Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	great_a	king_n	treaty_n	1,286	5	9.1447	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85656	A declaration in vindication of the honour of the Parliament, and of the committee of the navy and customes; against all traducers: concerning the managing of the navy and customes, and many other weighty affaires of state: faithfully relating what strength of shipping have been yearly employed for the guarding of the seas, and what moneys arising by the revenue of the customes, excise of flesh and salt, and other receits, have been applyed to that use. The rules by which they have been all managed; and a just account how the moneys have been disposed. By Giles Grene, a member of the Honourable House of Commons.	Grene, Giles.	1647 (1647)	Wing G1817; Thomason E405_8; ESTC R201878	11,599	26

power and trust in setting forth of Ships providing of materials and payment of moneys they took along with them the concurrent advice and full consent of the Commissioners of the Navy Victulars of the Navy Officers of the Ordnance and all other Officers of the Navy respectively as fellow servants trusted with them who by the order and directions of that Committee did with all chearefulnesse and faithfulnesse for any thing that ever appeared unto that Committee act and execute all things for the greatest advantage of the State in relation to the honour safety and profit thereof 2. That with their concurrent advice and help the severall Yards Store-houses of the Navy Royal were so plentifully seasonably maintained with Pitch Tarre Hemp Cordage Planck Timber and all other materials for shipping And the Office of Ordnance so furnished with Ordnance Powder Shott other Gunners Stoares The victualling Office so carefully and advantagiously managed as that there was not one ship of all these severall Fleets but at her setting to Sea was compleatly and Arithmetically furnished with double Equipage of Cordage Sayles c. with due proportion of Powder Match Bullett according to the Number and dimensions of her Ordnance and with Beef Pork Fish Pease Butter Cheese Bread Beere and all other victuals and all of the choysest and best as there was never complaint made to the Parliament or Committee of any defect of any of these either for quantity or quality 3. That comming in of ships saving in the time of the late Commissioners of the Customes who for some reasons best known to themselves did refuse upon pressing occasions to furnish the Parliament or that Committee with money or credit The Committee took that care for providing of moneys many times with their credit as the Marriners were so timely paid off that the State was not at the charge of one dayes dead pay neither was ever complaint of Marriners hard at the doores of the Parliament since the time of these Commissioners 4. That the whole body of the Navy was kept up in that honour strength and readinesse for service as no age can parallel there being at this present an increase of above thirty ships and Frigats more then they found belonging to the Navy Royall whereof some have been taken by reprizall some bought for money and some built from the stocks which are most active nimble Vessels all now in service 5. That this great work was so advantagiously carried on as notwithstanding the State was sometime above three hundred thousand pounds in debt an● atpresent about two hundred and fifty thousand pound● yet hitherto saving in the time before mentioned there never wanted monies to carry through all the difficulties of that service Neither was the managing of the Customes and of the Navy though two such great workes the only imployment of that Committee But in the yeare 1643. the Parliament having by reason of the great fleetes contracted great debts on the Navy were pleased to put an Excise on Flesh and Salt the profits whereof they appropriated to the use of the Navy and committed the charge and care thereof to that Committee by whose wisedome and care with the concurrence of the Commissioners of Excise only by changing the manner of the collection the yearly income was encreased from about seven or eight thousand pound unto near sixty thousand pound per Ann. as by the Commissioners of Excize Accounts will appeare All which monies were disposed of by that Committee by the same Rule of Customes Besides there are severall Gentlemen of this Committee who being with divers honourable Lords appointed a Committee for the Excize have transacted very great matters concerning the regulating of those Receipts and reconciling of differences happening in the same There was a further charge lay on that Committee which was the managing of the ships and goods taken by reprizall which begot not the least trouble to the Committee in regard of the many intricare cases which fell out scarce numerable in so short a Narrative yet was that distracted work with the faithfullnesse care and 〈◊〉 of the Commissioners and Collectors appointed for reprizall goods carried on with all advantage as was possible for so unhappy a work to bee managed which proved much the more troublesome and intricate though the cheifest part of that trouble fell to the Collectors by reason owners of Merchants ships and all mariners had shares in all prizes and prize goods taken And this is here remarkable that there is not an owner of shipping nor mariner in the Kingdome that can justly complaine but that he hath received his full payment of all advantages which have been made in this kind saving in some cases of late only for want of a Iudge of the Admiralty to adjudge the same Beyond all this It is observeable that in the first yeare of these unhappy distractions six of the Committee of the Navy with three honourable Lords did discharge the office of the Lord high Admirall and of the Judge of the Admiralty and with unexpressible trouble and care without the help of the Admiralty Court the Iudge having deserted it did by the order of the Parliament wade through those intricare cases which fell out that first yeare Besides this severall worthy Gentlemen of that Committee have for divers years since together with divers honourable Lords for want of a Lord High Admirall by command of both Houses carried on the whole frame of the affaires of the Admiralty and Cinque-ports There lay yet a further charge on divers Gentlemen of that Committee in regard of those relations which that Committee had unto all Sea affaires and to trade It pleased the Parliament to joyne them with divers honourable Lords as a Committee of forreign affaires who by reason of the variety of complaints which came from the severall Ambassadors of Spaine France the States and orhers of the ships and goods of their Masters subjects to be taken in reprizall by ships imployed by the Parliament were often incumbred with many intricate points of State And it was no ordinary service which those noble Lords and the rest of that Committee laboured under to defend the just rights of the Parliament upon those severall Emergencies which fell out in speciall between the Ambassadors of the States And this Committee who after three Moneths debate did maintaine the Actions of the Parliament as warrantable by Treaties of State and by Law of Nature and Nations As by a Declaration sent unto the States from both Houses of Parliament most clearely appeareth and this Committee held constant weekly intelligence with the Parliaments Agents imployed in France Flanders and Holland for the obtaining of Justice for those Merchants who were agrieved by the taking or seazure of their ships or goods or otherwise There was another burthen lay on that Committee which was the managing of that most Christian and honourable work for the Redemption of the poore Captives from their

slavery under the Turke who with the help and unwearied paines of divers worthy Merchants of the City of London did with all advantage carry on that work which will bee memorable to Posterity The care of the money collected for those uses and the imployment of them being trusted by the Parliament with that Committee and that trust with all faithfullnesse discharged so as had not that sad accident happened on the Ship Honour in the losse of the first Cargason at Gilbraltar which much increased the trouble of that Committee and those Gentlemen the work had well neare been finished yet blessed be God two hundred and fifty Captives are redeemed and brought home Ten thousand pounds sterling more in peeces of Eight sent away for Argier and another Cargason of the like value ready to be sent upon the first intelligence from the Agent at Argier And care is taken for the redemption of those in Tunnis Sally Saphia and all south Barbary Besides all those publick and weighty imployments of that Committee uncessant were their labours in particular businesses referred unto them by the House of Commons As the recovery in of the monyes due on the bonds delivered in by the Farmours taken for Customes in the time of the late Act of Parliament preparing Ordinances for the advancement of the Trade of severall Companys of Merchants trading into forreign parts with limited Rules and Restrictions composing of differences upon severall occasions between Merchants and Officers of the Customes and examining and stating that intricate affaire of the Vintners which subjected them to just Fines and many other businesses of great weight and intricacy and were with all cheerefullnesse and faithfullnesse transacted to cleare up the Honour and Iustice of the Parliament and that without the use of any Arbitrary power but in all cases which they found proper to receive their Tryalls in any Courts of Iustice were carefull to referr such causes to their proper Courts But the whole former Narrative may bee true yet the Honour of the Parliament or of the Committee of the Navy no way cleared but rather stands the more deeply charged For it doth appeare by severall passages in the Narrative That the Committee of the Navy have executed the power and trust of two great Officers of State as in the first yeare of these unnaturall Distempers being 1642 the Office of the Lord High Admirall and from that very yeare to this day the greatest part of the office and trust of the Lord Treasurert These had the power of disposing multitudes of offices the one In the Navy the other in the Customes besides great fees and other perquisites of profit and great advantage yet the power of the Committee rested not here but the Narrative setts forth divers other imployments of trust whereby great advantages have bin very probably made by that Committee or some private Gentlemen as the preferment of persons to Offices and those unworthy or not qualified for such Offices and men of more merit sufferings and abilities laid by which doth lay a great blemish on the honour of the Parliament to imploy their own Members in such great places of trust and advantage And this is visible to all men that the Chaireman of that Committee had five hundred pounds per annum allowed him besides all his other great advantages or otherwise neither he nor some others of that Committee would ever have followed the affaires of that Committee with that zeale and paines early and late that scarce a Trades-man in the City or husband-man in the Countrey tooke the like so that he was thereby brought to such weaknesse at three times he was at the very gates of death by sedentary diseases Vnto all which it is necessary to give this further account that as to my own particular I do here in the presence of the Almighty God the searcher of all hearts and the righteous Iudge as well of all mens intentions as of their Actions protest That next that duty I owe unto God who hath called me to this imployment and to the Parliament who hath intrusted mee with the same and to my Country for whose sake and preservation I was sent hither all irresistable motives to an Ingenious and conscionable Christian to make me account no labour too great nor care too much to be any way instrumentall in so great and glorious a work as the Reformation in Church and State being the main end of the Endeavours of the Parliament I say next the duty I owed to those former relations I was impatiently studious with the help wisedome and care of that Committee to manage those great workes with that advantage to the Common-wealth and with that clearenesse from all private ends as that on the one side the King on the other side the people might be in love with Parliaments the King that he might see the great difference in the managing of the affaires of State between the Councells of the Parliament and his old Councellours of whom he was so fond and by most of whom he was so grosly deceived and the State abused on the other side that the people might see their happinesse under the Government of a King directed by the Councell of Parliament in receiving redresse of their grievances releise in their wants due and speedy justice with all cleerenesse and without consumption of their time by long attendance or of their estates by needlesse and forced expences And as to the five hundred pound allowed mee by the Parliament towards the defraying of my expences having my whole estate then under the power of the Enemy for above three yeares I acknowledge it a great mercy from God and a great favour in the Parliament to provide so liberally for me yet I doe professe that those monies have not supplied my necessities but before the Quarters have come about I have been forced to borrow mony of my children or servants for to defray my ordinary disbursements yet have I not bin profuse either in apparrell or dyet but have lived in a far lesse plenty then before I came to attend the service of the Parliament And as to the disposing of those severall Offices either in the Navy or Customes I doe make this Answer that it is true that many hundreds of persons most of them destroyed in their Estates by these civill warrs had their Petitions ly before that Committee for preferments unto office and that Committee did accordingly dispose of very many as they fell wherein they used all possible care that the persons they preferred should be qualified for the imployment men that had suffered in their Estates and recommended for their integrities And to my best remembrance they never preferred any but upon the speciall recommendation and certificate of the Members of one or both Houses or Parliament All which offices were by that Committee conferred with so much care and clearnesse as what ever was the former practice of officers of State in disposing

integrity and best experienced in Forraigne Trade and Importers of the severall Commodities who having with much labour laid the foundation of this great work It was also the wisdome of the Committee in so high a trust to take advice from the Retailors and severall Traders in the respective Commodities And after divers dayes disputes with them having made their observations in writing of the differences in opinion between the Importer and Buyer did referre the whole work together with their own observations unto the Farmours and Officers of the Customes who according to their great experience and wisedome did contribute much unto the compleating thereof And upon return of their opinions the Committee finding yet further differences did after divers dayes spent in conference with the three Parties viz. the Importer the Buyer and the Officer and upon observations from them all appoint a generall meeting of the Merchants Retailors and Officers acquainted them with their differences in opinion which were reduced to very few considering the variety and greatnesse of the work And after a deliberate debate with them joyntly the Committee did compleat that work and so presented it to the House of Commons where it received a generall approbation with very few amendments The Book of Rates thus formed and upon Report made to the House of Commons thereof being approved and passed without a contradicting voyce Order was given for the same to be printed and published and an Act of Parliament to be drawn for Tonnage and Poundage relating to these Rates which with great deliberation of that Committee and advice with the Kings Councell learned in the Law was drawn accordingly reported and past both Houses and sent to the King then at York for the Royall Assent which his Majesty refusing Order was given to that Committee to consider of a way how to continue the payment of Tonnage and Poundage by an Ordnance which they did accordingly which upon Report passed both Houses Here arose the great difficulty of managing the affaires of the Customes which by Ordnance of Parliament was committed to the charge of that Committee wherein power was given them to remove and place all Officers belonging to the Customes to give Orders and Directions to the Commissioners of the Customes as occasion should serve To heare and decide all differences happening between the Merchants and Officers in reference to the Customes and by their Orders to dispose of all moneys arising on the Customes for the use of the Navie An imployment of great weight and as great trust and which they discharged with as much faithfulnesse wisedome and advantage to the State the distractions of the times the disaffections of many Merchants and the want of a penalty to enjoyn the payment considered as ever that affaire was managed sithence the Conquest which doth manifestly appeare by their saving upward of twelve thousand pound per Annum in the very charge of the Commissioners and reduced unnecessary Officers formerly employed in the managing of those affaires and yet encreased that Revenue at least one third per Annum in those Ports which were still under the obedience of Parliament besides the receits of those Out-Ports that were regained from the Enemy The distractions of the Kingdome encreasing after the Kings deserting the Parliament It pleased both Houses by Ordinance in August 1642. to commit the charge of the Navy and setting forth the yearly Fleets to Sea for the defence of the three Kingdomes unto the care of that Committee of the Customes and so they became the Committee of the Navy and Customes By which Ordinance they had power to order the payments of moneys arising from the Customes to the Treasurer of the Navy who was a member of that Committee for the carrying on of that work And the moneys being so setled in his hands they were all to be issued out by him by the only Order of that Committee which Trust I dare confidently affirm he hath discharged with as much clearnesse and freedome from any corruption as ever Treasurer did And to satisfie the world that this trust was faithfully discharged by that Committee I will here give a short account of the severall Fleets set to Sea with their strength and charge In the year 1642 the Parliament doubting that Forraign Force would be invited into this Kingdome commanded that Committee that a strong Fleet should be set to Sea for that yeare which consisted of twenty Saile of the Kings Ships and twenty three Merchants Ships with 5382. Marriners the charge whereof as well in the Summer as Winter Guard with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy that yeare amounted to two hundred and one thousand seven hundred sixty one pounds 201761 l. In the year 1643. the Parliament having more particular information of preparation of Forraign Forces to infest this Kingdome there were set forth for the Summer Fleet 34 of the Kings Ships 34 Merchants Ships with 7265 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 21 Kings Ships and 24 Merchants Ships with 4035 Marriners the whole charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navie did amount unto three hundred and thirty thousand three hundred sixty nine pounds 330369 l. In the yeare 1644. there were set forth for the Summer Fleet 36 Kings Ships and 20 Merchants Ships with 5099 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 18 Kings Ships and 13 Merchants Ships with 2677. Marriners The totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy did amount unto two hundred thirty eight thousand foure hundred and seventy pounds 238470 l. In the year 1645. there were set forth for the Summer Fleet 34 Kings Ships and 20 Merchants ships with 4483 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 27 Kings Ships and 14. Merchants Ships with 2950 Marriners the totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy amounted to two hundred twenty five thosand five hundred forty foure pounds 225544 l. In the yeare 1646. there were set forth for the Summer Fleet forty foure Kings Ships and 29 Merchants Ships with 5605 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 26 Kings Ships and 12 Merchants ships with 2880 Marriners the totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy amounted to two hundred ninety six thousand fifty one pound 296051 l. And this year there are set forth for the Summer Fleet 43 of the Kings Ships and Frigats and 13 Merchants Ships the charge whereof with the Frigots now building furnishing the Magazin and paying the Ordinaries and the other matters of the Navy will per estimate amount unto two hundred thirty three thousand foure hundred and fifteen pounds 233415 l. Besides there have severall years been set out severall Ships by private Adventurers by way of reprizall which have been allowed victuals by the State In all which Expeditions these particular actions of that Committee are remarkable 1. That being furnished with this great