June 1642: Ordinance of both Houses, for bringing in Plate, Money, and Horses.

June 1642

[9 June, 1642.]

Whereas it appears that the King (seduced by wicked Counsel) intends to make War against His Parliament, and, in Pursuance thereof, under Pretence of a Guard for His Person, hath actually begun to levy Forces both of Horse and Foot, and sent out Summons throughout the County of Yorke, for the calling together of greater Numbers; and some ill-affected Persons have been employed in other Parts, to raise Troops, under the Colour of His Majesty's Service, making large Offers of Reward and Preferment to such as will come in; and that His Majesty doth, with a high and forcible Hand, protect and keep away Delinquents, not permitting them to make their Appearance, to answer such Affronts and Injuries as have been by them offered unto the Parliament; and those Messengers which have been sent from the Houses for them, have been abused, beaten, and imprisoned; so as the Orders of Parliament (which is the highest Court of Justice in this Realm) are not obeyed, and the Authority of it is altogether scorned and vilified, and such Persons as stand well affected to it, and declare themselves sensible of these Public Calamities, and of the Violations of the Privileges of Parliament, and Common Liberty of the Subject, are baffled and injured, by several Sorts of malignant Men, who are about the King: some whereof, under the Name of Cavaliers, without having Respect to the Laws of the Land, or any Fear either of God or Man, are ready to commit all Manner of Outrage and Violence, which must needs tend to the Dissolution of this Government, the destroying of our Religion, Laws, Liberty, and Propriety; all which will be exposed to the Malice and Violence of such desperate Persons as must be employed in so horrid and unnatural an Act as the overthrowing of a Parliament by Force, which is the Support and Preservation of them all; which being duly considered by the Lords and Commons, and how great an Obligation lies upon them, in Honour, Conscience and Duty, according to the high Trust reposed in them to use all possible Means in such Cases for the timely Prevention of so great and irrecoverable Evils, they have thought fit to publish their Sense and Apprehension of this imminent Danger, thereby to excite all well-affected Persons to contribute their best Assistance, according to their solemn Vow and Protestation, to the Preparations necessary for the opposing and suppressing of the traiterous Attempts of these wicked and malignant Counsellors, who seek to engage the King in so dangerous and destructive an Enterprize, and the whole kingdom in a Civil War, and destroy the Privileges and Being of Parliaments. This Recourse to the good Affections of those that tender their Religion and just Liberties and the Enjoyment of the blessed Fruits of this present Parliament, which were almost ready to be reaped, and are now as ready to be ruined by those wicked Hands, being the only Remedy left them under God, and without which they are no longer able to preserve themselves, or those by whom they are entrusted.

1. They, the said Lords and Commons, do Declare, That whosoever shall bring in any proportion of ready Money, or Plate, or shall underwrite to furnish and maintain any Number of Horse Horsemen, and Arms, for the Preservation of the Public Peace, and for the Defence of the King and both Houses of Parliament from Force and Violence, and to uphold the Power and Privileges of Parliament, according to His Protestation; it shall be held a good and acceptable Service to the Commonwealth, and a Testimony of his good Affection to the Protestant Religion, the Laws, Liberties, and Peace of this Kingdom, and to the Parliament and Privileges thereof.

And because a considerable Aid cannot be raised by few Hands, and the Condition of all Men's Estates and Occasions is not always proportionable to their affection, the Lords and Commons do declare, That no Man's Affection shall be measured according to the Proportion of his Offer, so that he express his goodwill to this Service in any Proportion whatsoever.

2. And it is further Declared, by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That whosoever shall bring in any Money or Plate, or shall furnish and maintain any Horse, Horsemen, and Arms, for the Purposes aforesaid, shall have their Money re-paid, with the Interest according to Eight Pounds per cent. and the full Value of their Plate, with Consideration for the Fashion, not exceeding One Shilling per Ounce, and shall have full Recompence for all their Charge in finding, furnishing, and maintaining of Horse, Horsemen, and Arms; and for this both Houses of Parliament do engage the Public Faith.

3. And it is Ordained, That Sir John Wallaston, Knight and Alderman, Alderman Towes, Alderman Warner, and Alderman Andrewes, shall be Treasurers, to receive all such Money and Plate as shall be brought in, for the Purposes aforesaid; and that the Acquittances of them, or any Two of them, for the Receipt of the same, shall be a sufficient ground for the Party so lending Money or Plate to demand the same again, with the Interest, and likewise Consideration for the Fashion of the Plate.

4. It is Ordered, That shall be Commissaries, to value the Horse and Arms that shall be furnished for this Service; and that a Signification, under the Hands of them, or any Two of them, of such Value of the Horse and Arms, and of the Time when they were first brought in, shall be a Warrant to demand Satisfaction, according to the said Values; and they shall keep an Account of the Time from the first Inrollment of any such Horse and Horsemen, that such as find and maintain them may be re-paid, according to the Rate of Two Shillings and Six Pence per Diem, for so long Time as they have maintained them in this Service; and the Commissaries are to attend at Guildhall, for the receiving and inrolling of such Numbers of Horse as shall be brought in.

5. It is Ordered, That whosoever shall bring in Money or Plate, or shall provide and maintain Horse, Horsemen, and Arms, for this Service, shall do according to their Duty therein; and the Lords and Commons do engage the Power and Authority of Parliament, to save them harmless from all Prejudice and Inconvenience that may befall them by Occasion thereof.

6. It is Ordered, the Members of either House, who are present, shall be desired to declare in their Houses respectively what Money or Plate they will bring in: or what Horse, Horsemen, and Arms, they will find and maintain.

7. It is desired, that all such as have their Residence in or about London, or within Eighty Miles, will bring in their Money, Plate, or Horse, within a Fortnight after Notice; and they that dwell further off, within Three Weeks.

1. And because every Person may not be provided with present Money, or with Horse, or not have his Plate with him which he means to bring in, and yet resolves to contribute his Part within the Time limited, and that it is necessary it should be presently known what the Provision will be for the effecting of this great and important Service; it is Ordered, That the Committees of either House, appointed for that Purpose, respectively shall receive the Subscriptions of such Members of each House as have not declared themselves in the House, or are absent upon the Public Service, or for their Private Occasions.

2. That the Committee of London, intrusted with the Militia, shall receive the Subscriptions in London and Midds.

3. That some Persons, nominated by the Knights and Burgesses of each County, and approved by both Houses, shall be appointed to receive the Subscriptions in the several Counties.

4. And lastly, it is Declared, That whatsoever is brought in, shall not at all be employed upon any other Occasion than to the Purposes aforesaid; which are, to maintain the Protestant Religion; the King's Authority and His Person in His Royal Dignity; the free Course of Justice, the Laws of the Land, the Peace of the Kingdom, and the Privileges of Parliament, against any Force which shall oppose them; and this by the Direction of both Houses of Parliament.