House of Commons Journal Volume 4: 20 August 1645

Die Mercurii, 20 Augusti, 1645.

Prayers.

THE Grand Committee of the House, according to former Order, proceeded to take into Consideration the Business of Keeping of scandalous Persons from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Mr. Whittacre in the Chair.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Upon Mr. Whittacre's Report from the Grand Committee of Religion;

It is Ordered, upon the Question, That the House be resolved into a Committee on Tuesday next, at Eight of the Clock in the Morning: And that the Grand Committee do then sit, to take into further Consideration the Matter of Church-Government.

Resolved, &c. That no foreign Impressions of any English Bibles, imported from beyond Seas, shall be put to Sale in any Parts of this Kingdom, until they have been viewed, perused, and allowed by the Assembly of Divines, or such as they shall appoint: And that an Ordinance be brought in to this Purpose: And it is referred to Mr. Selden and Mr. Maynard, to bring in an Ordinance to this Purpose.

Sir Henry Mildmay, from the Lord Grey, presented the Book, sent out of Leicestershire, of the Names of divers Persons of the several Counties, to whom Letters were sent to by the Enemy, for Contributions: And

It is Ordered thereupon, That it be referred to the Committee where Mr. Tate has the Chair.

Ordered, That the Letters taken at Pontesract-Castle, and such other Letters as are remaining in the Hands of the Committee where Mr. Tate has the Chair, as have not been yet read in the House, be read on Saturday, the first Business: And that no other Business do then intervene: And that Mr. Speaker do put the House in mind hereof.

Ordered, That Captain Bettisworth, having done very good Service to the Parliament, be injoined not to go out of the Kingdom.

Ordered, That a Hundred Barrels of Powder, and Match and Bullet proportionable, be forthwith provided and furnished out of the publick Stores, and sent to Hull, for the Service of the Forces in Yorkshire: And that the Money for providing this Powder be charged upon the Excise, and paid in Course.

Ordered, That Two Tuns of Match be forthwith provided and furnished out of the publick Stores, for the Service of the Forces in the County of Darby.

Whereas, by reason of the Continuance of this unhappy War, there is a continual Increase of maimed Soldiers and Widows; whereby there ariseth Increase of Charge towards their Maintenance: It is Ordered, That a special Collection of the Benevolence of well-affected Persons shall be made in every Church and Chapel within the Lines of Communication, and Weekly Bills of Mortality, on Friday next; being a Day appointed for Thanksgiving to God for his great and wonderful Mercies of late shewed unto us, in the great Success he hath been pleased to give our Forces, over the Enemies of the Kingdom: And all Ministers are required to exhort the People to an especial Forwardness herein; it being a most proper Work of Charity, on such Days of Thanksgiving, and fit to be exercised towards such whom God hath been pleased to make Instruments of our Deliverance. Provided that the Moiety of the Monies collected in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and St. Martin's in the Fields, shall be employed for the Relief of the Poor of the said Parishes respectively; and the other Moiety for the Relief of the poor maimed Soldiers and Widows.

An Ordinance for Charging of Ten thousand Pounds, with Interest for the same, upon the Excise, in Course, for the Service of the supernumerary Forces of Horse and Foot, with their Officers, in Yorkshire, was this Day read; and, upon the Question, assented to; and ordered to be sent to the Lords, for their Concurrence.

Ordered, That such Pictures at York-House as are not superstitious, be forthwith sold; and the Proceed thereof disposed proportionably, according to former Orders.

Sir Henry Hayman, Lord Fairfax, Sir Wm. Constable, and Sir Thomas Widdington, are appointed to go this Afternoon to York-House, to view such Pictures as shall remain there, and are conceived by the Committee to be superstitious; and to report the same to the House, To-morrow Morning.

Upon the Report this Day made, from the Committee appointed to pass the Accompts of the Reformadoes, which went to the Relief of Taunton, That the Two thousand Pounds assigned by this House hath been taken into the Consideration of the Committee for the Proportioning thereof; but that it appeareth unto them, that many of the Accompts shewed by them are not certified by warrantable Officers;

It is this Day Ordered, by the Commons, assembled in Parliament, That: the said Committee shall have Power to proportion the said Two thousand Pound, according to such Lists and Informations as they shall receive of their being at Taunton; with Consideration to pay unto such as have their Accompts warrantably stated, according to a Fifth-Part promised by this House; and to others, that have them not so stated, such a Proportion as the said Committee shall think fit: And that Captain Vernon, the appointed Treasurer for the said Two thousand Pounds, shall forthwith pay all such Sums as shall be certified unto him, in a List under the Hands of the said Committee, or any Four of them, for their Proportions; and likewise to pay such other Sum out of the said Two thousand Pounds, as they shall think fit to appoint, for the Pains and Care of such as they have employed to help them in the Examining and Stating of all the Accompts of the said Officers.

A Letter from Colonel Thomas Morgan, the Governor of Gloucester, was this Day read; and Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of Gloucester.

Ordered, That the humble Petition of Walter Powell, Vicar of Standish in the County of Gloucester, be referred to the Committee for Gloucester.

Ordered, That the Business of Chester be taken into Consideration on Saturday Morning.