any Person to represent us in Parliament and also by filling up the Vacant places thereof and all to be admitted without any Oath or Engagement previous to their Entrance which being done We shall be ready to acquiesce and submit in all things to the Judgement and Authority of Parliament without which Authority the People of England cannot be obliged to pay any Taxes This Declaration subscribed by three hundred Gentlemen was delivered to the Honourable Will Lenthall Speaker of the Parliament on Saturday the 28. of Jan. 1659. By the Lord Richardson Sir John Hobart and Sir Horatio Tounsend Baronets A Declaration of the Gentry of the County of DEVON Met at the General Quarter Sessions at Exeter for a Free Parliament Together with a Letter From EXETER To the Right Honourable William Lenthall Speaker of the PARLIAMENT WE the Gentry of the County of Devon finding our selves without a Regular Government after your last interruption designed a publick Meeting to consult Remedies which we could not so conveniently effect till this Week at our General Quarter Sessions at Exon Where we finde divers of the inhabitants groaning under high Oppressions and a general defect of Trade to the utter ruine of many and fear of the like to others which is as visible in the whole County that occasioned such disorders that were no small trouble and disturbance to us which by Gods blessing upon our endeavours were soon supprest and quieted without Blood And though we finde since our first purposes an alteration in the state of Affairs by your Re-assembling at the Helm of Government yet conceive that we are but in part Redrest of our Grievances and that the chief Expedient for it will be the recalling of all those Members that were secluded in 1648. and sate before the first Force upon the Parliament And also by filling up the vacant places And all to be admitted without any Oath and Engagement previous to their Entrance For which things if you please to take a speedy course we shall defend you against all Opposers and future Interrupters with our Lives and Fortunes For the Accomplishment whereof we shall use all Lawful Means which we humbly conceive may best conduce to the Peace and Safety of this Nation Exon 14. of Jan. 1659. SIR THE Inclosed Copy of what this Grand Meeting to which the most Considerable of the Gentry have Subscribed Mr. Bampfield Recorder of Exon is gone this night Post to deliver it to the Speaker That the Cornish men have done more is no News This City in very great numbers Lordly exprest their desires for a Free Parliament The Apprentices and Young men of the City got the Keys of the Gates and keep them lockt without taking notice of the Magistrates and less of the Souldiers A Letter and Declaration of the Lords Knights Gentlemen and Ministers of the County of YORK And of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Councel of the Gity of YORK Presented to General Monck Feb. 17. 1659. at His Quarters at Drapers-hall London by Sir Thomas Wharton Knight Brother to the Lord Wharton John Dawney Thomas Harrison and John Legard Esquires As also a Letter with the said Declaration inclosed delivered by the said Gentlemen to the Lord Mayor directed to him and to the Common-Councel of the City of LONDON To His Excellency the Lord General MONCK My Lord WE finde our selves constrained by writing to supply the Omission of acquainting your Lordship with our thoughts and desires when you passed through our County which we had then done if upon so short notice we could have met for a mutual Vnderstanding Your Lordship will finde in the Inclosed Declaration the sum of our Apprehensions We thought it not necessary to multiply particulars but leave all other things to a duly constituted Parliament neither have we been sollicitous to multiply Subscriptions trusting more to the weight of the Proposals than to the number of Subscribers yet we may safely affirm this to be the sense of the Generality of the County and City as your Lordship sees it is of others We have onely to add our earnest desires to your Lordship that you would be pleased to further the Accomplishment of what we have represented with such seasonable speed as that the fear of Friends and the hopes of Enemies concerning a dangerous Confusion amongst us may be prevented Your Lordships very humble servants Thomas Fairfax Faulconberge Bar. Bouchier Vicecomes Christopher Topham Mayor c. The Declaration WE being deeply sensible of the grievous Pressures under which we lye and the extream dangers we are exposed to at this time through the violent alteration of our Government the Mutilation and Interruption of Parliaments And having no Representatives to express or remedy our grievances have thought it meet according to the example of other Counties to Declare and Desire That if the Parliament begun November 3. 1640. be yet continued The Members that were secluded in the year 1648. be forthwith restored to the Exercise of their Trust and all Vacancies filled up that right may be done to their Persons to Parliaments and the People that have chosen them If otherwise That a Parliament may be presently called without imposing of Oaths or Engagements the greatest prejudice to Civil or Christian Liberty or requiring any Quallifications save what by Law or Ordinance of Parliament before the Force in 1648. are already established And untill this or One of these be done We cannot hold our selves obliged to pay the Taxes that are or shall be imposed We not enjoying the Fundamental Right of this Nation to consent to our own Laws by equal Representatives Subscribed by Esquires Thomas Lord Fairfax Tho. Lord Viscount Fauconberge Barrington Bourchier Esq High Sheriff Christ Topham Mayor Sir Thomas Wharton Knight of the Bath Sir Christ Wivel Bar. Sir John Hotham Bar. Sir Tho Slingsby Bar. Sir Wil. Cholmly Bar. Sir Fran. Boynton Bar. Sir Roger Langly Bar. Sir Hen. Cholmly Kt. Sir Tho. Remington Kt. John Dawney Henry Fairfax Tho. Harrison John Legard William Fairfax William Gee William Osbalston Robert Wivel Thomas Hutton Gustavus Boynton Henry Bethel Metcalf Robinson Henry Stapleton George Marwood Robert Redman William Adams Col. Lancelot Parsons William Daulton James Moyser Robert Belt Henry Marwood John Vavasour John Gibson John Micklethwait Bryan Fairfax Bryan Layton Thomas Lovel Wil. Rooksby Capt. Nicholas Bethel John Jackson Thomas Yarborough Walter Bethel John Riccard John Adams Richard Levie Cregory Crake James Driffeild c. Ministers Mr. Edward Bowles Mr. Nath. Jackson Mr. Witton Mr. Waterhouse Mr. Bentley Mr. Nasebit c. The said Declaration was also subscribed by the Aldermen and Common-Councel of the City of York To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Common-Councel of the City of London My Lord and Gentlemen HAving taken notice of some vigorous inclinations of your Lordship and the City towards the asserting your common Freedomes as English men too much of late violated and being now also our selves constrained from
worthy Remonstrators of the most Renowned City of London ansd the several Counties of this Kingdome in the pursuance of their several Declarations for a Full and Free Parliament which is the onely means under God to bring us out of this miserable Confusion in which at present we are plunged And we further declare That we will pay no Tax or other Imposition whatsoever but by Authority from our Representatives in a Full and Free Parliament Into whose hands we shall commit our Lives and Fortunes and into whose Results we will ever acquiesce Our eyes are up unto our God for Help and thence our Hopes are fixed on General Monke that God hath called him forth to be the Vmpier and Determiner of our Divisions and Oppressions by whom he will lead us through the Wilderness of our present Confusion and bring us to our desired Canaan In this Confidence we pray to God to Bless Direct and Keep Him Advertisement THis our Declaration had came forth a week since had not the Trappanning Diligence of an unworthy Member of our Country endeavoured the surprizal of it and us Let not three hundred and thirty hands an inconsiderable number for so great a County bespeak this Declaration forged we being forced to do in one day the work we had cut out for seven had we had time we had brought ten thousand hands such as upon a good occasion will bring hearts suitable to the merits of their Cause THE Declaration of the Gentry of the County of NOTTINGHAM And of the Town of Nottingham presented by way of Address to his Excellency the Lord General MONCK the 28. of February With a Letter to his Excellency and another to the Speaker of the PARLIAMENT WHat the people of this Land have suffered in their greatest Concernments both Religious and Civil by the late Disorders and frequent change of Government hath for a long time been the Argument of a general and sad complaint both to God and Man What the most publick sense of the Nation is as to the means of setling it in the possession of its antient and native Liberties is sufficiently known by the several Declarations of so many Counties already presented and published What God in great mercy hath done by your Excellencies means as his chosen Instrument to revive our dying hopes in plucking us as a brand out of the fire and that with so gentle a hand is the wonder and rejoycing of our souls In testimony therefore of our thankfulness to God and our grateful sense of your Excellencies most valiant and wise management of the Power he hath intrusted you with As also to evidence as Fellow-members our concurrence and sympath with those other parts of this great Body We the Nobility Gentry Ministry and Commonalty of the County of Nottingham and of the County of the Town of Nottingham do Declare That as it is our Judgement that the Nation ought so it is our earnest desire and shall be our endeavour by the use of all lawful means that it may be free in its Members in Parliament deputed from all parts impowred by antient and undoubted right to elect the best Expedient whereto at present we conceive to be either an admission of the Members secluded in 1648. and a filling up of Vacancies by new Elections or the speedy calling of another Parliament with such Qualifications as were then agreed on before there as a force upon the House We also claim it with the rest of the Nation as our uniquestionable right That nothing be imposed upon us by way of Tax or otherwise but by our consents first given and declared in a Full and Free Parliament And now considering how great things in prosecution of these just ends are already done for us as we do in most humble manner bless and praise his glorious name that hath thus far answered our desires so we do most earnestly beseech him to perfect in his due time what is so happily begun and in order thereto to bless and conduct your Excellency through all the remaining difficulties that may obstruct our present necessary Settlement upon the true lasting foundation of our known Laws and Priviledges In the vindication whereof we beseech your Excellency to be confident not only of our best wishes and thanks but also of our utmost assistance to the hazard of our lives and fortunes My Lord THis enclosed was intended to be presented to your Excellencies before we had notice of your Excellencies happy removal of all Force excluding Members from sitting in Parliament wherein though our desires are thereby granted yet we cannot but address the same to you that it may appear what your Excellency hath done therein is according to our sense and desire as well as those of other Counties that have gone before us in time though not in affection and that we shall in our places and callings be ready to make good what we have publickly declared for as the Parliament and your Excellency shall command us and remain Nottingham Feb. 23. 1650. My Lord your Excellencies most humble and faithful servants Mr. Speaker WE being desirous amongst other Counties to express our thanks to the Lord General Monke for his endeavours in our restitution to Peace and Settlement and to manifest our adherence to him and those under his command in the further prosecution of those good ends mentioned in our Address to him after we had subscribed and ordered these Gentlemen to wait upon him with the same We received the joyful news that all force was removed and a free admission given to all Members to sit in Parliament whereby our desires are so far accomplished that we might have acquiessed therein but only that we would not have our intentions and desires though obtained buried in oblivion We thought fit to present that Address to the Lord General and judge it our duties to express our thankfulness to God for your re-admission and our readiness in our places and callings to assist you in what you have so happily begun and humbly desire that by your Authority our Militia may be so setled that we may be serviceable to your Commands and capacitated to defend our selves against any discontented persons that may upon this change endeavour a disturbance of the publick Peace or deny your Authority Nottingham Feb. 23. 1659. Sir Your humble and faithful servants THE DECLARATION OF Sir Charles Coot Knight and Baronet Lord President of the Province of CONNAVGHT And the rest of the Council of Officers of the Army in IRELAND Present at DUBLIN Concerning the Re-admission of the Sucluded Members SInce the Authority of Parliament became openly violated and that by their own waged servants of the Army in England by whom 41. of the Members of Parliament were torn from the Parliament House in Dec. 1648. and imprisoned and a 160. other Members denied entrance into the House and about fifty more voluntarily withdrew themselves to avoid violence making in all of secluded Members about
present Power in their late interruption as not consisting with the interest of the Nation No though this might serve to invalidate their Testimony we shall enlarge no further but refer to the Declaration it self To the Right Honourable WILL LENTHAL Speaker to the PARLIAMENT By him to be Communicated to the MEMBERS sitting at Westminster WHereas We the Gentlemen and Freeholders of this County of Berks were generally met together at Abingdon upon some intimation of an Election of a Knight of the Shire in pursuance of your Order for the filling up of this Parliament and that some solicitations were used throughout the County for Voyces and being jealous to be surprised therein by any Clandestine carriage of the Writ And whereas at this Meeting it was further taken into consideration that this County have with the rest of this Nation been deeply sensible of many insupportable grievances and oppressions of late dayes occasioned through the want of a real setled and regular Government and in particular that the Commissioners for the Militia having formerly charged the Country to provide Arms which was done accordingly the said Commissiooners do yet direct their Warrants for the bringing in of Twenty shillings for every Foot Arms which we are very confident is besides the intent of the Act which impowers them and are ignorant otherwise by what Authority they proceed therein That therefore having seriously consulted the Remedies which might be proper for these and the like Inconveniences for the future and by Gods blessing reduce us unto a firm free and legal settlement of our Rights Civil and Religious Wee conceived it to be our duty towards God and our Country without any private ends whatsoever to declare our selves in this sense That we take it the most satisfactory expedient for it will be the recalling of all those members that were secluded in 1648. And that before the first force upon the Parliament And that in the Elections which shall bee of any other Members in the vacant places such due course may be taken as that the Country may not any way be surprised or over-awed therein And that the secluded Members may be admitted to Sit without any Oath or Engagement to restrain their Freedome in the least Wherein we shall be ready to defend You and Them with whatsoever is dearest unto us against all opposition And pray unto Almighty God for his assistance to the happy accomplishment of what may best conduce to the Peace and Safety of this Nation This is subscribed by most of the chief Gentlemen and Freeholders of the County of Berks. A Concurrent Declaration of the Inhabitants of the City and Liberties of WESTMINSTER With the Declaration of the People of England for a Free Parliament WHereas by a wonderful Revolution of the Divine Providence those Members of the long Parliament which were strangely brought in by the Army May the 7. 1659. and as strangely outed by them Octob. the 13. 1659. are now strangely returned to sit in the House as before we judge it our concernment to call to minde the Act by them made and published immediately before their forcible Interruption intituled An Act against raising of money upon the people out their consent in Parliament Which Act of theirs proceeds in these words And be it further enacted that no Person or Persons shall after the 11. of October 1659. Assess Levy Collect Gather or Receive any Custome Imposts Excise Assesment Contribution Tax Tallage or any sum or sums of Money or other Impositions whatsoever upon the people of this Commonwealth without their consent in Parliament or as by Law might have been done before the 3. of November 1640. And be it further enacted and declared that every person offending against this Act shall be and is hereby adjudged to be guilty of High Treason and shall forfeit and suffer as in case of High Treason Hereupon we judged it meet and equitable to make this following Declaration We do therefore declare that we do freely cordially and unanimously assent to the equity of this Act as consonant to the fundamental Laws of our Nation the benefit whereof we doubt not but we may justly claim as our birth-priviledge in all such cases and concernments And accordingly we do declare that we are ready and willing as soon as an opportunity is given us to make choice of such Persons as may Declare our consent in Parliament for the raising of such sums of Money as by them shall be thought necessary to defray the publick charges and manage the publick concerns of the Nation seeing most of those persons that were formerly chosen by us for this purpose are either taken away by death or by seclusion debarred from sitting in the House And we do hereby declare further that we neither do nor shall ever give our consent that any Assesment should be made or imposition laid upon us by any person or persons whatsoever until our consent be so declared by persons thus chosen and intrusted by us for this end and purpose And therefore if any person or persons whatsoever shall contrary to the forementioned Act and the Fundamental Laws of this Nation lay any Assesment or Imposition upon us before our consent is thus declared under what pretence or colour soever of authority or necessity it shall be done we do hereby declare to the World that we are under manifest constraint and force and our Goods and Estates are violently extorted from us contrary to Law and Justice which injuries we shall no longer bear than an opportunity shall be offered us to right our selves and repossess those priviledges that pertain to us by the Laws of our Nation And hereunto so universal and unanimous is our Concurrence that it would be endless for us to subscribe our Names which neither this nor any such papers could contain but yet if any doubt or mistrust of the truth of the matter hereby declared should be conceived or pretended by any and the Members of Parliament now whom we conceive it doth in a special manner concern shall desire a visible Testimony hereunto for their further satisfaction and more full assurance of the truth and realty hereof we shall be ready upon the least intimation thereof by them given us in the several Cities and Counties of the Land to own and subscribe to what is hereby declared and act accordingly For some proof of the premises We the Inhabitants of the City and Liberty of Westminster capable of the choice of two Burgesses to serve in Parliament have to this present Delaration subscribed our hands and so much the rather that we might hereby take occasion to signifie to the whole Nation our cordial concurrence with the Common Councel of London in what was done by that Honourable Court in the behalf of the City of London in their Declaration of 20. Decemb. for a Free Parliament The humble desires of the Kinghts Gentlemen Ministers Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County and Burrough of
LEICESTER Delivered to His Excellency the Lord General MONK At St. Albans the Thirtieth of January 1659. by George Fawnt Esquire High Sheriffe of the said County Willam Boothby Richard Orton and Richard Halford Esquires entrusted for that purpose by the whole County WE the Knights Gentlemen Ministers Free-holders and Inhabitants of the County of Leicester humbly conceiving that the first Force put upon the Parliament hath been an encouragement and occasion to all the rest And finding that your Excellency under God hath been the principal means for repairing the last interruption are the more encouraged to desire your assistance in the promoting of these our just desires as a visible means of an happy Peace and Settlement of these Nations And whereas every free-born person of England is supposed to be present in Parliament by the Knights and Burgesses of the place where he liveth and thereby is presumed to give his consent in all things that pass in Parliament There is not as we are credibly informed one Knight for all the Counties in Wales nor for divers Counties in England and some of them the greatest in England as that of Yorkshire We therefore desire that all vacant places be supplied whether they became vacant by death or judgment of Parliament And that those that were secluded by force in the year 1648. may sit again And that no previous Oath or Engagement be put upon any that is chosen by his Countrey to sit and vote freely in Parliament That the fundamental Laws of England the Priviledges of Parliament the Liberties of the People and the Property of Goods may be asserted and defended according to the first Declaration of Parliament when they undertook the War and no Taxes or Free-quarter imposed upon any without Authority of Parliament That the true Protestant Religion may be professed and defended all Heresies Sects and Schisms discountenanced and suppressed a lawfull succession of Godly and able Ministers continued and encouraged and the two Universities and all Colledges in both of them preserved and countenanced That a fitting and speedy course be taken for the paying and discharging the Arrears of such Officers and Soldiers as submit to Authority of Parliament and that they may be speedily reduced to a lesser number for the easing of the great Taxes and Burthens of these Nations The humble Address and hearty desires of the Gentlemen Ministers and Free-holders of the County of Northampton Presented to his Excellency the Lord General Monck at his arrival at Northampton January 24. 1659. WE the Gentlemen Ministers and Free-holders of the County of Northampton humbly conceiving that the first force put upon the Parliament hath been an encouragement to open the way to all the rest and finding that your Excellency under God hath been the principal means for the repairing of the last Interruption are the more encouraged and having the conveniency of your presence now amongst us to desire your assistance in the procuring these our just desires as the visible means of a happy Peace and Settlement of these Nations 1. That whereas every free-born Subject of England is supposed to be present in Parliament by the Knights and Burgesses of the place where he liveth and thereby is presumed to consent to all things that passe in Parliament So it is now that there is not one Knight for all the Counties in Wales nor for divers Counties in England and some of them the largest in England as that of Yorkeshire 2. That no free-born Subject of England may have any Taxes levied upon him without his consent in Parliament 3. To that end That all vacant places may be supplied whether they became vacant by Death or Seclusion and that those that were secluded by force in the year 1648 may sit again and that no previous Oath or Engagement may be put upon any that is chosen by his Countrey to sit and vote freely in Parliament 4. That the fundamental Lawes of England the Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject and the Property of Goods may be asserted and defended according to the first Declarations of the Parliament when they undertook the War 5. That the true Protestant Religion may be professed and defended all Heresies Sects and Schisms discountenanced and suppressed a lawfull succession of Godly and able Ministers continued and incouraged and the two Universities and all Colledges in both of them may be preserved and countenanced 6. That all the Soldiery that will acquiesce in the Judgment of a free and full Parliament in the promoting and setling a happy Peace upon those foundations may have their Arrears paid and as many of them as the Parliament shall think necessary may be continued in the publick service and that as many of them as have been Purchasers of Lands from the Parliament may either enjoy their Bargains or their Money paid back with Interest and some considerable advantage over and above for their satisfactions as the Parliament shall judge expedient for the publick good of the Nation This Address was prepared by the Gentlemen c. abovesaid to be presented to General Monck at his entrance into Northampton To his Excellency the Lord General MONCK The Congratulation and Addresse of us the Knights Divines Free-holders and others of the County of BUCKS. Humbly sheweth THat with all possible Gratitude we admire the wise and gracious dispensation of things by Almighty God who hath moved your self and other the worthy Officers with you to such just and honorable Resolutions as to put your selves into the breach then when Tyranny Irreligion and all Confusion like a mighty Flood were ready to break in upon us An occasion in which whether the noblenesse of the Attempts or the Happinesse of the Successe were more considerable after times will take pleasure to discourse and we at present congratulate these your Sentiments of Honour and Conscience Sir Our credit abroad is impaired our Trade at home is decayed our Fundamental Laws are violated our primitive Apostolick Religion endangered The cause of all which we humbly conceive is the force and violence put upon the Parliament in the year 1648. and since to obviate all which evils we request the total removal of that force and that all surviving Members so secluded be restored to the discharge of their Trust Vacancies be supplied by free Elections according to Law that no previous Oaths or Engagements be put upon any of them that shall be chosen to sit and Vote in Parliament Sir this is our desire and as we observe 't is the voice of the whole People and that is the voice of God we doubt not but that you have been reserved for such a time as this in pursuance of which we are ready to hazard our Lives and Estates A DECLARATION Of the CITY and COUNTY of Gloucester BEing deeply affected and most sadly sensible of the present Miseries which both our selves and the whole Nation lie under We cannot be altogether silent in the expressions of our