House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 14 April 1659

Thursday, the 14th of April, 1659.

Prayers.

Countess of Worcester's Claims.

MR. Terill reports from the Grand Committee of the House for Grievances, The State of the Case, upon the Petition of Margaret Countess of Worcester, concerning her Interest in Worcester House in the Strand.

Resolved, &c. That Margaret Countess of Worcester shall have the actual Possession of Worcester House in the Strand delivered up to her on the Five-and-twentieth Day of March next: And that, in the mean time, the Rent of Three hundred Pounds be paid to her for the said House, for this Year, commencing from the Fiveand-twentieth Day of March last, out of the Receipt of the Exchequer, half-yearly, by equal Portions, if her Interest therein shall so long continue.

Resolved, &c. That the Sum of Four hundred Pounds be paid to Margaret Countess of Worcester, or her Assigns out of the Receipt of the Exchequer, in Recompence of all Demands for the Detaining of WorcesterHouse from her since her Title thereunto, by Virtue of the late Act of Parliament, until the Five-and-twentieth Day of March last.

Sir George Booth, Sir William Wheeler, Mr. Raleigh, Sir William Doyley, Mr. Annesley, or any Three of them, are appointed a Committee to wait on his Highness the Lord Protector, from this House, to desire his Highness to give Direction for a Privy-Seal to be issued for the Payment, as well of Four hundred Pounds allowed to the Countess of Worcester, for her Recompence of all Demands, for Detaining of Worcester-House from her, since her Title thereunto, by the late Act of Parliament; as of the Rent of Three hundred Pounds, appointed to be paid to her for this present Year, for the said House, to end on the Five-and-twentieth Day of March next.

Resolved, &c. That it be referred to a Committee, to consider how to remove, and where to place, the Conveyances, Records, and other Writings, now remaining at Worcester-House, so as they may be disposed for their Safety, and the Service of the Commonwealth.

Mr. Attorney General, Mr. Serjeant Maynard, Colonel Rosseter, Mr. Shawe, Colonel Edw. Cooke, Colonel Kenwrick, Mr. Solicitor General, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Hugh Boscawen, Mr. Thomas White, Mr. Jenkinson, Sir Copplestone Bampfeild, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Lobb, Mr. Crew, Mr. Tho. King, Mr. Guilbert Gerard, Mr. Trevor, Sir John Copplestone, Colonel Birch, Sir Richard Beake, Mr. Marvell, Mr. Dixwell, Mr. James Cooper, Mr. Scott, Mr. John Stephens, Colonel West, Mr. Annesley, Sir Walter Earle, Mr. Grenvile, Mr. Unton Croke, Marquis of Arguile, Mr. Som. Baldwyn, Mr. Hewley, Mr. Wharton, Mr. Baynes, Mr. Terill;

This Committee, or any Five of them, are, in pursuance of the former Vote, to consider how to remove, and where to place, the Conveyances, Records, and other Writings, now remaining at Worcester-House, so as they may be disposed on for their Safety, and the Service of the Commonwealth: And are to meet, about this Business, To-morrow, at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon, in the Exchequer-Chamber.

Publick Fast.

Resolved, &c. That a Member of this House be appointed to carry the Declaration, concerning the Publick Fast, to the Persons sitting in the other House, for their Concurrence.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Grove be the Person to carry the said Declaration.

The Question being put, That Mr. Grove, when he hath delivered this Message to the Persons sitting in the other House, shall return to this House, without staying for any Answer.

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Mr. Grove carried the Declaration to the other House, accordingly.

Excise

Mr. Attorney of the Duchy reports from the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in a Declaration, upon the Debate concerning the Excise, A Declaration prepared by the said Committee: The which was read; and was in these Words; viz.

WHEREAS it appears to this House, That divers Farmers of Excise are in great Arrears of their Farm Rents; which is occasioned, as they pretend, by the Refusal of sundry Persons, of late times, to pay their Excise: And whereas this House is very sensible of the great Wants and Necessities of the Army and Navy; and no less sensible of the Grievances the People are under, in the paying and levying the said Excise, which they have under Consideration for a timely Redress: This House doth therefore declare and require, That all the People of this Commonwealth herein concerned, shall make present Satisfaction of all Arrears, and due Payment of the growing Excise, during the Sitting of this present Parliament; unless this House shall, in the mean while, take other Order herein.

Resolved, &c. That, in the First Paragraph of this Declaration, after the Words "in the," and before the Words "paying and levying," these Words, "Manner of" shall be inserted into, and made Part of this Declaration.

The Question being put, That, in the same Paragraph, the Words "paying and," before the Word "levying," shall stand in that Place, and be Part of the said Declaration;

The House was divided.

The Yeas went forth.

So it was Resolved, &c. That the Words "paying and" shall stand, in this Paragraph, before the Word "levying;" and shall be Part of this Declaration.-

Publick Fast.

Mr. Grove brings Answer from the Persons sitting in the other House, That, in Obedience to the Commands of this House, he had delivered to them in the Other House, the Declaration for the Publick Fast, for their Concurrence thereunto: That, a little time after himself, and other the Members of this House, who accompanied him to deliver his Message, and went with him into the Other House, were withdrawn, they were called in again; and received this Answer from them in the Other House; That they would send an Answer by Messengers of their own.-

Excise.

Resolved, &c. That the Debate upon this Declaration, concerning the Excise, be adjourned until To-morrow Morning: And that the same be then resumed; and that no other Business do then intervene.