A Happy Handful, Statement 16 – Statement 18
A Letter and Declaration of the Lords, Knights, Gentlemen, and Miniſters of the County of YORK, And of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Common-Councel of the Gity of YORK.
Preſented to General Monck Feb. 17. 1659. at His Quarters at Drapers-hall London, by Sir Thomas Wharton Knight, Brother to the Lord Wharton, John Dawney, Thomas Harriſon, and John Legard Eſquires.
As alſo a Letter, with the ſaid Declaration incloſed, delivered by the ſaid Gentlemen to the Lord Mayor directed to him, and to the Common-Councel of the City of LONDON.
To His Excellency the Lord General MONCK.
My Lord,
WE finde our ſelves conſtrained by writing to ſupply the Omiſſion of acquainting your Lordſhip with our thoughts and deſires when you paſſed through our County, which we had then done, if upon ſo ſhort notice we could have met for a mutual Ʋnderſtanding; Your Lordſhip will finde in the Incloſed Declaration the ſum of our Apprehenſions. We thought it not neceſſary to multiply particulars, but leave all other things to a duly conſtituted Parliament; neither have we been ſollicitous to multiply Subſcriptions, truſting more to the weight of the Propoſals, than to the number of Subſcribers; yet we may ſafely affirm this to be the ſenſe of the Generality of the County and City, as your Lordſhip ſees it is of others. We have onelyonly to add our earneſt deſires to your Lordſhip, that you would be pleaſed to further the Accompliſhment of what we have repreſented with ſuch ſeaſonable ſpeed, as that the fear of Friends, and the hopes of Enemies concerning a dangerous Confuſion amongſt us, may be prevented.
Your Lordſhips very humble ſervants,
Thomas Fairfax,
Faulconberge,
Bar. Bouchier,
Vicecomes.
Chriſtopher Topham, Mayor, &c.
The Declaration.
WE being deeply ſenſible of the grievous Preſſures under which we lye, and the extream dangers we are expoſed to at this time, through the violent alteration of our Government, the Mutilation and Interruption of Parliaments: And having no Repreſentatives to expreſs or remedy our grievances, have thought it meet (according to the example of other Counties) to Declare and Deſire, That if the Parliament begun November 3. 1640. be yet continued, The Members that were ſecluded in the year 1648. be forthwith reſtored to the Exerciſe of their Truſt, and all Vacancies filled up, that right may be done to their Perſons, to Parliaments, and the People that have choſen them. If otherwiſe, That a Parliament may be preſently called without impoſing of Oaths or Engagements (the greateſt prejudice to Civil or Chriſtian Liberty) or requiring any Quallifications, ſave what by Law or Ordinance of Parliament before the Force in 1648. are already eſtabliſhed. And untill this, or One of theſe be done, We cannot hold our ſelves obliged to pay the Taxes that are or ſhall be impoſed. We not enjoying the Fundamental Right of this Nation to conſent to our own Laws by equal Repreſentatives.
Subſcribed by
Eſquires
Thomas Lord Fairfax,
Tho. Lord Viſcount Fauconberge,
Barrington Bourchier Eſq. High Sheriff,
Chriſt. Topham, Mayor,
Sir Thomas Wharton, Knight of the Bath.
Sir Christ. Wivel Bar.
Sir John Hotham, Bar.
Sir Tho Slingsby, Bar.
Sir Wil. Cholmly, Bar.
Sir Fran. Boynton, Bar.
Sir Roger Langly, Bar.
Sir Hen. Cholmly, Kt.
Sir Tho. Remington, Kt.
John Dawney,
Henry Fairfax,
Tho. Harriſon,
John Legard,
William Fairfax,
William Gee,
William Osbalſton,
Robert Wivel,
Thomas Hutton,
Guſtavus Boynton,
Henry Bethel,
Metcalf Robinſon,
Henry Stapleton,
George Marwood,
Robert Redman,
William Adams,
Col. Lancelot Parſons
William Daulton,
James Moyſer,
Robert Belt,
Henry Marwood,
John Vavaſour,
John Gibſon,
John Micklethwait,
Bryan Fairfax,
Bryan Layton,
Thomas Lovel,
Wil. Rooksby, Capt.
Nicholas Bethel,
John Jackſon,
Thomas Yarborough,
Walter Bethel,
John Riccard,
John Adams,
Richard Levie,
Cregory Crake,
James Driffeild, &c.
Miniſters.
Mr. Edward Bowles,
Mr. Nath. Jackſon,
Mr. Witton,
Mr. Waterhouſe,
Mr. Bentley,
Mr. Naſebit, &c.
The ſaid Declaration was alſo ſubſcribed by the Aldermen and Common-Councel of the City of York.
To the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor and Common-Councel of the City of London.
My Lord and Gentlemen,
HAving taken notice of ſome vigorous inclinations of your Lordſhip and the City, towards the aſſerting your common Freedomes as Engliſh men, too much of late violated, and being now alſo our ſelves conſtrained, from a like ſenſe, to manifeſt our Reſolutions to the ſame effect, in a Declaration ſent to General Monke, whereof the Incloſed is a Copy; We have thought good to give your Lordſhip an account of our intentions, as that to which we are moſt firmly reſolved to adhere, wiſhing it may effect the end by our ſelves, and (as we are perſwaded) by your Lordſhip, and all good people of that City intended. We remain,
York Feb. 10. 1659. Your Lordſhip's very humble Servants,
Thomas Fairfax
Faulconberge,
Bar. Bouchier, Vicecomes.
Chriſtopher Topham, Mayor, &c.
Which Letter, with the Declaration therein incloſed, was alſo the ſame day delivered by Sir Thomas Wharton, and the reſt of the ſaid Gentlemen, to the Lord Mayor of London, deſiring it might be communicated to the Common-Councel, according as by the Letter it was deſired.
The ſame day alſo a particular letter was preſented to the Lord General Monke from the Lord Fairfax, dated Feb. 14. in confirmation of the ſaid Declaration, which was delivered by Mr. Bryan Fairfax, who was ſent up on purpoſe with the ſaid Letter.
THE DECLARATION OF THE Gentry, Miniſters, Free-holders of the County and City of LINCOLNE.
WE the Gentry, Miniſters, and Free-holders of the County and City of Lincolne, being truly ſenſible of our Miſeries and Grievances, namely the ſad conſequents of Inteſtine War, the fear of Invaſion from abroad, at this time of our Diſtractions and Diviſions both in Church and State, the violent alteration of Government, the heavy impoſition of unheard of Taxes; All which of late years hath ruined our Trade, and impoveriſhed the whole Nation, and are all occaſioned by reaſon of the many Violences and Breaches made upon our known eſtabliſhed Laws and fundamental Liberties, Do therefore humbly propoſe and declare (having firſt met and conſulted, as other Countries have done) that the onelyonly remedy for our ſaid Grievances, will be for a Free, Full Parliament, ſpeedily to be called and aſſembled, to ſit according to our ſaid known eſtabliſhed Laws, wherein the Free Votes of all Free People of this Nation might be included, ſince that ſuch onelyonly have a legal capacity to enact Laws and Statutes that may equally binde all the Free people of this Nation; And therefore if any perſons (how ever impowred) not having the Authority of ſuch a Parliament, ſhall take upon them to lay impoſitions upon the Free people of this Commonwealth, or to preſcribe or enjoyn any Limitations, Reſtrictions, or Quallifications whatſoever, not formerly agreed upon in full Parliament. We do declare our ſelves not obliged thereto, as being deſtructive to the freedome and undoubted Priviledges of Parliament.