House of Commons Journal Volume 5: 17 July 1648

Die Lunæ, 17 Julii, 1648.

Prayers.

Letter read.

A LETTER from the Leaguer at Colchester, of 15 Julii, Twelve at Night, 1648, was this Day read.

Surrender of Pembroke.

Articles agreed upon for Surrender of Pembroke Town and Castle, were this Day read.

Resolved, &c. That Symon Browne, the Messenger that brought these Articles for the Surrender of Pembroke Town and Castle, shall have the Sum of Twenty Pounds bestowed upon him, charged and paid by the Committee of Lords and Commons, usually sitting at Haberdashers Hall.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

The Messenger, that brought these Articles, was called in; and did affirm the Truth.

Letters taken at Rumford.

Ordered, That the Letters taken at Rumford, together with all the Letters, Papers, and *, be sent and referred to the Committee at Derby House; to examine, search after, and to proceed therein, as they shall find most for the Advantage of the Service of the Parliament.

Clerks of Ordnar

Ordered, That the Ordinance concerning the Clerks of the Ordnance, formerly sent from the Lords, be read To-morrow, when Mr. Speaker takes the Chair.

Insurrection in Kent.

Some Resolutions passed at the Committee appointed to consider of the State of the Business, touching the late Insurrection in Kent, reported from that Committee; and likewise a Declaration, reported from that Committee, touching those that rose in the late Insurrection in Kent; were this Day read.

Resolved, &c. That all such Persons, as shall make it appear to the Committee for the County of Kent, or any Seven of them, who have not any ways engaged in the late Insurrection in the County of Kent, that they deserted that Insurrection at or before the Coming down of the Proposition for Indemnity, by the Earl of Thanett; and that at or before the said Time they came in to the Parliament, or did retire peaceably Home to their own Habitations, without further engaging in the said Insurrection; shall have the Benefit of the said Indemnity.

Resolved, &c. That all such Persons, as have been formerly active for the Parliament, and shall now make it appear to the said Committee, that what they did was through a real Force upon them; and that they did desert the Business upon the first Opportunity; shall be indemnified for what they did, under such a real Force.

Resolved, &c. That Sir Anthony Seintleger, of Boughton, Robert Barnham and Thomas Flood Esquires, Mr. Francis Twisden, and Mr. John Mablisden, who were sent for from their Houses to persuade to Peace, by the Members of Parliament sent down by the House to that Purpose, and yet did continue with those in Arms after the said Members were gone, shall be indemnified; so as they make it appear to the said Committee, that, before the Fight at Maidstone, they did preserve the Publick Monies before seized upon, and procured Restitution of Money and Horses to well-affected Persons, before taken from them; and so as they were not engaged in the Petition, which was the Occasion of th[at] Rising, before the Sending for afore-mentioned; [nor did] take upon them any Office of Command; nor [did con]trib[ute] Money, Horse, or Arms, to that Employment.

WE the Commons, in Parliament, taking into our Consideration the late high Insurrection in Kent, so suddenly and wonderfully quelled, by the Blessing of God upon that small Part of the Army, under the Conduct of the Lord Fairefax General, cannot but be deeply sensible of the evil Demerits of such Persons, as have any ways had a Hand therein; as also of the mischievous Consequences, that Offenders in so high Nature should go unpunished: Yet are we desirous to use all possible Lenity towards those, who are, in any measure, capable thereof; and do therefore hereby Declare, That although we see a Necessity, that some capital Examples be made; yet shall one principal Aim therein be, that All may be warned by the Punishment of Few: And although others, who have thus employed their Estates against the Parliament and Kingdom, to the Raising and Fomenting of new Distractions and Troubles, have justly incurred a total Forfeiture of the same, towards the Repairing of the publick Losses and Damages, by them occasioned; yet shall we thereunto extend only the Sequestration of the Estates of the principal Actors; namely, such as have been formerly in Arms against the Parliament; or in some former Insurrections in that County; or who have taken upon them to act in this Insurrection as Commissioners or Commanders; or who have been therein notoriously active in Plunderings or Imprisonments; and such Ministers as have been active in this Insurrection: And for such other Persons, who, only through Ignorance, or Weakness in themselves, and the Subtleties or Threats of others, have been seduced or terrified into some mistaken or unwilling Compliance in that Action; we do hereby warn all those, not to flatter themselves for the future in such unworthy Principles, so prone and easy to be wrought upon, to join with Evil-doers: And do likewise hereby require every such Person, who expects the Favour of this so gentle a Warning, That they engage themselves, that they will never bear Arms against the Two Houses of Parliament, or against any that derive Authority from them; nor willingly do any thing to the Prejudice of their Affairs, or to the Disturbance of the Peace of that County: Upon which said Engagement entered into by such Persons as come not under any the foresaid Qualifications of principal Actors; or who having been taken by the Lord General as Prisoners of War, and not by him already set apart by Lot, or otherwise, for a judicial Tryal to be appointed by this House; the said Engagers (not before excepted), and every of them, are freely declared to be freely pardoned; and, so long as they shall demean themselves according to their said Engagement, are not to be proceeded against by any Mulct or Penalty whatsoever for the said Offence; nor to be any ways liable for the same, otherwise than what they are, and shall be, liable unto, by Action, or Suit at Law, for Satisfaction unto particular Persons by them damnified; wherein each particular Person is left unto his legal Remedy for Reparations, or Recovery of Damages, as if this Declaration had not been made. And the Churchwarden or Churchwardens of the several Parishes within the said County, for the Time being, are hereby required to provide and keep a Register or Book, wherein the said Engagement is to be written and subscribed, as aforesaid, within Three Days after Notice of this Declaration, unto any the said Persons, who expect the Benefit thereof. And the Ministers of the several Parishes are hereby required openly to read this Declaration, in their several Parish Churches, upon the next Lord's Day after the Receipt thereof, at some convenient Time before the Dismissing of the Congregation from the Morning's Exercise; and, at the same time, to give the People some seasonable Instructions and Exhortations, touching their Duty of Thankfulness unto God for so great a Mercy, as the speedy Suppressing of that Insurrection; as also their Duty of quiet and peaceable Demeanor towards those that are in publick Place or Authority; and to take heed of the Counsels and Practices of those, who, upon what Pretence soever, are the Stirrers up of Seditions and Tumults. And the Committee of the said County are hereby required to take care of the speedy Dispersing of this Declaration; and to take a strict Account, What is done, according as is hereby required, by the Ministers and other Persons, respectively concerned.

A Prisoner discharged.

The humble Petition of Richard Banckys, of London, Silkman, was this Day read.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Richard Bankys, now under Restraint, in the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms, attending on this House, be forthwith discharged from his Restraint.

Mr. Middleton.

Ordered, That the Letter and Papers, from the Committee of Sussex, touching Mr. Middleton, be read and considered of, on Thursday Morning next, the first Business.

Pay of Northern Forces.

Ordered, That the Ordinance for the King and Queen's Revenue in the North, to be applied towards the Maintenance of the Forces in the North, be reported and read on Thursday Morning next; and likewise the Ordinance for charging the Sum of Twenty thousand Pounds upon the Excise, in Course, for the Service of the Forces in the North.

Prisoners discharged.

Ordered, That the Bailiffs, and other Persons under Restraint, upon the Business offered to Mr. Charleton, a Member of this House, by Mr. Richard Bancks, be forthwith discharged from their Restraint.

Treaty with the King.

According to former Order, the House took into Consideration the Debate concerning the Place of the Treaty.

And Mr. Green's Report from the City, touching that Business, was read.

Post Merdiem.

Thanksgiving Day.

ORDERED, That the Declaration, touching a Thanksgiving for the great Victories obtained by the Parliament's Forces, now brought in, and read the First time, be read the Second time, To-morrow Morning, the first Business.

Treaty with the King.

The Question being propounded, That, after the Three Propositions consented to, and signed, as is desired, the King be desired to nominate Three Places within Twenty Miles of Westminster; Two of which to be at least Ten Miles distant from Westminster, where the Treaty shall be; and then both Houses of Parliament shall have Liberty to choose one, as they shall think fit;

The Question being put, That this Question be now put;

It passed with the Affirmative.

Resolved, &c. That, after the Three Propositions consented to, and signed, as is desired, the King be desired to nominate Three Places within Twenty Miles of Westminster; Two of which to be at least Ten Miles distant from Westminster, where the Treaties shall be; and then both Houses of Parliament shall have Liberty to choose one of them, as they shall think fit.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Ordered, That a Committee of both Houses be appointed to be sent to the King with the Three Propositions: And that the Vote, touching the Place of the Treaty, be delivered to the Lords at a Conference.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to bring in Reasons for insisting upon the Three Propositions, do bring in the said Reasons, at Ten of Clock To-morrow Morning.

Newcastle, &c. Garisons.

Letters from Newcastle, from the Mayor, Governor, Aldermen, Militia, and Common Council of the Town of Newcastle, from Newcastle, * Julii, 1648, were this Day read.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth approve of what hath been done at Newcastle, by the Mayor, Governor, Aldermen, Militia, and Common Council of the Town of Newcastle, for the laying on an Imposition of Four Shillings upon every Chaldron of Coal, and Four Shillings upon every Chaldron of Grindstones, and Four Shillings upon every Weigh of Salt, which shall be exported out of the Port of Newcastle, Sunderland, and Blyth, for and towards the Pay of the Garisons of Newcastle and Tinmouth; and do order, That an Ordinance be brought in to this Purpose.

Mr. Blakiston is appointed to bring in this Ordinance.

Westminster, &c. Militia.

The House being informed, that divers Inhabitants of the City of Westminster, Hamlets of the Tower, and Borough of Southwark, and Parishes adjacent within the Weekly Bills of Mortality, were at the Door;

They were called in; and presented a Petition.

Which (after the Petitioners were withdrawn) was read; and was intituled, "The humble Petition of divers wellaffected Inhabitants of the City of Westminster, Hamlets of the Tower, and Borough of Southwark, and Parishes adjacent within the Weekly Bills of Mortality."

It is Ordered, That this Petition be referred to the Committee where Mr. Sandis has the Chair, appointed to consider of the other Petitions of the Out Parts.

The Petitioners were again called in; Mr. Speaker, by Command of the House of Commons, gave them this Answer;

The House has received your Petition; and read it; And the House hath already voted, That the Militia shall be joined: And, for the Manner how, they have referred it to a Committee; to which they have likewise referred your Petition: And the House has taken notice of the Expression of your ample good Affections, and of your Approbation of their Votes, touching a Treaty: For the Matter, being for Peace, no good Man but desires it: And, for your great and good Affections, expressed in the Petition, the House has commanded me to give you real and very hearty Thanks.