, that this Conspiracy was but a Branch of that which I discovered as well as I could to you about Two Years since, and had been then executed nearer-hand, if I had not, by GOD's Goodness, come to the Knowledge of some of the principal Contrivers, and so secured them from doing the Mischief they intended. And if I had not, by the like Providence, had timely Notice of the very Hour and several Places of their Rendezvous in the North, and provided for them accordingly, by sending some of My own Troops, as well as by drawing the Trained Bands together, their Conjunction would have been in greater Numbers than had been convenient.
"You will wonder (but I tell true); they are now even in those Parts, and at this Time, when they see their Friends under Trial and Execution, still pursuing the same Consultations. And it is evident they have Correspondence with desperate Persons in most Counties, and a standing Council in this Town, from which they receive their Directions, and by whom they were advised to defer their last intended Insurrection; but those Orders served only to distract them, and came too late to prevent their Destruction. I know more of their Intrigues than they think I do, and hope I shall shortly discover the Bottom; in the mean Time, I pray, let us all be as watchful to prevent, as they are to contrive, their Mischief.
"I cannot omit, upon this Occasion, to tell you, that these desperate Men in their Counsels (as appears by several Examinations) have not been all of one Mind in the Ways of carrying on their wicked Resolutions. Some would still insist upon the Authority of the Long Parliament, of which, they say, they have Members enough willing to meet; others have fancied to themselves, by some Computation of their own upon some Clause in the Triennial Bill, that this present Parliament was at an End some Months since; and that, for Want of new Writs, they may assemble themselves and choose Members of Parliament; and that this is the best Expedient to bring themselves together for their other Purposes.
"For the Long Parliament, you and I can do no more than we have done, to inform and compose the Minds of all Men. Let them proceed upon their Peril. But methinks there is nothing done to disabuse them in respect of the Triennial Bill. I confess to you, My Lords and Gentlemen, I have often Myself read over that Bill; and though there is no Colour for the Fancy of the Determination of this Parliament, yet I will not deny to you, that I have always expected that you would, and even wondered that you have not considered the wonderful Clauses in that Bill, which passed in a Time very uncareful for the Dignity of the Crown, or the Security of the People.
"I pray, Mr. Speaker, and you Gentlemen of the House of Commons, give that Triennial Bill Once a Reading in your House; and then, in GOD's Name, do what you think fit for Me, and yourselves, and the whole Kingdom. I need not tell you how much I love Parliaments. Never King was so much beholding to Parliaments as I have been; nor do I think the Crown can ever be happy without frequent Parliaments. But, assure yourselves, if I should think otherwise, I would never suffer a Parliament to come together by the Means prescribed by that Bill.
"My Lords and Gentlemen,
"I must renew My Thanks to you, for the free Supply you gave Me this last Session, of Four Subsidies: Yet I cannot but tell you, that that Supply is fallen much short of what I expected, or you intended. It will hardly be believed, yet you know it to be true, that very many Persons, who have Estates of Three and Four Thousand Pounds a Year, do not pay for these Four Subsidies Sixteen Pounds; so that, whereas you intended and declared that they should be collected according to former Precedents, they do not now arise to Half the Proportion they did in the Time of Queen Elizabeth; and yet sure the Crown wants more now than it did then, and the Subject is at least as well able to give.
"The Truth is, by the License of the late ill Time, and Ill-humour of this, too many of the People, and even of those who make fair Professions, believe it to be no Sin to defraud the Crown of any Thing that is due to it. You no sooner give Me Tonnage and Poundage, than Men are devising all the Ways they can to steal Custom; nor can the Farmers be so vigilant for the Collection, as others are to steal the Duties.
"You give Me the Excise, which all People abroad believe to be the most insensible Imposition that can be laid upon a People. What Conspiracies and Combinations are entered into against it by the Brewers, who, I am sure, bear not that Burden themselves, even to bring that Revenue to nothing, you will hear in Westminster Hall.
"You have given me the Chimney-money, which you have Reason to believe is a growing Revenue, for Men build at least fast enough; and you will therefore wonder that it is already declined, and that this Half Year brings in less than the former did. I pray, therefore, review that Bill; and since I am sure you would have Me receive whatsoever you give, let Me have the Collecting and Husbanding of it by My own Officers; and then I doubt not but to improve that Receipt, and will be cozened of as little as I can.
"I will conclude with desiring and conjuring you, My Lords and Gentlemen, to keep a very good Correspondence together, that it may not be in the Power of any seditious or factious Spirits to make you jealous of Me, till you see Me pretend One Thing and do another, which I am sure you never have yet done. Trust Me, it shall be in nobody's Power to make Me jealous of you.
"I pray, contrive any good short Bills which may improve the Industry of the Nation. And, since the Season of the Year will invite us all shortly to take the Country Air, I desire you would be ready for a Session within Two Months or thereabouts; and we will meet next earlier in the Year. And so GOD bless your Councils."
His Majesty, having ended His Speech, departed; and the Commons, with their Speaker, went to their House.
Committee of Privileges.
Lords Committees appointed to take Consideration of the Customs and Orders of the House, and Privileges of the Peers of the Kingdom and Lords of Parliament; videlicet,
Their Lordships, or any Seven of them, are to meet on Monday next, being the 28th of March, at Three of the Clock in the Afternoon; and so from Monday to Monday, as their Lordships shall think fit.
Committee for the Journal.
Lords Sub-committees appointed to consider of the Customs and Orders of the House, and Privileges of the Peers of the Kingdom and Lords of Parliament, and perfect the Journal Book:
|
L. Privy Seal. D. Richmond. L. Great Chamberlain. L. Chamberlain. Comes Lyncolne. Comes Dorsett. Comes Bridgwater. Comes North'ton. Comes Bolingbrooke. Comes Norwich. Comes Rivers. Comes Bath. Comes Anglesey. Viscount de Stafford. Viscount Say et Seale. Viscount Fauconberg. |
Epus. London. Epus. Durham. Epus. Winton. Epus. Chichester. Epus. Lyncolne. Epus. Carlile. Epus. Cov. et (fn. 1) Litch. Epus. Ely. Epus. Worcester. Epus. Sarum. Epus. St. Asaph. |
Ds. Sandis. Ds. Eure. Ds. Pagett. Ds. Chandos. Ds. Howard Ch. Ds. Grey. Ds. Craven. Ds. Howard Esc. Ds. Bruce. Ds. Lucas. Ds. Gerard Brand. Ds. Lexington. Ds. Cornwallis. Ds. Ashley. Ds. Crewe. |
Their Lordships, or any Three; to meet on Saturday next, being the 26th of March, at Three of the Clock in the Afternoon; and so from Saturday to Saturday, as their Lordships shall think fit.
Writs of Error Bill.
Hodie 1a vice lecta est Billa, "An Act for preventing of Abatement of Writs of Error upon Judgements in the Exchequer."
Roberts versus Wynn & al.
Upon reading the Petition of Robert Robertes Esquire (Son and Heir Apparent of John Lord Robertes), and Sarah his Wife, sole Daughter and Heir of John Bodvile Esquire, deceased, and Charles Bodvile Robertes an Infant, Second Son of the said Robert and Sarah, Plaintiffs, complaining against Thomas Wynn, for combining with Tymothy Pollard, Thomas Pugh, Edward Griffith, and others, Defendants, concerning a Writing purporting to be the Will of the said John Bodvile, whereby a great Estate of Inheritance is conveyed away from the Petitioners, or some of them:
It is therefore ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said Wynn and so many of the said other Defendants as are in Town, shall be summoned to appear forthwith before their Lordships; and afterwards a short Day shall be appointed, for the Hearing of the Cause at this Bar, and considering of the Order of Chancery annexed to the said Petition concerning the same; and that the said Parties, being served with this Order, do speedily make their Appearance, as they will answer the contrary to this House.
Thanks to the King, for His Speech.
ORDERED, That the Lord Chamberlain and the Earl of Dorsett are appointed to wait upon the King, and to present His Majesty the Thanks of this House for His Gracious Speech this Day; and to desire that His Majesty would please to give Way that the same may be printed and published.
Adjourn.
Dominus Capitalis Justiciarius de Com. Placit. declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem Martis, videlicet, 22um diem instantis Martii, hora decima Aurora, Dominis sic decernentibus.