House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 25 March 1659

Friday, the 25th of March, 1659.

Prayers.

Privilege- Assault on a Member.

ORDERED, &c. That the Committee to whom the Information concerning the Assault made upon Major-General Packer, by Mr. Wroth, was referred, be revived: And that the said Committee do meet in the Place they were formerly appointed to meet in, on this Day Fortnight: And that Mr. Cary Raleigh be added to the said Committee.

Rodney and Cole.

Ordered, &c. That the Business concerning Mrs. Rodney and Mr. Cole, upon the Report from the Grand Committee for Grievances, be heard on this Day Sevennight.

Reading Election.

Mr. Serjeant Waller reports from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, The State of the Case, concerning the Election of Burgesses to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Reading in the County of Berks; the Question being, Whether the Mayor, Aldermen, and free Burgesses, of the said Corporation, had only Right in the said Election; or whether the Mayor, Aldermen, and the whole Commonalty, of the said Borough, though not free, had a joint Right in the Election of Burgesses to serve for the said Borough: And that it was the Opinion of the said Committee, That Henry Nevill, and Daniel Blagrave, Esquires, being chosen and elected Burgesses to serve in Parliament, by the Mayor, Burgesses, and Commonalty, of the said Borough, were duly elected and chosen Burgesses for the said Borough of Reading; and ought to sit in Parliament.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree with the Committee, That Henry Nevill, and Daniel Blagrave, Esquires, being chosen and elected Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament, by the Mayor, Burgesses, and Commonalty, of the Borough of Reading in the County of Berks, for the said Borough, are duly elected and chosen Burgesses for the said Borough; and ought to sit in Parliament.

Sir S. Crow.

The House being informed, that Sir Sackvile Crow Knight, being brought from Constantinople in the Ship Margaret, in Custody, in April 1648, was, by Order of the then Parliament, committed a Prisoner to the Tower, in order to his Tryal: That, by Order of the Parliament, of the Tenth of March 1652, the Lieutenant of the Tower did deliver Sir Sackvile Crowe, then his Prisoner, to the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending the Parliament: That the Serjeant at Arms was further ordered to take Two thousand Pounds Bond of Sir Sackvile Crowe, and Two thousand Pounds Bond more of Two other Sureties for him, conditioned to have his Liberty; but to render himself a Prisoner again to the Serjeant at Arms, within Ten Days after he should be thereunto required by the Parliament: That the Parliament had made no other Order sithence, concerning Sir Sacvile Crowe: That the Governor and Company of Merchants of England, trading into the Levant Seas, at whose Prosecution, and by whose Procurement, Sir Sackvile Crowe was brought over and committed, had by several Writings under their CommonSeal, the one dated the Twentieth of September 1658, the other dated the Twenty-eighth of the same Month of September, released all Differences, Actions, and Demands, between the said Company and Sir Sackvile Crowe: Whereupon it was desired that the said Sir Sackvile Crowe might be discharged from the Restraint and Imprisonment laid on him by the Parliament: And that his Bonds and Securities, in the Hands of the Serjeant at Arms, might be by him delivered up to be cancelled.

Resolved, &c. That this Business, concerning the Discharge of Sir Sackvile Crowe from the Restraint and Imprisonment laid on him by the late Parliament, and the Delivery up of his Bonds and Securities to be cancelled, be referred to a Committee.

Resolved, &c. That this Business concerning the Discharge of Sir Sackvile Crowe, and the Delivery up of his Bonds and Securities, be referred to the Grand Committee for Trade.

Rivers', &c. Petition.

Mr. Terill reports from the Grand Committee of Grievances, and Courts of Justice, The Petition of one Marcellus Rivers, and Oxenbridge Foyle, as well on the Behalf of themselves, as of Threescore and Ten more free-born People of this Nation, now in Slavery: And that one Mr. Collyns, who presented the Petition, was called in to the Committee, and avowed the Petition; and alleged, That he had Direction from Mr. Rivers, and had Power from him, to sign the said Petition. He further, by Order of the Grand Committee, reported, The Petition of one Rowland Thomas; the Charges therein concerning the Members of the House; and the Desire of the Committee, That the House would give a Protection to the said Rowland Thomas, and Marcellus Rivers, to come and prosecute the Hearing of their respective Petitions; the said Petitions; the one of them intituled, The humble Petition of Marcellus Rivers, and Oxenbridge Foyle, as well on the Behalf of themselves, as of Threescore and Ten more freeborn People of this Nation now in Slavery: the other of them intituled, The humble Petition of Rowland Thomas; were both this Day read.

The Members of this House, concerned, being present in the House, did severally give the House an Account concerning the Particulars complained of in the said Petitions: And the House was informed, as well by themselves, as by others of the Members, That the Petitioners Marcellus Rivers, and Oxenbridge Foyle, and the Threescore and Ten Persons in the Barbadoes, intended by the said Petition, were all of them Persons that were engaged in the late Rebellion at Salisbury, in March 1654: And that, for Sparing of their Lives, and for Securing the Peace of the Commonwealth against the like Attempts for the future, and in Mercy to them, they were sent thither: That the Petitioner Rowland Thomas was an Agent here for Charles Stuart, and emplowed for Providing of Arms for that Party: And that, being discovered, he was committed to the Tower, but not by the Member named in his Petition: And that, in Mercy to him, and for Sparing of his Life, and to secure the Peace of the Commonwealth, he was likewise sent away to the Barbadoes.