A LETTER Of His Excellency THOMAS Lord FAIRFAX, To the Right Honorable, The Lord Major of the City of LONDON, For the better preserving a right Understanding between the CITY and ARMY.
WITH An Order of His Excellency to Col: Dean, to march into the City of London, and seize the publike Treasuries of Goldsmiths, Weavers, and Haberdashers-Hall, that thereby they may be supplied with Moneys to pay Quarters, and free the Countreys from that grievous Burthen of Free-quarter.
BY the Appointment of His Excellency the Lord Fairfax Lord General, and His General Councel of Officers.
London, Printed by JOHN FIELD for John Partridge and George Whittington. Decemb. 9. 1648.
For the Right Honorable, The Lord Major of the City of London.
I Have given Order to Col: Dean and some others, to seize the Treasuries in Goldsmiths-Hall and VVeavers-Hall, that by the said Moneys I may be inabled to pay quarters whilest we lie hereabouts; having also Ordered Receipts and Assurance to be given to the Trersurers of the said moneys, that they should be fully reimburst for the said sums, out of the Assessments of the City due to the Army, and out of other Assessments thereunto belonging; and indeed, although I am unwilling to take these strict courses, yet having sent so often to you for the said Arrears, and desired sums of money to be advanced by you, far short of the [Page 4]sums due from you, yet I have been delayed and denyed, to the hazard of the Army, and the prejudice of others in the Suburbs upon whom they are quartered; wherefore I thought fit to send to seize the said Treasuries, and to send some Forces into the City to quarter there, until I may be satisfied the Arrears due unto the Army: and if this seem strange unto you, 'tis no less then that our Forces have been Ordered to do by the Parliament, in the several Counties of the Kingdom where assessments have not been paid, and there to continue until they have been paid: And here give me leave to tell you, the Counties of the Kingdom have born Free-quarter, and that in a great measure, for want of your paying your Arrears equally with them; wherefore these ways, if they [Page 5]dislike you, yet they are meerly long of your selves, and are of as great regret to me and to the Army, as to your selves, we wishing not onely the good and prosperity of your City, but that things may be so carried towards you, as may give you no cause of jealousie: I thought fit to let you know, That if you shall take a speedy course to supply us with 40000 l. forthwith, according to my former Desire, and provide speedily what also is in Arrear, I shall not onely cause the moneys in the Treasuries to be not made use of, but leave them to be disposed of as of right they might, and also cause my Forces to be withdrawn from being in any sort troublesom or chargeable to the City; And let the world judge whether this be not just and equal dealing with you. I rest, My Lord,
His Excellencies Order for the seizing the Publike Treasuries of Goldsmiths, Weavers, and Haberdashers-Hall.
WHereas the Arrears of the City to the Army being near an Hundred thousand pounds, and upon the Security of them, there being but Forty thousand demanded by us, to be advanced by the Lord Major, Aldermen and Common-Councel, for the present supply of the Army, yet the same hath been now for a week delayed, and at last refused: And whereas to avoid the Grievance of Free-quarter, and inconveniency of quartering Soldiers at private mens houses, the Forces in these Suburbs having [Page 7]for the week past bin kept in void houses, Inns, and the like; without trouble to private Families, or Free-quartering to any; and that the extreme necessity of the Forces before Pontesract may be supplied, you or any one or more of you are hereby required, with the assistance of such Forces as shall be needful, to march into the City of London, and there to seize upon all such sums of Money as you shall finde in the publique Treasury at Goldsmiths Hall, Haberdashers-Hall, and VVeavers-Hall, or in any of them, giving to the Keepers of the said Treasuries respectively, Receipts under your or one of your Hands for the Sums, or number and proportion of Bags so seized; All which Sums you or any one of you [Page 8]are to cause forthwith to be conveyed into Blackfryers, there to be disposed of for the end aforesaid, as shall be further directed by his Excellency the Lord General; and you are to acquaint the Treasurers or keepers of the said Treasuries, That they repairing to morrow or on Munday next to the Head-quarters, shall have assurance of their payment of the respective sums so seized, out of the Arrears of the City, or the Assessments of the Army.