House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 19 May 1659

Thursday, May 19th, 1659.

Prayers.

Fire at Southwould.

THE humble Petition of the Bailiffs and Commonalty, on behalf of themselves, and other the Inhabitants and Owners in the Maritime Town and Corporation of Southwould, otherwise Soulbay, in the County of Suffolk; and a Certificate from the Justices of the Peace of the County of Suffolk, in their Sessions, to the said Petition annexed; whereby it is certified, That, on Monday the Twenty-fifth of April 1659, by a lamentable Fire, wherewith Two hundred Thirty-eight Dwelling-Houses were wasted and consumed, to the Damage of Forty thousand Pounds and upwards; were this Day read.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker, Keeper of the Great Seal, do pass Letters Patents, under the Great Seal, for a Charitable Contribution throughout England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, for Twelve Months, from the Passing of the said Letters-Patents, for the Relief of the Petitioners, who have suffered great Loss and Damage by Fire; And that it be referred to a Committee, to prepare a Draught of the said Letters Patents; and to name fit Persons to collect the said Contribution; and to give an Account of the Monies collected; and to see that the Persons, who suffered Loss, be thereby relieved: Viz. unto Mr. Brewster, Colonel Wauton, Alderman Pennington, Alderman Atkin, Mr. Say, Mr. Garland, Mr. Pury, Mr. Scot, Mr. West, Serjeant Nicholas, Sir Jam. Harrington, Colonel Purefoy, or any Three of them: Who are to meet this Afternoon, at Three of the Clock, in the Speaker's Chamber.

Judges of Admiralty.

Mr. Garland reports, from the Committee to whom it was referred, to bring in an Act for nominating Judges of the Admiralty, An Act for constituting John Godolphin, Doctor of the Laws, and Charles George Cock, Judges of the Admiralty: Which was this Day read the First and Second time; and, upon the Question, passed.

Ordered, That this Act be forthwith printed and published.

Probate of Wills.

Mr. Garland reports, from the same Committee, Another Act, for appointing Judges for the Probate of Wills, and granting Administrations: Which was this Day read the First and Second time.

Resolved, That John Sadler Esquire be one of the Judges in this Act for Probate of Wills, and granting of Administrations: And his Name be inserted into the said Act.

Resolved, That the Quorum be any Two of them.

The said Amendments were Twice read; and, upon the Question, agreed unto.

And the said Act, so amended, being put to the Question, passed.

Ordered, That this Act be forthwith printed and published.

Register of Admiralty.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Members of the Parliament, of the Committee of Safety, to inform themselves of the yearly Value of the Office of Register of the Admiralty-Court; and what Salary is fit to be allowed to the Register there; and what to be reserved for the Use and Benefit of the Commonwealth.

Offices of State.

Ordered, That it be referred to the same Committee, to take Consideration of all other Offices that are or shall be in the Disposal of the State; to the end it may be resolved, what will be fit to allow the Officers; and the rest to be applied to the publick Service of the Commonwealth: And to consider of such Claims as shall be made to any such Offices: And to offer their Opinions to the House, What will be fit to be done therein.

Probate of Wills.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee formerly appointed to consider, How the Probate of Wills, and granting of Administrations might be settled in the several Counties in England, to view the former Bill; and present their Opinion to the House, What they conceive fit to be done therein: And that the said Committee be revived to that Purpose: And that all that come shall have Voices.

Registers.

Ordered, That it be referred to the same Committee, to consider, What hath been done in the Bill for Registers: And report their Opinion, What is fit to be done therein, to this House.

Scotch Affairs.

Colonel Ludlow reports from the Committee of Safety, The Opinion of that Committee, That the Parliament will be pleased to pass an Act, thereby to authorize and impower, for the present, all such Persons in Scotland, as, on the Sixth Day of May instant, did exercise the Places of Commissioners for Administration of Justice in Civil or Criminal Causes, Commissioners of Exchequer, or any other Place or Office there for the Administration of Justice, to perform all Acts, and exercise all Powers, in the due Execution and Administration of the Duties belonging to such Offices and Places, in such Sort, as if they had been particularly appointed by the Parliament, until new Commissions shall be sent by Authority of Parliament; And that the Stile and Title to be used in all legal Proceedings and Process in Scotland may be declared to be the Keepers of the Liberty of England, by the Authority of Parliament, and none other.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Members of this House of the Council of State, to consider, How all Proceedings touching the Administration of Justice in Scotland may be settled for a time; and report their Opinion therein to this House.

Ordered, That it be also referred to the said Members of this House of the Council of State, to consider, How the Administration of Justice, for the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, may be also settled for a time; and to present their Opinion therein to this House.

Clerk of Parliament.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee to whom the Bill for settling Commissioners of the Admiralty and Navy is referred, to prepare an Act For repealing the Act formerly granted to Henry Scobell Esquire, for settling on him the Office of Clerk of the Parliament, and the Dwelling-House belonging to the said Office; and to settle the said Office and House on Thomas St. Nicholas Esquire, as Clerk of the Parliament: And that Mr. Scobell do deliver unto the said Thomas St. Nicholas all the Acts, Books, Records, and Writings, in the Hands of the said Henry Scobell, as Clerk of the Parliament.

Spanish Prisoners.

Sir Henry Vane reports from the Committee of Safety, That this Committee have understood, by Letters from Portsmouth, (formerly reported to the Parliament), That there hath been lately brought in thither about Four hundred Spanish Prisoners, who do there remain; and Directions are expected to be given concerning them: And that, by Letters received this Day, Information is given, That there are more Soldiers intended to be sent from St. Sebastian's into those Parts; and it is probable some of them may be met with: And that this Committee (being very tender of doing any thing, in the Matter of Peace or War, which may engage this Commonwealth beyond what the Parliament intends) are not satisfied, What Directions to give therein, until the Pleasure of the Parliament be declared therein.

Resolved, That it be referred to the Council of State, to take speedy Consideration how far this Commonwealth is concerned, either in Peace or War, with Foreign Nations, by the Transactions that have happened since the Interruption of this Parliament on the Twentieth of April 1653; and to take Care in what is done from time to time, by the Council, in Pursuance of their Instructions in reference to Foreign States, that this Commonwealth be not engaged in a War, without the Consent of Parliament.

Council of State.

Mr. John Corbet reports Amendments to the Bill for settling the Council of State: Which Amendments were read.

And the First Part, touching placing the Names of the Members of the Council, being put to the Question, was assented unto.

The other Amendment being put to the Question;

It passed with the Negative.

Resolved, That the First Blank in this Bill be filled up with these Words; viz. "from the Seventeenth Day of May 1659."

Resolved, That the Blank in the Fourteenth Article of this Bill, be filled up with these Words "Nineteenth Day of May."

And the said Bill, so amended, being put to the Question, passed.

Admiralty.

Ordered, That Mr. Blackbourne do attend the Committee, with the former Act for settling the Commissioners for the Admiralty and Navy, at Seven a Clock, To-morrow Morning, in the Speaker's Chamber.