THat whereas your Petitioners upon tht securities held forth in two Ordinances of Parliament, viz. the 13 of May, and 3 of June, 1647. advanced and lent by way of dubling at Weavers-hall the summe of 484000 l. to be repayed in such order, course and manner as by the said Ordinances of Parliament is directed and appointed. And whereas severall persons have been satisfied their proportions of money by them Advanced and Doubled by the Purchase of the late Bishops Lands, and others which have not Purchased have had some doubts arising in them touching the time of payment of the remainder: The Parliament did upon the 16 of December 1652. Enact and Ordain, that the Commissioners of the Excise for the time being should out of such moneys as should come to their hands upon the receits of the Grand Excise immediately from and after the 31 of December 1653. make pay­ment of the said money or of so much as should at that time remain due and payable, in such order and form as is directed and appointed by Ordinance of Parliament of the 13 of May 1647. and at the expiration of which terme, application was made to the late Commissioners of the Excise demanding the said money, and it was alledged by the said Commissioners that they were restrained from the payment thereof by an Order dated the 31 of December 1653. of his Highnesse the Lord Protector and his Councell till they should receive further Order; which restraint we finde to con­tinue upon the present Commissioners to this day. Now for as much as the Parlia­ment did upon the 29 of June 1649. Enact, that no summe or summes of money advanced and lent remaining and standing charged upon the Grand Excise, whereof the money now due to your Petitioners is part, should be taken or transferred from the said Excise upon any other security whatsoever, nor be paid otherwise then in their proper course, wherein they first were charged upon any exigent or occasion whatsoever; and for as much as his Highnesse the Lord Protector hath likewise de­clared in the 39 Article for the Government of the Common-wealth, that the securi­ties given by Acts and Ordinances of Parliament, or any summe or summes of money payable by the Grand Excise in course, or by any other publick revenue, shall remain firme and good, and not be made void and invallid upon any pretence whatsoever.

The consideration of all which, together in relation to the honour of his Highnesse the Lord Protector and the Parliament, as also the pressing necessities of your Petitioners, giveth us boldnesse to make these our humble addresses to your Honours, praying that you would take the premises into your grave and serious consideration, and to give such further order as may be of effect for the payment of all your just debts as is directed and appointed by former Acts and Ordinances of Parlia­ment in that behalf.

And your Petitioners shall for ever pray.