WHereas the County and City of Glocester, and the County of the said City are now in a sad condition, by reason of the enemies lying upon them, and keeping many Garrisons in the County of Glocester, and the Counties of Hereford, Monmouth, Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Radnor, being almost all in their power, whereby the Irish Rebels and other enemies have the freer passage for prosecuting their bloody designes against this Kingdome to spoyle and ruine the same; for prevention whereof and to reduce the residue of the said Counties to their due obedience of the King and Parliament, there is great necessity that three or foure hundred horse, and other Forces be presently raised, and money provided for the same, and also for the better maintaining of the Forces al­ready raised, and to be raised in the said Counties and City. The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, consi­dering [Page 2]the premises, and well weighing the extraordinary and faithfull service performed at, before and since the late siege of Glocester, by the Garrison there, by Collonel Massey, and the Forces under his command, Doe declare, order, and or­dains, and be it hereby ordered, declared, and ordained, That Sir Robert Harley, Knight of the Bath; John Wilde, Ser­ieant at Law; Nathaniel Stephens, Edward Stephens, Tho. Hodges, & Tho. P [...]ry, Esquires; Members of the House of Commons, the Maior and Recorder of the City of Gloce­ster for the time being; Sir Giles Overbury, Knight; Edward Massie, Collonel and Governour of Glocester; James Kirle, John Stephens, Thomas Stephens, Edward Harley, Isaac Brom­wich, Sylvanus Wood, Willam Shepheard, Stephen Flower, Edward Broughton, and Henry Jones, Esquires; shall be, and are hereby nominated a Committee of, and for the said seve­rall Counties and City; and that they, or any three or more of them shall hereby have full power and Authority, to take the subscriptions of all such persons as will voluntarily lend or contribute any summe or summes of Money, Plate, Horse or Armes towards the supplies and provisions aforesaid, and for other necessaries for the advancement of the said service, which summe and summes of Money, Plate, Horse, or Armes to be subscribed, lent, and contributed as aforesaid, the said Committee, or any three or more of them shall and may re­ceive and employ for the services aforesaid, and give Notes, or Acquittances for the severall summes of Money, Plate, Horse, or Armes so received, which said Notes or Acquittan­ces shall be a sufficient specialty for the severall persons that shall lend, or contribute any Money, Plate, Horse, or Armes as aforesaid, to demand re-payment thereof, or the value thereof with such encrease as shall be agreed upon so as the same shall not exceed 8. l. per cent. And for the better enabling the said Committee to make re-payment of such Moneys, and the value of such Plate, Horse, and Armes as shall be lent for the purposes aforesaid and for the raysing, maintenance, and supplies of the said Forces from time to time as need [Page 3]shall require, Be it further ordained by the Lords and Com­mons, that the said Committee, or any three or more of them, shall have Power and Authority to put in execution within the said Counties the severall Ordinances of this present Parliament hereafter mentioned; That is to say, The Ordi­nance for Sequestration of Malignants, Delinquents, and Pa­pists Estates; the Ordinance for raysing of Money, by taxing such as have not at all contributed, or not according to their Estates; The Ordinance for the weekly Assessements, and all other Ordinances made this present Parliament, for ad­vance of Money through the whole Kingdome of England, and dominion of Wales, for the service of the King and Par­liament, so farre forth as they, or any of them have not been already fully executed within the places aforesaid, except the Ordinances for leavying of Money by way of Excise, or new Impost, the proceed of all which raised, and to be raised within the said Counties, shall be paid unto the said Commit­tee, or any three or more of them to be issued out for the uses and purposes aforesaid, which shall be a sufficient discharge to the Commissioners of Excise in that behalfe. And the Com­missioners of Excise are Authorised, and hereby required from time to time, to issue their Warrants to their inferiour Offi­cers within the said Counties for payment of the said Mo­neys accordingly, and that the said Committee, or any three or more of them take care of the full and due execution of the said Ordinances, according to the tenure and true meaning of the same respectively; and for the more speedy raising of Moneys for the repayment of such summes, and the value of such Plate, Horse, or Armes, as shall be brought in by sub­scriptions as aforesaid; Be it ordained by the Lords and Commons, that the said Committees, or any three or more of them, shall have hereby full power and authority to set, and let the Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments of all Malig­nants, Delinquents, and Papists, which shall be seized and sequestred according to the Ordinance of Parliament for Sequestrations, within the said Counties and City, from yeare [Page 4]to yeare, or by Lease or Leases for the intents or purposes a­foresaid, so long as the said Sequestration shall continue; and in case the said Subscribers and Lenders shall not receive full satisfaction of their principall Money, and interest to be lent and subscribed as aforesaid out of the Estates of Malignants, Delinquents, and Papists, and other provision as aforesaid, that then the said Subscribers, and Lenders, and every of them are by vertue of this Ordinance to have the publique faith of the Kingdome for the repayment of such summe and summes of Money as shall be due unto them,

And be it further Ordained, that the said Committees or any three or more of them shall have full power and Authority to name and appoint such Treasurers. Collectors, and other Officers within the said Counties & City, as they shall thinke fit and convenient for the better putting in Execution of all and every the aforesaid Ordinances of Parliament, and of this present Ordinance, aswell for the receiving of all or any the said Moneys, as also for the issuing out of the same, for the purposes aforesaid, by warrant under the hands of the said Committee, in such manner as the said Committee, or any three or more of them shall appoint, and to call to account from time to time upon Oath, all such Treasurers, Collectors, and other persons who shall receive any Moneys, Plate, Horse, or Armes, by vertue of this present Ordinance of Par­liament, for the Services aforesaid, and to give such fitting and reasonable allowances unto such persons as shall be employed in the Execution of the Ordinance aforesaid, and of this pre­sent Ordinance, or any of them for their charges and paines therein, as the said Committees or any three or more of them shall think fit: provided that such allowance shall not exceed the respective rates allowed by the said severall Ordinances in other Counties of the Kingdome for putting the said Ordinan­ces in Execution; And if any such Treasurers, Collectors or other person or persons shall refuse to Accompt or pay in the Moneys wherewith they are charged, then the said Commit­tees, or any three or more of them, shall return their names [Page 5]to one or both Houses of Parliament, and the said Commit­tees, or any three or more of them are hereby enabled and Au­thorized to call to accompt upon oath all such person and per­sons of the said severall Counties, as have received any Mo­neys by Authority of Parliament, which they have not made even payment of. And the said Committees or any three or more of them are hereby Authorized, to Administer the severall oaths specified in the foresaid Ordinances, to such Commissio­ners or persons as have not already taken the same: And be it further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that the personall Estates of such Malignants, Delinquents and Pa­pists within the Cities of London and Westminster, & within 20. miles of the same not yet sequestred nor discovered, & which shall be discovered by the said Committees, or any three, or more of them, or by such person or persons as they shall Au­thorize under their hands and seales for that purpose, within three Moneths next after the passing of this Ordinance shal be allowed unto the said Cōmittees for the further advancement of the said service: Provided that the said concealed Estates exceed not the sum 5000 pounds; And that the said Commit­tees, or any person or persons authorized by them as afore­said, nor any of them shall possesse themselves of the said De­linquents or Papists Estates before he or they acquaint the Committee of Lords and Commons for Sequestrations therewith, or any three or more of them, whereof the Chayr­man to be one, to the end, they may iudge of their Delinquen­cy before his or their Estates he sequestred and taken away: And be it further Ordained by the Lords and Commons, that the said Committees, or any three or more of them, shall have power and authority, and are hereby required to administer the late Nationall Covenant appointed to be taken by the three Kingdomes of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to all persons within the said Counties and City, who ought to take the same by the late Ordinance and Instructions for that purpose, and have not already taken it. And be it further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that the said Committees or [Page 6]any three or more of them, shall have power to call before them all Ministers and Schoole-masters within the said Counties and City that are scandalous in their lives, or ill-affected to the Parliament, or fomenters of this unnaturall War, or shall wilfully refuse obedience to the Ordinances of Parliament, or shall have deserted their ordinary place of Re­sidence, not being employed in the service of the King and Parliament, and they shall have power to send for any wit­nesses, and examine any complaint, or receive any testimony against them upon Oath of any person that shall be produced to give evidence against them, and upon such proofes of the a­foresaid crimes, the said Committees, or any three or more of them; have hereby power to remove and eiect all such scan­dalous Ministers and Schoole-masters, and in their places to nominate and appoint such learned, able, and godly persons as they shall think fit, and shall cause all such Ministers and Schoole-masters so nominated, appointed, and placed, to be put in possession of the said severall Churches and Schooles, who shall and may respectively take, receive, and perceive, to their owne use, the profits and revenues belonging to the said severall Churches and places in as large and ample manner as the severall Ministers and persons in the said severall pla­ces have formerly used to do: And all Maiors, Sheriffs, Con­stables, and other. His Maiesties Officers and Ministers, are hereby required to be ayding and affisting to the said Commit­tee, as aforesaid in the execution of this service; and tis lastly ordered, declared and orpained, that the good endeavours of the said Committee in the execution of the premisses, are, and shall be taken as reall and publick testimonies to the pub­lique weale, and themselves, and such others as shall act, and be ayding and assisting to them according to the true meaning of this present Ordinance, shall be for so doing, saved harm­lesse and indempnified by power of Parliament.

WHereas the Committee nominat­ed in a former Ordinance of Parli­ament, for raising and maintaining of Horse and Foote, for the Garri­son of Glocester, and for the Coun­ty of Glocester, Hereford, Mon­mouth, Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Radnor, are not able by the Ordinances of Sequesiration of Delinquents and Papists Estates, And the Ordi­nance of raising Moneys by taxing such as have not Contributed, or not according to their Estates [Page 8]to raise such present summes of Money as are ex­pedient for the maintenance of the present Forces within the said Garrison, and County of Gloce­ster.

It is therefore Ordained, And be it hereby Or­dained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled, That the said Committee nominated in the said Ordinance, or any foure or more of them, shall have, and hereby hath power and Authority to Rate and Taxe upon the said County of Gloce­ster, the sume of one thousand pounds a weeke, and on the said City and County of the said City of Gloucester, the summe of one hundred pounds a weeke, to begin from the Sixteenth day of August last past: And so to be weekly paid for the space of five Months, Vnlesse the said Houses of Parlia­ment shall make any other Order concerning the same, to be Rated, Taxed, Leavied, and Collected in such sort, manner, and forme, as is prescribed in the former Ordinances of the weekly Assessments; And in lieu of the said weekly Assessments, and to be imployed for, and towards the maintenance of the said Forces in the said Garrison and County of Glocester, & City and County of the City of Glou­cester, aforesaid: And for preventing disorders in raising Horse, Leavying Moneys, and taking and Seizing Goods without Authority,

It is hereby Ordered and Ordained by the said Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled, That from henceforth no Horse shall be there rais­ed, or Money Levied, or Goods taken of any person or persons, without Consent and Order of the said Committee, or the Major part of them then present, expressed by warrant under their hands.

And that no free Quarter shall be Assigned, or taken of the Inhabitants under Contribution: by the Commanders and Officers of Horse, and their Troopers, but by like Order & Consent of the said Committee by warrant as aforesaid And so long time as any of the said Troopers have free Quar­ter, they are to have but halfe Pay: And the Offi­cers to allow in Proportion out of their Pay.

And that all Officers, and Souldiers, both Horse and Foote, shall be Paid according to the late establishment of my Lord Generalls Army: And no Commander or Officer there, shall re­ceive Pay, but such as duely attend their Charge, unlesse otherwise specially Imployed in service of the Parliament.

And that no other Commander or Officer shall be Paid, but such as are received now into service, and such as shall be here after received, and approv­ed of by the said Committee, or the Major part of them

And that no Officer or Commander shall receive Pay there as an Officer and Commander, both Horse and Foote, by vertue of any Commission granted to any one person, for Horse and Foote, except Collonell Massey Governouer of Gloucester.

And that all such Horse, Beasts and Cattell, as shall be taken and driven by any of the Forces in the said severall Counties, out of the Enemies Quarters, shall be delivered to the said Commit­tee, or such persons as they shall appoint; To the end, they may be imployed towards the Publique Charge, according to the said Ordinance, some reasonable reward to be allowed to the said Soul­diers, who shall doe the said Service, as the said Committee shall think fit.

And it is hereby Ordained that all Comman­ders, Officers, and Souldiers in the said Gar­rison of Glocester, and severall Counties afore­said, shall be, and are hereby required from timeto time, Ayding and Asisting to the said Committee in the execution of the said former Ordinance, and of this present Ordinance.

And that the said Committee, and their Agents, and Assistants, in execution of the Premises, shall be Saved harmeles, and Protected by Authority of Parliament.

And lastly it is hereby Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That the said Commitee, or any five or more of them, may Imprison all such as shall make any atempt, or doe any Act tending to the disturbance of the proceedings of the said Committee, Or the Peace of the said County, And them to fine, not exceeding the Summe of Ten Pounds, upon every such offender; every such of­fender to remaine in Prison untill he have satis­fied and paid the said Fine, which shall be Imploy­ed to the uses exprest in the said former Ordinance.

WHereas the Committee nominated in a former Ordinance of Parlia­ment, for raising and maintaining of Horse and Foote for the Garrison of Glocester, and for the County of Glocester, Hereford, Mon­mouth, Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Radnor, are not able by the Ordinances of sequestration of De­liaquents and Papists estates, And the Ordinance of raising moneys, by taxing such as have not Con­tributed, or not according to their Estates, to raise such present summs of money as are expedient for the maintenance of the present Forces within the said Garison and County of Glocester.

It is therefore ordained, And be it hereby Or­dined by the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, That the said Committee nominated in the said Ordinance, or any foure or more of them shall have and hereby hath power and Authority to Rate & Taxe upon the said County of Glocester, [Page 13]the Summe of one thousand pound per week, and on the said City and County of the said City of Glocester, the Summe of one hundred pounds a week, to begin from the Sixteenth day of January last past: and so to be weekely Paid for the space of nine Moneths from henceforth next ensuing unlesse the said Houses of Parliament shall make any other Order concerning the same, to be Rated, Taxed, Levied, and Collected in such sort, manner and forme, as is prescribed in the former Ordinances of the weekly Assessments: and in lieu of the said weekly Assessments: and to be imploy­ed for and towards the maintenance of the said For­ces in the said Garrison, and County of Glocester, and City and County of the City of Glocester afore­said.