Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	act_n	law_n	parliament_n	2,185	5	6.6353	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76471	A true and impartial narrative of the most material debates and passages in the late Parliament. Together with the rise and disolution of it, published for the satisfaction of those that desire to know how they spent their time. By a Member of that Parliament, who is none of the present Parliament.	Bethel, Slingsby, 1617-1697.	1659 (1659)	Wing B2077; Thomason E985_25; ESTC R207870	10,858	16

A true and impartial NARRATIVE OF The most material Debates and passages in the late PARLIAMENT TOGETHER With the Rise and Disolution of it published for the satisfaction of those that desire to know how they spent their time By a Member of that Parliament who is none of the present Parliament LONDON Printed for Thomas Brewster and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the three Bibles in Pauls Church-yard 1659. A true and perfect Narrative of the most material Debates and Passages in the late Parliament c. THe over-ruling hand of Providence having upon the third of September a day of signal mercies unto this Nation taken away the late Usurper whilest he was in possession of the Title of Protector of the Commonwealth his Son Richard was the next day by the Councel at White Hall proclaimed his Successor He by the Authority thereof did about three months after issue out Writs for a Parliament to begin the 27th of January following The people who in their diffused condition is capable only of obeying their Superiors and not of disputing the legality or illegality of their commands made choice of Members to serve in Parliament they according to their summons assembled upon the day appointed when they were met the pretended Protector sent the black Rod to let them know that he was in the Other House and desired to speak to them there at which call not above ten or twelve went out of the House though more that was not come in appeared before him Mr. Chute was that day chosen Speaker and after a Bill unpassed left by the precedent Parliament was according to custom read the House Adjurned until the next day Then a Gentleman was complained of for affronting two Members and he ordered to be brought to the Bar of the House by the Serjeant A private Fast in the House and the Ministers to perform the duties of that day was appointed a Committee for Elections and Privileges chosen and so the House Adjurned until the 31. of January it being customary at the beginning of Parliaments to give the Speaker a day or two to settle his own business in that he may the better afterwards attend the service of the House The Gentleman that affronted the Members was brought to the Bar upon his knees and for his offence committed to the Tower but in a few dayes upon his submission and at the intercession of the Gentlemen abused he was released The first of February a Bill was brought in by Mr. Secretary under pretence only of acknowledging the pretended Protector but under such terms as had no less in them than the admittance of the Chief Magistrate and the Persons then sitting in the Other House unto the full power privileges and prerogative of the ancient Kings and ancient House of Lords which the court party designed to have carried undiscovered and so have left the Nation either to have fought the late quarrel over again or else to be content with a bad change of persons where there was none of things The Bill was that day without much difficulty read the first time which encouraged those of the long robe related to the single person to press for the reading of it again the same day to the end that it being the next day read the third time as they designed it it might have passed into an Act but in opposition to that some who were more careful of the Liberties of the people than those of the long Robe ordinarily are moved that according to rule in cases of such weight it might be referred to a grand Committee of the whole House and when that would not be granted that the second reading of it might at least be put off for some dayes and liberty given to the Members to take Copies that considering of the business they might be the more fitting for the debate which was yeilded unto and the seventh of February appointed for the second reading The State of Major General Overtons sad and deplorable condition was given at the door and at the same time the House was Petitioned by his Sister for a hearing of him by them which was granted and two Votes passed in order to it first that his Keeper should with all speed bring him with the cause of his imprisonment before the Parliament and secondly that a Frigot should be sent to fetch him from the Isle of Jersey where he was then prisoner About six weeks after he was brought to the Bar of the House by his Keeper who produced no authority for his detainment but a bare command without any cause expressed from the late Usurper whereupon the Parliament voted his imprisonment illegal and unjust that first because no Chief Magistrate had ever power to commit any person by his own warrant secondly because there was no cause axpressed in the Warrant and thirdly because no man can according to Law be banished but by Act of Parliament and so released him from his imprisonment without paying any fees or charges The fifth of February a person who sate in the House being found to be no Member was for his offence therein committed to Newgate and not to the Tower which is the Parliaments prison chiefly in regard of the present Lieutenants great exactions and oppressions and partly that upon inquiry the offender was found to be under some degree of distraction Upon the day appointed the Bill for recognising the Protector was read the second time and the debate begun The Petition and Advice was pleaded by the Court party as the foundation of his Title but by those that was for the Commonwealth it was denied to be a Law and that not only from the inconsistency lameness and insufficiency of it but also from the corrupt manner of its procurement that Assembly that made it being no Parliament but a Faction in that the members were never suffered to meet but so many of them kept out even by him that called them as he judged would hinder the execution of his will besides that at the creation of that monster there was but of 460. chosen but 104. in the House whereof 51. was against it and carried meerly by the strength of Scotch and Irish members who had no right to sit but were Usurpers in the making Laws for England It was further shewen that if Caesar Burgia Pope Alexander the sixth and Matchivel had all laid their heads together they could not have framed a thing more destructive to the Liberties of the people and for absolute tyranny giving away all that our ancestors have fought for ever since the Conquest Than the Petition and Advice As the Negative Vote The power of dissolving Parliaments The purse of the people and in that all the security they had for their Rights and Liberties For give the Single Person your purse and you give him the Militia and if he have that all bounding of him by Lawes signifies no more than binding of a Lyon

with paper Chaines But the Courtiers being resolved of nothing less than a Turkish power would suffer no strength of reason to prevail with them to the making of the Petition and Advice unauthentick but would by force allow it for a good Law which provoked the demanding the pursuance of that Law to be proved and that the pretenders designation was according as it is there directed but though this was pressed by divers persons of great abilities never any answer was given unto it those of that party knowing that by the strength of their Members they could over-rule the strength of Reason It was from such silence in the point of designation argued that if Providence had prevented the Usurper of keeping to the Rules of the Petition and Advice and that it was thereby fallen to the ground all Government was reverted to its original the People and ought by them assembled in Parliament to be derived where ever it should be seeked which would readily have been done to the Gentleman in possession if he and his party would upon those terms have accepted of it This debate no man speaking twice to the matter held eight dayes in which time superlative excellency and good affections to the publick appeared in several Gentlemen yet the best end they could bring this debate unto was to conclude with the two following Votes as previous to the commitment of the Bill Monday 14. Feb. 1658. Resolved That it be part of this Bill to recognize and declare his Highness Richard Lord Protector to be Lord Protector and Chief Magistrate of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging Resolved That before this Bill be committed this House do declare such additional Clauses to be part of this Bill as may bound the power of the Chief Magistrate and fully secure the Rights and Privileges of the Parliament and the Liberties and Rights of the people and that neither this nor any other previous Vote that is or shall be passed in order to this Bill is or shall be of force or binding unto the people until the whole Bill be passed This last previous Vote passed the House without one Negative more then the Secretary but when the Courtiers knew the sense of White-Hall upon it from that time forward they owned themselves such slavish executioners of a pretenders will and lust that they never appeared in the least for the making good one word of it During this debate several complaints was made reflecting upon the Court designes as that the Assizes without president upon no greater occasion was put off to the common wrong of the whole Nation desiring therefore that to the end that the people might receive no prejudice by the sitting of Parliament nor have cause to be out of love with Parliaments that the Protector might be moved to command the carrying on of the Assizes but the Courtiers being resolved not to lose so considerable a part of their strength as the Lawyers they would have the whole Nation to suffer in the want of Justice rather than they would want one of their Members That White-Hall had writ eighty Letters for the making members of Parliament most of which had had their effect That Mr. Howard a Papist and brother to the Earl of Arundel boasted that at the instance of the Protector and Secretary he had sent twenty four members to Parliament That several Tables were kept at White-Hall at the vast charge of the publick on purpose to corrupt and deboist members by great entertainments all which was acknowledged to be against the orders of the House and particularly for any members not menial servants to go to White-Hall during the sitting of the Parliament After this the Secretary gave an occasion of forraign affairs declaring a million of money needful for defraying the Naval expences for this Sommer which brought on the debate concerning the Navy in behalf of the publick that as the Navy is part of the Militia and the Militia the right of the people assembled in Parliament and that without the Militia the Parliament could not make good their promises to the people in bounding the power of the chief Magistrate and securing their Rights and Liberities That the House would appoint certain Commissioners for management of the Naval forces The debate for setting out a very Considerable fleet to Sea for Defence of the Commonwealth and Commerce hold not long the thing being readily and unanimously agreed on But who should Manage the Fleet was a Debate of several days and at last Carryed with a strong hand by the Court party against all Reason and Policy that the Protector should have the Disposal of it only the Commonwealths men got into the Vote that the making Peace and War should be reserved unto the Parliament Mr. Portman a prisoner in the Tower was upon his Petition brought before the House with the Cause of his imprisonment The Warrant to the Lieutenant of the Tower for apprehending him was produced and being onely from the Usurper in these Words following Sir Dated Feb. 3● 57. I desire you to ceaze Major General Harrison Mr. Carew Portman and such as are eminent Fifth-Monarchy men especially Feake and Rogers do it speedily and you shall have a Warrant after you have done The Parliament Voted his Imprisonment illegal and unjust and freed him out of Prison without paying either Fees or Charges Several other Complaints of a higher Nature as for Banishment and Selling of Gentlemen to the Barbadoes for Slaves was before the Parliament wherein they were prevented by their Dissolution of doing any thing but Mr. Maynard then Called a Serjeant from the Usurpers making was Ordered to bring in a Bill for prevention of the like Tyranny in the future The Accounts of the Commonwealth was Called for and a Committee appointed to Examine them and report the state of them to the House The House was called upon to make good their Vote of bounding the power of the Chief Magistrate and securing the Rights Priviledges and Liberties of the Parliament and people and that as they had filled the hearts of all men with joy in expectation of having their Rights ascertained that they would not render themselves Juglers in promising what they never intended to perform But to take the several parts of the previous Vote into consideration and as bounding the Chief Magistrate is first in order so to begin with it Yet such was the dis-ingenuity of the Court-party being made up of Houshold-servants Officers of profit suiters for Offices Lawyers the corrupt part of whose Trade cannot be maintained but by a Corrupt Government Scotch and Irish Members chosen by the Pretender's Interest that no Arguments of honour or honesty could engage them to be Faithful to their Countrey such as were most open confessing plainly that they were so far from bounding the Chief Magistrate that they desired to give him as much nay more power then any King or