April 1643: An Ordinance for the Explanation of the Weekely Assessement in London. And that the City of London shall have the publike Faith of the Kingdonae, for the repayment of 24000li. for every 40000li. that shall be monethly collected…

April 1643

[11 April, 1643.]

City of London to have Public Faith for repayment of 24000li. for every 40000li. monthly collected there.; Money to be paid in to Treasurers at Guildhall.

Whereas by an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons, intituled, An Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, for the speedy raysing and levying of money, for maintenance of the Army raysed by the Parliament and other great affaires of the Common-wealth, by a weekely Assessement upon every County, the weekely summe of 10000li. is charged upon the City of London, which sum doth very much exceed their proportion, having respect to the rule and measure with the rest of the places and Counties in the said Ordinance mentioned were rated. And although the necessity of present supply of money to the Army, urged the imposing of so great a sum upon the said City where it might be more speedily Assessed and Collected for the present occasion, then in other remoter parts; Yet because the whole Kingdome in generall receive an equall benefit thereby as well as the City of London, it stands with the rule of Equitie and Justice, that it should beare an equall proportion of charge, especially considering the cheerful and bountifull Assistance the City hath already given to this publike cause, not to be paralelled, by any president of former time, or forgotten by future ages; It is therefore Ordained by the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled, that the City of London, shall have the publique Faith of the Kingdome for the repayment of 24000li. for every 40000li. that shall be monethly Collected, and payed in, by the said City upon the said Ordinance, which said sum of 24000li. shall be respectively paid into the hands of the Chamberlaine of London for the time being, to be restored proportionably to the parties that shall advance the same upon the same Ordinance; And the said Lords and Commons doe Ordaine, and hereby engage the publique Faith of the Kingdome, that they will by Act of Parliament or otherwise, provide for the payment of the said 24000li. in manner as before is hereby declared. And whereas by the said Ordinance, the money to be thereupon Collected within the City of London, is to be payd into the hands of the Treasurer of the Army raysed by the Parliament; Be it now Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, that the same shal be from time to time payd at the Guildhall London, into the hands of Sir John Wollaston Knight, John Warner, John Towse, and Thomas Andrewes Aldermen, or any two of them, and to no other hands. And that the severall Assessements shall be returned to them, or any two of them, in the same manner as they are directed to be done by the said Ordinance to the Treasurer of the Army raised by the Parliament, and the said Treasurers hereby named, or any two of them shall give their Acquittances of the Receipts of such sums as shall be payd in unto them upon the said Ordinance, which acquittances shall be brought unto John Trenchard and William Wheler, Esquires, Members of the House of Commons, who are to enter the same in a Booke to be kept for that purpose, and then the Acquittance shall be a sufficient discharge to the party that payd in the said sum, and not otherwise.

Lord Mayor and Aldermen to be Committees instead of Aldermen Deputies and Common Councillors.

And whereas by the said Ordinance, the Aldermens Deputies, and Common Counsell men of the said City, are made Committees for the said City and Liberties thereof, which may prove very Inconvenient to the Service, in regard that they being many in number, and consisting of persons of great integritie, their Assistance will be requisite in another kind; Be it therefore Ordained, that the Lord Maior and the Aldermen of the said Citie and no other, shall be Committees for the said City, in the same manner as they were appointed by the said Ordinance, when the same first past both Houses. And the said Aldermens Deputies, and Common Counsell men, are hereby discharged of the same, and of the Paines and troubles thereof.