The sovereigns prerogative and the subjects priviledge discussed betwixt courtiers and patriots in Parliament, the third and fourth yeares of the reign of King Charles : together with the grand mysteries of state then in agitation.

The Second Remonstrance.

Most Gratious Soveraign,

YOur Majesties most Loyall and Dutifull Subjects the Com∣mons in this present Parliament Assembled, being in nothing more carefull then of the Honour and prosperity of your Majesty and the Kingdom, which they know doth much depend upon your happy Union and relation betwixt your Majestie and your people, do with much sorrow apprehend, that by reason the incertain∣ty of their continuance, together the unexpected interruptions which have been cast upon them, and the shortness of time in which your Majestie hath determined to end this Session, they cannot bring to maturity and perfection, diverse businesses of waight which they have taken into consideration and resolution as most important for the common good; Amongst diverse other things they have taken in especial care for preparing a Bill for the granting to your Majestie such a subsedy of Tonnage and Poundage, as might uphold your profit and revenew in as ample manner as their just care, and respect of Trade, wherein not onely the prosperity, but even the life of the King∣dom would permit, but being a work which will require much time and preparation by conference with your Majesties Officers and with the Merchants, not onely of London, but also of other remote parts, they finde it not possible to be accomplished at this time, wherefore considering it will be much more prejudiciall to the right of the Sub∣ject, if your Majestie should continue to receive the same without Authority of Law after the determination of a Session, then if there had been a recess by adjournment onely, in which case that intended grant would have related to the first day of the Parliament, and assu∣ring themselves your Majesty is resolved to observe that your Royall answer, which you have lately made to the Petition of Right of both Houses of Parliament, Yet doubting lest your Majesty may be mis∣informed concerning the particular case, as if you might continue to

take those subsedies of Tonnage and Poundage and other impositions upon Merchants, without breaking that answer they are forced by that dutie which they owe to your Majestie and to those whom they represent; to declare, that there ought not any imposition to be laid upon the goods of Merchants exported or imported without common consent by Act of Parliament: which is the right and inheritance of your Subjects, founded not onely upon the most ancient and Ori∣ginal constitution of this Kingdom, but often confirmed and declared in divers Statute Laws. And for the better manifestation thereof, may it please your Majestie to understand, that although your Royall pre∣decessors the Kings of this Realm have often had such subsedies and impositions granted unto them upon diverse occasions, especially for the guarding of the Seas, and safe-guard of Merchants; yet the Subjects have been ever carefull to use such cautions and limmita∣tions in those grants, as might prevent any claim to be made, That such subsedies do proceed from duty, & not of free gift of the Subject, and that they have heretofore used to limmit a time in such grants, and for the most part but short, as for a year or two, and if it were continued longer, they have sometimes directed a certain space of cessation and intermission, that so the right of the Subject might be more evident. At other times it hath been granted upon occasions of War for a certain number of years, with proviso, that if the War were ended in the mean time, then the grant should cease; And of course it hath been sequestred into the hands of some Subjects to be imployed for the guarding of the coasts, and it is acknowledged by the ordinary answers of your Majesties predecessors in their assent to the Bills of subsedy of Tonnage and Poundage, That it is of the nature of other subsedies proceeding from the good will of the Subject, Very few of your predecessors had it for life until the raign of Hen. 7. who was so far from conceiving he had any right thereunto, that although he granted commissions for collecting cer∣tain duties and customes due by Law, yet he made no commissions for receiving the subsedy of Tonnage and Poundage, untill the same was granted unto him in Parliament: Since his time all the Kings and Queens of England have had the like grants for life by the free love and good will of the Subject.

And whensoever the people have been grieved by laying any im∣position or other charges upon their goods or Merchandizes with∣out Authority of Law, which hath been very seldom, yet upon com∣plaint in Parliament they have been forthwith relieved, saving in the time of your Royal Father, who having (through ill Councel,) raised the rates and charges of Merchandizes to that height, at which they now are, was yet pleased to yield so far to the complaint of his people, as to offer, that if the vallue of those impositions which he had set might be made good unto him, he would himself and his Heirs by act of Parliament be bound never to lay any other, which

offer the Commons at that time, in regard of the great burthen, did not yield unto. Nevertheless your Loyal Commons in this Parliament out of their especiall zeal to your service and special re∣gard to your pressing occasions, to take into their considerations so to frame a grant of subsedy of Tonnage and Poundage to your Majestie, that both you might have been the better enabled for the defence of your Realm and your Subjects, from being secure from all undue charges, might be the more incouraged chearfully to pro∣ceed in their course of Trade (by the encrease whereof your Majesties profit, and likewise the strength of the Kingdom would be very much augmented, But not being now able to accomplish this their desire, there is no course left unto them without manifest breach of their duty both to your Majesty and the Countrey, save onely to make this humble declaration, that the receiving of Tonnage and Poundage and other impositions not granted by Parliament, is a breach of the fundamentall Liberties of this Kingdom, and contrary to your Ma∣jesties Royal Answer to the said Petition of Right. And therefore they do most humbly beseech your Majestie to forbear any further to receive the same, and not to take it in ill part from those of your Majesties loving Subjects who shall refuse to make payment of any such charges without warrant of Law demanded. And as by this for∣bearance your most Excellent Majestie shall manifest unto the world your Royal Justice in the observance of your Laws; So they not doubting, but that hereafter at the time appointed for their coming together again, they shall have occasion to express their great de∣sire to advance your Majesties Honour and profit.