The True State of the Secluded Members, Part 1 – Part 5
Die Martis 5. Septembris 1648.
A Declaration of the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, Concerning the Summoning of the Members to attend the Houſe on Tueſday the 26. of Septemb. 1648.
WHereas, both Houſes of Parliament have agreed upon A Perſonal Treaty with his Majeſtie, which is ſpeedily to commence, for the management whereof, the *None therefore, much leſſe the Majority of them may or ought to be ſuſpended or ſecluded by the Minority, or armed force.attendance of all the Members of Parliament, wil be very neceſſary, becauſe in the Multitude of Counſellors there is ſafety, and in the ſucceſſe thereof, the Alaying of the preſent diſtempers, and future happineſſe of this Kingdom, is ſo highly concerned; It is therefore ordered and declared by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, that the reſpective Sheriffs of each County, within the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, do forthwith upon receipt hereof, give particular notice to all the Members of the Houſe of Commons, reſiding and being within their reſpective Counties, to attend the Houſe on Tueſday the 26th. Septemb under the penalty of twenty pounds, fixed upon the defaultors; that day being appointed for calling of the Houſe.
The Members attended from all parts accordingly, and there were appointed the Earls of Northumberland, Pembrook, Salisbury, Middleſex, and the Lord Say, for the Lords Houſe; And Mr. William Pierpoint, Sir Henry Vane, Junior, and eight more of the Houſe of Commons, Commiſſioners to carry on the Treaty with his Majeſtie, at the Iſle of Wight; who took great pains therein, and finiſhed the Treaty by the end of November. And on December the firſt, the Commiſſioners of the Houſe of Commons, made their report of the Treaty in the Houſe; who preſently entred into debate thereof, and continued the debate, Dec. 2d. 3d. 4th. & 5th. when after a long, and ſerious debate, in a full Houſe (notwithſtanding the Menaces of the Army, who had marched up to London, and Westminſter, contrary to the Orders of the Houſe, removed their own guards, and put new ones upon them, and their inſolent and Rebellious Declaration of the 20th. of Novemb. 1648.) they came to this reſolution, without any diviſion of the Houſe, viz.
Die Martis 5. Decembris 1648.
REſolved upon the Queſtion, That the Anſwers of the King to the Propoſitions of both Houſes, are a ground for the Houſe to proceed upon, for the ſettlement of the peace of the Kingdom.
The juſt grounds and reaſons of which vote, do partly appear in all the forecited Declarations, and proceedings of both Houſes during the War, the Oaths, Proteſtation, League and Covenant, they took as Members; the Writs by which they were elected, and the Indentures by which we were returned, impowered, intruſted; but more particularly in the Vindication of the impriſoned and ſecluded Members of the Commons Houſe, from the aſperſiſions …aſt upon them, and the majority of the Houſe, in a printed Paper of the Gen-Council of Officers, Jan. 3. in anſwer to the Demands of the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, concerning the ſecuring or ſecluding the Members, Jan. 20. 1648. and*See Mr. Pry…es Speech, Decemb. 4. 1648. much more might be added, if that were our preſent work; but intending a bare Narrative of matter of fact, we proceed.
The ſame day the Houſe appointed a Committee, viz. Mr. William Peirpoint, and others to go to the Officers of the Army for the preſerving of a right underſtanding and good correſpondency between the Houſe, and the General and Army. The Committee repairing to the head Quarters that Afternoon, were ſo rudely entertained, that ſome of them were ſecured by the Army-Officers, and the reſt put off and ſlighted without any conference that day.
The Members comming in the uſual manner to the Houſe on Wedneſday the 6. of Dec. the Army-Officers (contrary to orders of the Houſe) having ſent divers Regiments of Horſe and Foot early in the morning to Westminſter in a hoſtile manner, they placed themſelves in the Palace-yard. Court of Requeſts, the Hall, Court of Wards, the Stairs, and the Lobby of the Houſe, and all the avenues, to impriſon and ſeclude thoſe Members who aſſented to the Vote; Colonel Pride and other Officers who commanded the Guards having in their hands an Alphabetical Liſt of the Members names deſigned to be ſecured and ſecluded, given them (as they confeſſed) by ſome of the d…ſſenting Members, above forty of them were impriſoned, and above a hundred more of them forcibly ſecluded that very day, and the next, and*Mr. Edward Stephens, and Col. Birch. two pulled out of the Houſe it ſelf, into which they were got before the Officers eſpyed them. The 43. Members they had ſeiſed (being the legal number of a Houſe capable to vote) they ſecured that day in the Queens Court, and afterwards for ſeveral daies; uſing them in a barbarous and inhuman manner, forcing them the firſt night (though divers of them grave aged Perſons of Quality, and tenderly bred,) in that cold froſty ſnowy weather, to lye upon the bare Boards, in a place called H…ll in Weſtminſter, and next night (after a whole daies attendance on them at Whitehall, without vouchſafing to ſpeak with any of them, though ſent for & carried …hither to confer with them) ſent them Priſoners to the Kings Head and Swan in the Strand, through the Snow and di…t, guarded with three Muſquiteers apiece, and Horſe beſides, like the vilest Felons and Traytors, in ſuch ſort as no Priſoners of war, of any quality, were ever uſed by them, and detained moſt of them Priſoners ſundry weeks at the ſaid Common… Innes, though many of them had Houſes of their own in Town, ſendi…g ſome of them cloſe Priſoners to St. James, and afterwards to Windſor Castle, and other Garriſons divers years ſpace, without the leaſt particular accuſation, impeachment, hearing or tryal, their diſſenting Fellow-Members the… ſitting, not ſo much as compaſſionating their barbarous uſages, or taking any effectual courſe for their inlargement.
Thoſe few Members permitted by the Army to fit, Dec. …. had ye… ſo much ſeeming reſentment of this greateſt and moſt horrid Violation of the privileges of Parliament, ever attempted in any age, that as it appears in the Iour…all of the Houſe, Wedneſday the ſixe of December, 1648. The Houſe being informed, that divers Members comming to attend the Houſe were ſtayed and carryed to the Queens Court or Court of Wards, commanded the Serj…ant to go to them, and require them to attend the Hou…e.
Mr. … brings word, That he ſignified to the Members in the Queens Court, viz. That it was the pleaſure of the Houſe, that they ſhould forthwith come and attend the Houſe: the Members ſeemed willing to conſent, but an Officer there gave him this Anſwer, that he could not ſuffer them to come, untill he had received his Orders which he had ſent for.
The ſame day Lieut. Col. Axtel, & others coming with a Meſſage from the General, they were twice called in, and acquainted the Houſe, That his Excellency the Lord General, and the General Council of Officers had commanded them to acquaint the Houſe, that they had ſomething to declare to this Houſe this morning, of very great concernment, which will be preſently ready for their view. This ſeems to be a Meſſage ſent to prevent the Houſe riſing before they came, their Propoſals not being yet ready. Mr. Speaker returned anſwer; that the Houſe will be ready to receive it. Some ſpace after, the Officers from the General, coming to the door, they were called in, and*The Army Officers had thrice acceſſe into the Houſe, the very day they ſecured and ſecluded the Members out of it. Col. Whaley acquainted the Houſe, that they were commanded by his Excellency the Lord General, and the General Council of the Officers, to preſent ſomething to this Houſe, the which the Officers being withdrawn was read, and was directed, To the Honorable the Commons of England, in Parliament aſſembled, and Entituled; The humble Propoſals and deſire of his Excellency the Lord General, and the General Council of Officers, Decemb. 6. 1648. in order to a ſpeedy proſecution of juſtice, and the ſettlement, formerly propounded by them.
The ſaid Propoſals were uſhered in with two words, propound and demand, language unfit for a Parliament, and ſtuft with falſhoods, and unjuſt ſcandals againſt the impriſoned and ſecluded Members; and chiefly they took particular notice of the Vote of the ſaid 5. of Decemb. charging the ſaid Members with breach of Truſt therein, and deſired, that all ſuch faithfull Members, who are innocent of the ſaid Vote, would immediatly by Proteſtation or publick Declaration, acquit themſelves from the guilt of concurrence in the ſaid Vote, that the Kingdom may know who they are that have kept their truſt, and diſtinguiſh them from the reſt, that have thus falſified the ſame; and that all ſuch, as cannot or ſhall not ſo acquit themſelves particularly, may be immediatly excluded and ſuſpended the Houſe, and not re-admitted, untill they ſhall have given clear ſatisfaction therein, to the judgement of thoſe who now ſo acquit themſelves, and the ground of ſuch ſatisfaction be publiſhed to the Kingdom.
Notwithſtanding theſe Propoſals, the Houſe then reſolved that the Committee formerly appointed, do confer with the General for diſcharge of the Members.
Thurſday the 7th. of December 1648. (as appears by the entries in the Journal) A Letter from Sir Thomas Dacres, and Mr. Dodderidg, dated the ſame day, half an hour past 9. in the morning, was read in the Houſe, ſignifying, that coming to attend the Houſe to do their duties, they were kept back by force. The like ſignification was made of the like uſage to Sir Edward Partridge. Alſo a Letter from Westminſter, 7th. Decemb. 1648. from Sir Martin Lumley, Sir John Temple, George Booth, Thomas Waller, Thomas Middleton, Mr. Brampton Gurdon, Eſay Thomas, and Arthur Owen, ſignifying their reſtraint from coming to the Houſe, to do their duty there, by ſome of the Souldiers of the Army.
The ſame day Mr. Pierpoint delivers in two papers from the conference with the General, appointed by order yeſterday, for the diſcharge of the Members, the which were read, viz.
The Committees first Paper.
VVE having command from the Houſe of Commons, to let y…ur Excellency know, that divers Members of the▪ Houſe of Commons, are this day taken and detained by your Excellencies Army: It is their pleaſure, that they be diſcharged, for which we deſire your Excellencies preſent order, that it may be done accordingly.
The General, and General Council of Officers anſwer.
Having ſeen the Order, upon which your laſt paper is given in, we do not conceive it to be the*A pretty diſtinction to evade their Order. poſitive pleaſure of the Houſe, that the Members be diſcharged; But concerning their diſcharge, for which you are appointed to confer, ſo ſoon as we ſhall receive the Reſolution of the Houſe, upon that paper, this day ſent in by us to the Houſe, which concerns thoſe Perſons detained, we ſhall then be prepared, to give you anſwerable ſatisfaction, in relation to that particular.
The Committees ſecond Paper.
IN anſwer to your Paper of the ſixt of Decemb. instant, now delivered, wherein you do refer to a Paper, ſent by you to the Commons, we affirm, that ſince the reading of that paper by the Houſe,Nota it was expreſt by them to be their poſitive pleaſure▪ that the Members of that Houſe, this day taken and detained, by ſome of the Officers and Souldiers of the Army under your Excellencies command be forthwith diſcharged and therefore we do inſiſt that according to our former paper, the ſaid Members be forthwith diſcharged