THe Parliament taking into Serious Consideration the present State and Condition of this Common-Wealth, and particularly of the City of London, Do Enact and Ordain, And be it Enacted and Ordained by Authority of the same, That Thomas Aleyn Lord Mayor of the City of Lon­don, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffes of the said City for the time being, Thomas Atkin, Thomas Foot, John Fowke, Thomas Viner, Major Gene­ral Alderman Richard Browne, William Thomp­son, John Robinson, Anthony Bateman, John Law­rence, Richard King, William Bolton and William Wale Aldermen, Col. Lawrence Bromfield, Rich­ard Ford, Major Thomas Chamberlyn, William Bateman Esquire, William Vincent, John Jolly Esquires, Major John Taylor, William Antrobus Esquire, Thomas Steane, John Winne, Theophilus Biddulph Esquires, Captain Edward Storey, Deputy Abraham Johnson, John Saunders, Thomas Bludworth Esq Maximillian Beard Esq Major Thomas Cox, Major William Earely, Ma­jor John Alsopp, Deputy Thomas Lenthall, Cownel Thomas Gower, Peter Mills, Ma­ster Nicholas Penninge, Captain Edward Cleg­gat, Sir Thomas Soame, Jsaac Pennington Esq [Page 4] Samuel V [...]ssall Esq, Major General Philip Skip­pon, Henry Ashurst, Christopher Pack, John Dethick, Richard Chiverton, John Frederick, Tempest Mil­ner, William Love, and Edward Backwell, Alder­men of the said City, Lawrence Blomley, James Noell, Deputy Richard Cliffe, William Lluelling, John [...], Richard Rives, Leiutenant Colo­nel Ja [...]kson, Thomas Morris, John Bathurst, John Cock, William Allet, Tobell Aylmer, Depu­ty Thomas Myms, and James Medlicot, or any nine or more of them, and no other Person or [...]rsons whatsoever, be and are hereby E [...]ted and Appointed Commissioners for [...]he [...] of the City of London, and Liberties [...] shall have power, and are hereby [...] to Assemble and Call together all [...] person and Persons, within the [...] Ci [...]y of London, and Liberties thereof, that [...] and Convenient for the Wars, and them to Train, Exercise, and put in Readiness: And them (both Horse and Foot) after their A [...]ilties and Faculties, well and sufficiently from t [...]me to time to cause to be Arrayed and Weapon­e [...] and to take the Musters of them in Places m [...]st fit for that purpose; And to Lead, Conduct, and Imploy the Persons aforesaid, Arrayed and Weaponed, for the Suppression of all Rebellions, Insurrections, and Invasions, that may happen within the said City and Liberties thereof, and to fight with, kill & stay such Enemies and Rebels as they shall find in Arms against this Common­wealth, and to disarm al known Papists, and dan­gerous and seditious persons, and all such as shall raise or endeavour to raise any Tumults or In­surrections, & to put the Arms of all such persons, into the hands of such well-affected persons as [Page 5] they, or any nine or more of them shall think fit to serve with the same, under such Officers to be appointed by the said Commissoners as is hereafter mentioned, or otherwise to secure the same for the use of the Commonwealth.

And Be it further Enacted, That the said Of­ficers may likewise lead, conduct, and emp [...]oy the persons aforesaid, Arrayed and Weaponed, as well within the said City, as within any other parts of this Commonwealth, for the sup­pression of all Rebellions, Insurrections, and Invasions that may happen, according as they shall from time to time receive Directions from the Parliament, or Council of State by Authority of Parliament.

Provided, That no Citizen of the City of London, or any of the Forces of the said City and Liberties thereof, shall be drawn forth, or compelled to go out of the said City or Liberties thereof, for Military service, without his or their free Consent. And that the said Com­missioners, or any nine or more of them as afore­said, shall have power, and are hereby authori­zed to Constitute, make and Commissionate Co­lonels, Captains, and other Officers both of Horse and Foot; and shall have power to re­move and displace Colonels, Captains, and other Officers from time to time, as they, or any nine or more of them as aforesaid, see cause and think fit. And for furnishing Drums, Colours, Trophies, Ammunition, and other Emergencies, the said Commis­sioners, or any nine or more of them, shall and have hereby power to lay sitting and rea­sonable Rates upon the said City and Liber­ties [Page 6] thereof, not exceeding in one whole year the proportion of two Moneths Assessment upon the said City and Liberties, after the rate of 35000 l. per Mensem, upon England, charged for maintenance of the Armies and Navies of this Commonwealth. Which Moneys are to be As­sessed, Collected and paid as the said Commis­sioners, or any nine or more of them, shall from time to time direct and appoint, under the pe­nalties, and by the wayes and means prescribed in the Act for the present six Moneths Assess­ment, from the 25th of December last.

And Be it further Enacted, That if any Souldier of the Militia-Forces of the said City shall at any time hereafter refuse or neglect to appear to his Colours, upon Summons given by sound of Trumpet, beat of Drum, or other­wise by Order from the said Commissioners of the Militia, or shall depart from his Colours without leave of his Captain or other Chief Officer; it shall be lawful for the said Commis­sioners, or any nine of them, to Impose a penal­ty upon every defaulter as they shall see fit, not exceeding xx s. for a Horseman, and x s. for a Footman for every offence, to be levied by such person and persons as the said Commissioners, or any nine or more of them, shall appoint, by distresse and sale of the Goods of such persons making default as aforesaid: The said penal­ties to be Imployed for carrying on of the said Service.

And, Be it further Enacted, That the said Commissioners, or any nine, or more of them, shall, and may summon all and every Treasu­rer and Treasurers of any former Committee, [Page 7] or Commissioners for the Militia, within the City and Liberties aforesaid, or any other per­son or persons, who, by vertue of any Authori­ty of Parliament, or otherwise, are possest of any sum or sums of Money, or Arms, in rela­tion to the said Militia; and also the late Offi­cers of the Militia-Forces of the said City, who received Drums and Trophyes for that ser­vice, and to require them, and every of them, forthwith to pay every such sum and sums of Money, and deliver such Arms, Drums, and Trophyes, remaining in their hands as afore­said, to such person and persons as the said Commissioners, appointed by this Act, or any nine or more of them, shall appoint to be imploy­ed for carrying on of the said Service. And in Case of non-payment and delivery of such mo­ney, Arms, Drums, and Trophyes, to Levy the same money, or value of the said Arms, Drums, and Trophyes, by Imprisonment of the person, or by distresse and sale of his goods, rendring the over-plus to the party distray­ned.

And also it is Enacted, That no person or persons, other then the persons aforenamed, do or shall from henceforth Act, or exercise any power or Authority, as Members of the Mili­tia for the City of London, by force, or colour of any former Order, Ordinance, Act, or Autho­rity of Parliament: and that all, and every person, and persons, who shall act, or do any act or thing whatsoever, by vertue of this Act, concerning the said Militia, shall be saved harmlesse, and Indempnified for and concer­ning the same, by Authority of Parliament.

And lastly, It is hereby Declared and En­acted, That this present Act, or any thing therein, or thereby Declared or Enacted, shall not in any wise diminish or prejudice the just and antient Rights of the City of London, tou­ching the Militia of the said City.

Provided, That no person shall be charged with Horse and Arms, unlesse such person have the yearly Revenue of 500 l. per annum, or have an Estate of 6000 l. in Goods, or Money, or other Estate equivalent thereunto; And so proportionably as the Commissioners in their Discretions shall think reasonable. And the said Commissioners are not to charge any per­son with finding a Foot-Souldier in Arms, that hath not a yearly Revenue of 40 l. or a personal Estate of 500 l. in goods or money, and after the said rate proportionably for a greater or lesser Estate. It shall be lawfull for the said Commissioners, or any nine, or more of them, to impose the finding of a Horse and Arms, as aforesaid, by joyning two or three or more persons together in the Charge, as in their Iudgments shall seem most con­ducible to the publick Safety. And the said Commissioners, or any nine or more of them, are hereby authorised to hear and examine Complaints upon Oath, which they have hereby power to administer and redresse as they shall see cause.

[Page 9] And be it further Enacted, That the said Commissioners, or any nine or more of them, shall Require and Direct all Persons so char­ged as aforesaid with Horse and Armes, to al­low two Shillings per diem to the Troopers that Serve with their Horse and Armes, for maintenance of the Man and Horse, and twelve pence a day to the Foot Souldiers, for so many days as they shall be absent from their Dwel­lings or Callings, by occasion of Muster or Exercise.

And be it further Enacted, That if any Per­son or Persons so to be Assessed or Charged by the said Commissioners, shall refuse or neglect, by the time to be Appointed by the said Commissi­oners, to provide and funish such sufficient Horse or Horses, Arms, and other Furniture, or to pay such Sum or Sums of Money towards the Providing and Furnishing as aforesaid, That then it shall and may be Lawful to and for the said Commissioners, or any nine or more of them, to inflict a penalty upon such Person or Persons, not exceeding twenty pounds; and also by War­rant under their Hands and Seals, to Commit such person or persons so refusing or neglecting to Prison, there to remain without Bayle or Main-prize till he or they shall Conform there­unto, and pay such penalty so inflicted as afore­said: Or else by like Warrant to Levy such Sum or Sums of Money to the value of such Horse, Armes and Furniture, and such penalty inflicted, by Distress and Sale of the Goods of the person or persons so neglecting or refusing, rendring the overplus to the Party so Distrain­ed; all necessary Charges in Levying thereof being first deducted.

[Page 10] Provided also, That if any person or persons shall be Assessed to find Horse and Armes in the County, City or place where his chief Mansion house is for his whele Estate, That then upon a Certificate or Certificates that such person or persons is & are so Assessed for his whole Estate in the said County, City or place, such person or persons shall be discharged of any Assessment for the same in any other County, City or place where any other part of his Estate shall lye.

Provided always, That no person shall be per­mitted to Ride a Horse, or Carry Armes in this Service, who hath beén in Armes against the Parliament, or voluntarily aiding or assisting therein, and hath not since manifested his good affection to the Parliament.

Provided also, That no person shall be Im­ployed in this Service within this Common­wealth as a Commission-Officer of the Militia Raised or intended to be Raised, but such or the Sons of such who have Assisted and Adhered to the Parliament and their Cause, unless such Sons have shewed their Disaffection to the Par­liaments Cause. Provided also, That this Act shall continue for one year, unless the Par­liament take other Order.