INSTRVCTIONS Agreed on by a COMMITTEE Of the Lords and Commons for the Committee for Sequestration of Delinquents estates.
Also An Order of the Commons Assembled in Parliament, concerning persons that shall come from Oxford or any part of the KINGS army to London, without warrant from both Houses of Parliament, or from his Excellencie the Earle of Essex, shall be apprehended as Spyes, and proceeded against according to the rules of Warre.
Ordered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament, That this be forthwith Printed and published.
London, Printed for Edw. Husbands, and are to be sold at his shop in the middle Temple. Aprill 11. 1643.
- 1. YOu are to use your best care and diligence for the speedy execution of the Ordinance here with sent you for Sequestration of Delinquents Estates, as being a matter of great necessity and importance, for the subsistance of the Army raised by the Parlirment, and great affairs of the Commonwealth.
- 2. You are to cause the same Ordinance, and the other Order for restraining of the Tenants and others from paying their Rents, and other dues to the said Delinquents, to be forthwith published in all Markets, and other convenient places within your severall Counties and Divisions.
- 3. You are to meet, and divide your selves into severall limits, and to appoint some times and places of further meeting as shalbe most convenient, & to call before you or any two or more of you at such meetings, all such Officers & other persons as you shall think fit, and give them in charge the effect of the said Ordinance, and thereby, and by all good wayes and means to enquire and inform your selves of all the particulars therein contained; and where you finde any doubt concerning any person, whether he be comprehended within the said Ordinance, [Page 4]you are to certifie the fame to the Committee of Lords and Commons for this service, and in the mean time to secure the Estates of such persons, untill you shall receive further Directions.
- 4. Where (after these words in the Ordinance, Such as have voluntarily contributed, or shall voluntarily contribute) these words do follow, viz. Not being under the power of any part of the Kings Army at the time of such contributing; you are not to understand those latter words of such as have willingly drawn, or consented to the drawing in of any such power, or have willingly submitted themselves thereunto.
- 5. You are to call before you the severall Tenants, and others persons by whom any Rents, summs of money, debts, or other duties are owing to the said Delinquents or any of them, and set them a day for payment thereof, and to such Tenants as shall willingly yeeld conformity to the said Ordinance; you shall abate so much of their rack Rents where the lands are set at an improved value, and not otherwise, as you shall think fit, according to their severall conditions and necessities, not exceeding a fourth part of such improved Rents.
- 6. You are to seize two parts of the estates both reall and perfonall, of all papists (as they are papists) and the whole estates of all other sorts of Delinquents mentioned in the sayd Ordinance, whether they be Papists or others; and you are to understand by two parts of Papists estates, two of their whole Lands, and two of their Goods and personall estate in three to be divided.
- 7. Upon the seizure of the Goods, Chattells, or personall estates of any the sayd Delinquents, you are to cause an appraisement therof to be made by indifferent persons [Page 5]and a true Inventory thereof to be taken, and to convey the same Goods into some safe place, or places within the County or elsewhere, there to be kept untill they may conveniently be sold; and you are to sell the same or cause them to be sold at as great Rates as you can, with all convenient expedition, and in the Market where conveniently it may be.
- 8. You have power to let all or any the Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments of any the sayd Delinquents, from yeer to yeer, to such Tenants as you shall think fit, and for such reasonable Rents as you can get, unlesse you can otherwise employ the same to better advantages.
- 9. You are to appoint Collectors for the receiving of all Rents, profits, sums of money, debts, and other duties due or owing to the sayd Delinquents, or any of them, allotting the estate of any one or more of the sayd Delinquents, to the charge of one or more Collector or Collectors, as shall be most convenient; and the sayd Collectors are to send up the sums by them collected, together with a schedule of their receipts and payments, (keeping a duplicate thereof) to the Treasurers which shall be appointed by both Houses for that service, wherein the sayd Collectors, or such as they shall send up the money by, are first to attend the sayd Committee of Lords and Commons for their directions herein, and to be very carefull in the safe conveying of the sayd money.
- 10. Every Collector is to have such allowance for his pains and charges as you shall think fit, not exceeding three pence in every pound; and every one that shall be appointed a Solicitor by the said Lords and Commons to see this Ordinance put in execution, is to have for his charges and pains therein, fix pence in every pound, and every [Page 6]other person which shall be necessarily employed in or about the sayd service, is to have such allowances, as you or any two of you or more shall think fit, and your selves are to be allowed such recompence for your charge and pains in this service, as shall be approved of by the Committee of Lords and Commons.
- 11. You are to keep books and Registers of all such monys, receipts, profits, and other parts of the sayd Delinquents estates as shall come to your hands, and of all your receipts & payments, and to be accomptable for the same to both Houses of Parliament, or such as they shall appoint.
- 12. You are to take care for the safe keeping of the Deeds, Evidences, and Writings of the sayd Delinquents, and for preserving of their Houses, Timber-trees and Fruit-trees from waste and destruction.
- 13. In all other particulars concerning this businesse, you are to be guided and directed by the sayd Ordinance, wherein you shall conceive any doubt, you are to certifie the same to the Committee of Lords and Commons for this serviee, whereupon you shall receive such further direction in that behalfe, as shall be fit.
An Order of the Commons Assembled in Parliament, concerning persons that shall come from Oxford, or any part of the Kings army to London, without warrant from both Houses of Parliament, or from his Excellency the Earle of ESSEX.
Die Lunae 10. April, 1643.
IT is this day Ordered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament, That whatsoever person shall come from Oxford, or any part of the Kings Army to London, or any parts adjacent, or to any other part of the Army under the command of the Earle of Essex, or to any Fort or Court of Guard, kept by the authority of both Houses of Parliament, without the warrant of both Houses of Parliament, or of the Lord Generall the Earl of Essex; Shall apprehended [Page 8]as spies and intelligencers, and be proceeded against according to the rules and grounds of War. And it is further Ordered, that the like care be taken by Water, for the apprehending of the persons aforesayd; And all Captains of Guards and Officers, and all other persons are required, to be very diligent in apprehending the sayd persons. And it is further Ordered, That this Order be printed and published and sent to the severall Courts of Guard both by water and Land.