Speeches and passages of this great and happy Parliament: from the third of November, 1640, to this instant June, 1641.: Collected into one volume, and according to the most perfect originalls, exactly published.

To the Right Honourable the Lord Deputy.

The ••••mble and just Remonstrance of the Knights, Cittizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled.

SHewing that in all ages since the happy subjection of this Kingdome to the Imperiall Crowne of England it was and is a principall study and Princely care of his Majesty and his most noble Progenitors, Kings and Queens of England, and Ireland, to the vast expence of trea∣sure and blood; That their loyall and dutifull people of this Land of Ireland, beeing now for the most part derived from Brittish Ancestors, should be governed according to the mu∣nicipall and fundamentall Lawes of England; That the statute of Magna Charta, or the great Charter of the liberties of England, and other laudable lawes and statutes were in se∣verall Parliaments heere enacted and declared; that by the means thereof & of the most prudent & benign government of his Majestie & his Royall Progenitors, this Kingdome was untill of late in its growth a flourishing estate, whereby the said people were heretofore enab••ed to a••••iver their hum∣ble and naturall desires, to comply with his Majesties Prince∣ly and royall occasions, by their free gift of 150. thousand pounds sterling: and likewise by another free gift of 120. thousand pounds more, during the government of the Lord Viscount Faulkland, and after by the gift of 40. thousand pounds, and their free and cheerefull gift of si•••• intire Sub∣sidies, in the tenth yeare of his Majesties Reign••, which to comply with his Majesties then occasions, signified to the then house of Commons they did allow should ammount

in the Collections unto 2 hundred and fifty thousand pounds (although as they confidently believe) if the Subsidies had been levyed in a moderate Parliamentary way, they would not have amounted to much more then halfe the sum afore∣said, besides the foure intire Subsidies graunted in this present Parliament.

Soe it is, may it please your Lordship, by the occasion of insuing and other grievances and Innovations, though to his Majesty no considerable profit this Kingdome is reduced to that extreame and universall poverty, that the same is lesse able to pay 2 Subsidies then it was hertofore to satisfie all the before-recyted great payments & his Majesties most faithfull people of the Land, do conceive great fears, that the said grie∣vances and consequences thereof, may be hereafter drawne into presidents, to be perpetuated upon their posterity which in their great hopes and strong beliefe, they are perswaded is contrary to his Royall and Princely intention towards his said people, of which greivances are as followeth:

1, First, the generall apparant decay of Trades, occasio∣ned by the new and illegall raising of the booke of rates, and impositions upon native, and other Commodities, exported and imported, by reason whereof and of extreame usage and censures, Merchants are beggered both, and disinabled and discouraged to Trade; and some of the honourable persons who gaine thereby often Iudges and parties. And that in the conclusion his Majesties profit thereby is not considerably advanced.

2. The arbitrary decision of all civill causes and contro∣versies by paper petitions, before the Lord Lieutenant and Lord Deputy, and infinite other Iudicatories upon references from them derived in the nature of all actions determinable at the Common Law, not limited into certaine time, cause season or thing whatsoever: And the consequences of such ex∣ceeding by immoderate and unlawfull fees, by Secretaries Clarkes, Pursivants, Serjeants at Armes, and otherwise, by which kinde of proceedings his Majesty looseth a consi∣derable

part of his revenue upon originall writs, and other wise: and the Subject looseth the benefit of his writ of Error, bill of reversall, vouchees, and other legall and just advanta∣ges and the ordinary course and Courts of Iustice declined.

3. The proceedings in civill causes at Counsell board, con∣trary to the Law and great Charter, not limited to any cer∣taine time or season.

4 That the Subject is in all the materiall parts thereof de∣nyed the benefit of the Princely graces, and more especially of the statute of limitations of 21. of Iac. Graunted by his Majesty in the fourth yeare of his Raigne, upon great advice of Counsell of England and Ireland, and for great considera∣tion, and then published in all the Courts of Dublin, and in all the Counties of this Kingdome in open assizes, whereby all persons doe take notice, that contrary to his Majesties pi∣ous intentions, his Subjects of this land have not enjoyed the benefit of his Majesties Princelie promise thereby made.

5. The extrajudiciall avoyding of Letters Pattents of e∣states; of a very great part of his Majesties subjects under the great Seale (the publique faith of the Kingdome) by private opinions, delivered at the Counsell board without legall evictions of their estates, contrary to the law, and without president or example of any former age.

6. The Proclamation for the sole emption and utte∣ring of Tobacco, which is bought at every low rates, and uttered at high and excessive rates, by meanes whereof thou∣sands of families within this Kingdome, and of his Majesties Subjects, in severall Ilands, and other parts of the West In∣dies (as your Petitioners are informed) are destroyed; and the most part of the coyn of this Kingdome is ingross ed into particular hands: Insomuch as the petitioners do conceive that the proffit arising and engrossed thereby doth surmount his Majestyes revenue, certain or cosuall, within this King∣dome, and yet his Majesty receiveth but very little profit by the same.

7. The universall and unlawfull increasing of Monopolies, to the advantage of a few, to the disprofit of his Majesty, and Impoverishment of his people.

8. The extream and cruell usage of certain late Commissi∣oners, and other stewards, the Brittish Farmers and Inha∣bitants of the City and County of London Derry, by meanes whereof the worthy Plantation of that Country is almost de∣stroyed, and the Inhabitants are reduced to great poverty, and many of them forced to forsake the Countrey, the same bee∣ing the first and most usefull Plantation in the large Province of that Ulster, to the great weakning of the Kingdome, in in this time of danger, the said plantation being the princi∣pall strength of those parts.

9. The late erection of the Court of high Commission, for causes▪ Ecclesiasticall in those necessitous times, the pro∣ceedings of the said Court, in many causes without legal war∣rant, and yet so supported as prohibitions have not been ob∣tained, though legally sought for: And the excessive fees ex∣acted by the Ministers thereof, and the encroaching of the same upon the jurisdiction of other Ecclesiasticall Courts of this Kingdome.

10. The exorbitant fees and pretended Customes exacted by the Clergy against the Law, some of which have been for∣merly represented to your Lordship.

11. The Petitioners doe most heartily bemone that his Ma∣jesties service and profit are much more impaired then advan∣ced, by the grievances aforesaid; & the Subsidies graunted in the last Parliament, having much increased his Majesties reve∣nue, by the buying of graunts, and otherwise: and that all his Majesties debts then due in this Kingdome, were satisfied out of the said Subsidies; and yet his Majesty is of late, (as the pe∣titioners have been informed, in the house of Commons) be∣come indepted in this Kingdome, in great somes; And they doe therefore humbly beseech, that an exact accompt may bee sent to his Majesty, how and in what manner his treasure issued.

12. The Petitioners doe humbly conceive just and great feares, at a Proclamation published in this Kingdome, in Anno Domini 1635. Prohibiting men of quality or estates, to depart this Kingdome into England, without the Lord De∣puties Licence, wherein the Subjects of this Kingdome are hindered and interrupted from free accesse, to addres to his sa∣cred Majesty, and privie Counsell of England, to declare their just grievances, or to obtaine remedies for them in such fort as their Ancestors have done, in all ages since the Reigne of King Henry the second, and great fees exacted, for every of the said Licenses.

13. That of late his Majesties late Atourney generall, hath exhibited Informations against many Boroughs of this King∣dome, into his Majesties Court of Exchequer, to shew cause, by what warrant the said Burgesses (who heretofore sent Bur∣gesses to the Parliament) should send the Burgesses to the Parliament, and thereupon for want of an answere, the said priviledges of sending Burgesses was seised by the said Court, which proceedings were altogether Coram non Iudice, and contrary to the lawes and priviledges of the house of Parlia∣ment; (and if way should be given thereunto) would tend to the subversion of Parliaments, and by consequence to the ru∣ine and destruction of the Common-wealth.

And that the house of Commons, hath hitherto in this pre∣sent Parliament, been deprived of the advice and Counsell of many profitable and good members by means thereof.

14. By the powerfulnesse of some Ministers of state in this Kingdome, the Parliament in its members, and actions, hath not his naturall freedome.

15. And lastly, that the Gentry, and Merchants, and other his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdome, are of late by the grievances, and pressures before said, & other the like brought very neere to ruine, and destruction: And Farmers of Cust∣omes, Customers, Waiters, Searchers, Clarkes of unwar∣rantable proceedings, Pursivants, and Goalers, and sundry others, very much enriched, whereby and by the slow re∣dress

of the petitioners, his Majesties most faithfull and dutifull people of this Kingdome, doe conceive great feares, that their readinesse approved upon all occasions, hath not beene of latere presented to his sacred Majesty: For remedy whereof the said Petitioners doe humbly and of right beseech your Lordship, that the said grievances and pressures may bee speedily redressed, and if your Lordship shall not thinke fit to afford present reliefe, that your Lordship might admit a select Committee of this house of Persons uninteressed in the benefit a rising of the aforesaid grievances to be licensed by your Lordship, to repaire to his sacred Majesty in England, for to pursue the same and to ob∣taine fitting remedy for their aforesaid and other just grie∣vances and expressions, and upon all just and honourable oc∣casions, they will without respect of particular interest or profit, to be raised thereby most humbly and readily in Par∣liament extend their uttermost endeavour to serve his Majesty and comply with his royall and princely occasions, And shal pray, &c.