Animated by this gallant Remonftrance, and refenting the infamous Behaviour of a pack'd Majority, so many Members, afhamed of their Compa

October.

Inter-regnum, nions, left the Houfe, that, in order to fave Appear1656. ances, it was refolv'd, on the 29th of this Month, That all Perfons who had been return'd to ferve in this Parliament, and had been, or might be, approved by the Council, fhould give their Attendance within seven Days. As to those who had been excluded for Want of fuch Approbation, no farther Notice was taken of them: But the reft proceeded to appoint Committees on public Business, particularly Scots and Irifb Affairs: And, to give the Protector ftill greater Affurances of their Attachment to his Government, a Bill was brought in, and read once, intitled, An Act for the Security of his Highnefs the Lord Proteclor's Perfon, and Continuance of the Nation in Peace and Safety. A Bill was alfo ordered to be brought in, For taking away the Court of Wards and Liveries, and Tenures by KnightService.

A Bill paffed for renouncing the Stuart Family.

The Manner of

1

Nothing occurs more in the Journals, but regulating of double Returns, &c. till the 26th of this Month, when the Bill for renouncing and difannulling the pretended Title of Charles Stuart, &c. was read a third Time; and feveral Additions were propofed, which were, That the King's Titles fhould not only be abrogated, but all the Titles that ever belonged to his eldest Son, or any of the Family; as Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Scotland, Duke of Albany, Duke of Rothefay, Duke of York, or Duke of Gloucefter. Afterwards the Bill, with these and other Amendments made to it, being put to the Question, passed; and, as the fournals have it, nemine contradicente. It was ordered, at the fame Time, That the Lord Protector's Affent be defired to this Bill. Laftly, a Committee was appointed to confider of the Way of Addrefs to his Highness, with Bills, and report it to the House. Accordingly,

October 1. The faid Report was made; on which prefenting Bills for the Protec- it was refolved, 1. That a Copy of every Bill that tor's Confent, fhall pass the Houfe, be made, and carefully examin

ed

1656.

October.

ed by the Clerk of the Parliament, with the Origi- Inter-regnum nal, and figned by him: That the Speaker, with the whole House, fhall attend the Lord Protector; and, in their Name, prefent the Bills to his Highness for his Confent: That the Clerk fhall read the Titling of the Bills; and, if the Lord Protector require it, the Bills alfo: And then the Speaker fhall deliver to his Highness the Copy.

2. That the Place of Meeting for the Lord Protector to pafs Bills, fhall be the Painted-Chamber. 3.. That when the Lord Protector fhall pass a Bill, the Form of Words to be ufed fhall be these, The Lord Protector doth confent; which Words shall be entered " upon the Bill.

4. That the Lord Protector may require the Judges and fuch Officers of State to attend him, at the Time of presenting and paffing of Bills, as his Highness fhall think fit.

5. 'That it be referred back to the fame Committee, to confider what Words are fit to be ufed when a Bill is firft paffed by this Houfe; and to be indorfed by the Clerk thereupon: How Notice fhall be given to the Houfe, when nis Highness comes to pafs Bills: What Words fhall be used when, in cafe the Lord Protector doth not confent in twenty Days, a Bill is to become a Law: And how Bills may be paffed in case of the Lord Protector's Sicknefs or Absence.'

A War with Spain having been entered into by The Parliament the Protector and his Council, it was, at the fame approve of the Time, thought proper to communicate this Affair War with Spain, to the Parliament; who, having heard the Report, it was refolved, That the War against the Spaniard was undertaken upon juft and neceffary Grounds, and for the Good of the People of this Commonwealth: That the Houfe doth approve thereof; and will, by God's Bleffing, affift his Highness therein: And a Committee was appointed

to

n The Word Entered was inferted inftead of the Word Indorfed And this Note is written against it in the Margin, "Amended b Order, upon the Queftion, the 20th of November, 1656.

Commons JourBaIS.

Inter-regnum.

November.

Nov. 7. A Report was made from the Protector 1656. and his Council, That an Account had been drawn up of what would be neceffary for carrying on the Spanish War another Year, and how far the prefent public Revenues would reach to the defraying of that Charge. This Account was foon after referred to a Committee, to confider how to answer the Expence, and to present their Propofitions for it to the House as fpeedily as poffible.

ral Bills.

Nov. 27. Several Bills being now ready for the Lord Protector's Affent, a Committee was appointed to wait upon him, and defire to know the Time when he would please to have them prefented to him The Lord Pro- for that Purpofe. His Highness appointed Ten tector gives his Confent to feve-O'Clock that Morning in the Painted Chamber; but before the House went up thither, they thought proper to read another Bill three Times, and pats it; which was, That his Highness's paffing of Bills Should not be any Determination of this Seffion of Parliament. They alfo ordered, That this Bill be the first that should be prefented to his Highness for his Confent.' It was fo done; and accordingly ftands firft in the Acts of this Seffion. P

The Ceremonial thereof.

So extraordinary a Caution fhews very plainly, that the House, though thoroughly purged and modelled, had fome Jealoufy that the Protector might intend to diffolve them: However, it happened otherwife; for now the Serjeant at Arms bringing Word that Serjeant Dendy was at the Door with a Meffage from his Highness, he was called in:- -The Ceremonial on this Occafion was as follows:

Having made two Obeifances to the Parliament when he came into the Middle of the Houfe, with his Mace in his Hand, he declared to the Speaker, That he was commanded by the Lord Protector to let this Parliament know, that his Highness was in the Painted-Chamber, and defired to fpeak with that Honourable Houfe there; and withdrew.

P Scobell's Collections, p. 371.

• Then

1656.

Noveniber

Then the Speaker with the whole Houfe (the Inter-regnum. Clerk with the Bills in his Hand, and the Serjeant with his Mace, going next and immediately before him) went up to the Painted-Chamber; where his Highness, attended by the Lord Prefident and the reft of the Council, the Lords Commiffioners of the Great Seal and of the Treasury, the Lord Chief Juftice of the Upper Bench, the Mafter of the Rolls, the Lord Chief Juftice of the Common Pleas, and the rest of the Judges, were expecting the Parlia

ment.

The Serjeant carried his Mace upon his Shoulder up to the Table, where was a Chair set for the Speaker, and a Form for the Clerk.

Then the Speaker, addreffing himself to his Highness, gave an Account of the Employment of the Houfe during their Sitting: That many Bills for the Public Good were upon the Anvil, fome whereof were compleated; and of thefe he made a particular Relation. The first of which was an Act, That the paffing of Bills fhall not determine this preJent Seffion of Parliament: This he ftyled a Bill for the Parliament's Prefervation. The next, which was an A&t For renouncing and difannulling the pretended Title of Charles Stuart, &c. he called a Bill for quieting the Poffeffion of the Government. The third, For the Security of his Highness the Lord Protector's Perfon, and Continuance of the Nation in Peace and Safety, he faid was for a Security tọ every Perfon in the Nation, all their feveral Interefts being comprehended in that of his Highness. The Fourth, an A&t For taking away the Court of Wards and Liveries, he ftyled an Act of Manumiffion. The fifth was an Act For granting Liberty to export feveral Commodities of the Breed, Growth, and Manufacture of this Commonwealth, the good Intentions whereof were felf-evident; and that there were also several more Bills of private Concernment to particular Perfons.

After this the Clerk read the Title of the first Bill presented to the Lord Protector, which his Highness ordered to be read through, and declared

to