The Deplorable Condition of the Reduced and Dischar­ged Men out of his Majesties several Regiments of Horse, Foot and Dragoons, that have Served his Majesty in the Reducing of Ireland, and in the Wars in the Low Countries.
Most Humbly offered to the Consideration of the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled.

Sheweth,

THAT with Hearts full of Thankfulness, they Acknowledg the great Care and Readiness of this Honourable House, in hearing the many Complaints have been made to your Honours on their behalf; And with what Zeal and Love of Justice to relieve the opprest, there was the last Session of Parliament, an Act made which gave them great hopes that there would be no more need of troubling your Honours therein.—But the United Resolutions of the Officers, not to Comply with the same, or give any Account or Satisfaction to the opprest in any Matter whatsoever, un­less compell'd by Severity of Law (which they are not able to prosecute) Necessitates them to become your dayly Supplicants for your further protection and relief, they having spent their little all on their attendance thereon already, and are become Objects of Pi­ty Worthy your Honours Consideration and Speedy Resolution; therefore with all Submission they humbly presume to lay before your Honours:

  • 1. That altho his Majesty by his most Gracious Orders on the Reducement of the Army, since the happy Conclusion of the Peace, directed that each Trooper and Dragoon, reduced out of his several Regiments, and Troops of Horse and Dragoons, and had ser­ved in the same a Twelve Month, as of his Majesty's bounty, should have his Horse and Accoutrements, or value, yet their Respective Officers have detained many of their Hor­ses without giving them any Satisfaction for the same; Altho several brought their Horses into the Service at their own charge.
  • 2. That as it hath been the Wisdom of the Government on the Establishment of the Army, to settle the pay of each Member in the Army; It hath been the Care of the Parliament by Act of the 4th and 5th of his present Majesty, and the late Queen Mary of happy Memory (which Act was yearly renewed during the Wars) to limit a certain part of the pay allowed all Private Centinells and Souldiers as their Immediate Sub [...]stance, and that they should have an Account of their pay without any Deduction or Abate­ments whatsoever, other then the usual Deductions from the Souldiers for Cloathing, 12 d. per l. to be disposed of as their Majesty's shall direct, and one days pay in the Year to Chelsey Colledg: And with all Submission they Presume their faithful services during the War hath given sufficient Testimony of their Loyalty, and the just discharge of their duty to their Country, and may Justly Entitle them to their pay according to the Establish­ment, and the several Acts of Parliament therein. But to their great grief they have found that their Officers have stopt out of their immediate Subsistance, by Unwarrantable Deductions, and contrary to Acts of Parliament, between 8 or 10 l. a Man per Annum, from all Troopers, 4 or 6 l. a Man from Dragoons, and 2 l. and 3 l. 10 s. from Foot Souldiers, Sergeants, Corporalls, and Drummers, proportionably according to their pay, during the Wars in Flanders. And that the Private Centinells were compelled to Sub­scribe the Accounts, and admit of these Deductions under the Threats and Terrours of their Officers, to be sent Prisoners to the Provost Marshal, where many have been com­mitted at the will of their Officers, and kept on Bread and Water till they Complied with their Peremptory Commands others been discharg'd the service for their Non Com­plyance, and some have been try'd by a Court Marshal, and received Punishment because they would not submit and sign general discharges.
  • 3. That those that served in Ireland, have not had plenary Accounts of their Subsist­ance due there, or any Account of their off-Reckonings since they have been in the Ar­my, altho it hath been directed by his Majesty's Particular Orders therein. And that all Colonels and Commanding Officers of each Regiment, have long since had an Account of their Irish Arrears stated to the last of March, 1 [...]92. and clearance to a small Summ, which they pretend lyes in the Kings Hand.—But it is to much to be feared, it is a de­sign of the Officers on purpose to avoid a full Account with the Souldiers, who have Ar­rears yet due to them for their service in Ireland.
  • [Page]4. That in the Year 1692. each Trooper that was in Ireland received 2 l. 5 s. Corporals and Trumpeters 2 l 10 s. per man, and Dragoons proportionably, as a Bounty from her late Majesty of happy Memory, which is since charged as so much paid in part of their Subsistance in Ireland.
  • 5. That many of the Colonels and Officers concern'd in the Irish Arrears, and Flanders Stoppages, are now in Ireland, and will not come into England, on purpose to defraud the Soldiers that were under their particular Commands, and are now discharged and redu­ced out of their respective Regiments.

That with all Submission, it is presumed it may not be unworthy the Consideration of this Honourable House, to observe how remiss and unwilling the Officers are to shew O­bedience to Acts of Parliament already made, or comply with his Majesties Orders made for the good and benefit of the Soldiers, in the distribution of his Royal Favours, by their Confederating to oppose the same by an United Resolution (a thing Commendable in Civil Communities, for the suppressing of Vice, but rarely found to oppose the Establish'd Laws of the Kingdom, and his Majesties Royal Acts of Bounty): And what Methods they have used to stop Large Sums of Money out of the Immediate Subsistance of the Soldiers, to their great Impoverishing; whilst the Officers grow Rich, and possess and claim all Monies due no Dead, Absent or Discharged Men, and the Widows, Orphans and Relations of many, and such who have power to receive the same, are reduced to great Penury and Want; and are likely so to continue, unless Relieved by your Honours, in the disanul­ling the Extorted Receipts have been given by the Soldiers, and by such other ways and means as to the Wisdom of this Honourable House shall be thought most fit and expedi­ent; The Officers declaring, they are resolved to pay no Money but what they are com­pell'd by Law, or ordered by this Honourable House.

All which is most, Humbly Submitted, &c.

THE CASE OF THE Reduced and Disbanded Soldiers

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