Remonstrance of the Lord Mayor, Text
A Juſt and Solemn PROTESTATION AND REMONSTRANCE OF THE Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Common-Councell-men, and other Citizens and Freemen of LONDON. AGAINST Two late Ordinances of the Lords and Commons that now ſit; For the Chooſing of COMMON-COUNCELL-MEN and other Officers within the City and Liberties thereof for the YEAR enſuing, in the generall; And againſt ſome Clauſes in them in particular: Which ORDINANCES bear date the 18, and 20 of DECEMBER, 1648.
Imprinted at London, 1648.
A juſt and Solemn Proteſtation and Remonſtrance OF THE Lord Major, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Common-Councel-men, and other Citizens and Freemen of London, againſt two late Ordinances of the Lords and Commons that now ſit.
WE the Lord Major, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Common-councel-men, and other Citizens and Freemen of the City of London, who have exhauſted our eſtates, adventured our lives, loſt our blood, and for eight years ſpace together day and night upon all occaſions indefatigably contributed our utmoſt labors, treaſures travails, counſels, prayers, & endevors to maintain the honor, freedom and ſafety of both houſes of Parliament; & ſtood by them in their greatest ſtraits, aſſiſting them with our purſes and forces, when few elſe would own or ſtand by them, and hazarded the loſs of all that is dear and precious to us for their defence, who elſe had been ſwallowed up and deſtroyed by their Prelaticall, Popiſh, Malignant enemies ſundry times ere this, and brought to utter deſolation; For all which faithfull Services, and real teſtimonies of our moſt cordiall affections towards them (which they have frequently and gratefully acknowledged both in the Houſes and City upon ſundry occaſions, and remonſtrated to the world in divers printed Ordinances and Delarations.) We did at leaſt expect a free and full enjoyment, if not a confirmation and enlargement of all Our ancient Hereditary freedoms, priviledges, rights, Franchiſes and Cuſtoms ever conſtantly enjoyed by us and our Predeceſſors from before the Conquest, till the laſt year, confirmed by Magna Charta it ſelf, Chap. 9. which enacts, That the City of London ſhall have all the old Liberties and Cuſtoms which it hath been u…ed to have; and entayled to us and our Succeſſors for ever, by many ſucceſſive Charters and Acts of Parliament of moſt of the noble Kings of England, as well before as ſince; which neither one nor both Houſes of Parliament, in their fulleſt and freeſt condition, have or can pretend to have any juſt or lawfull power to repeal or diminiſh in the least degree, without our own conſents or deſires, and the Kings concurrence thereunto by an Act of Repeal; much leſs whiles under the actuall force and power of diſobedient mutinous Army, who have forcibly impriſoned, excluded and driven away moſt of their Members. But in ſtead thereof we finde (to our deepest grief and aſtoniſhment) a moſt ingratefull, and diſhonorable requitall of all our former faithfulneſs, love, bounty and ſervices, not by the generality of the Members of both Houſes (whoſe favors and ſincere affections towards us, in ſtudying to preſerve and enlarge our Priviledges, Franchiſes and Charters upon all occaſions and Treaties with his Majeſty, we ſhall ever gratefully acknowledg) but only of a ſmall inconſiderate party in the Houſes, wholly acted and ſwayed by a Jeſuitical and Anabaptiſtical powerfull party in the Army, who have a long time made it their principall ſtudy and Maſter-piece, to rend and diſengage the City and Houſes from, and daſh them in pieces one againſt another, and divide them into factions and fractions among themſelves, whereby to enſlave and ruine them both, and by their ſlavery and ruines to make way for their own ambitious deſigns, and intended Greatneſs and Tyranny, far more intolerable and grievous then any we or our Anceſtors formerly ſuſtained under tbe worſt of all our kings; which they have no hopes to accompliſh, whiles the Houſes and City enjoy their ancient Priviledges, Freedoms, and continue cordially united: and therefore have at this preſent moſt perfidiouſly and trayterouſly endevored to captivate and enſlave, not only the King, but both Houſes of Parliament, and the City together; and in them the whole Kingdom and Engliſh Nation. For which end and purpoſe, having brought up the whole Army to London and Weſtminſter, contrary to the Houſes Order▪ and quartered many of them in and about the City, in the principall places of ſtrength and advantage, beyond our expectation, and contrary to their own Engagement to us; ſeiſed upon our Treaſuries and Halls; impriſoned one of our Sheriffs, though a Member, and carried him caprive out of our liberties; and by armed power and a horrid force upon both Houſes, moſt injuriouſly impriſoned, and forceably kept out, and driven away all or moſt of their faithfull Members admiting none to ſit, but only ſuch who are confederate with them in theſe their Treaſonable deſigns, and that under their force and impoſed Guards to over-awe them; They have on the 18 and 20 of December laſt, cauſed theſe their Confederates (who uſurp and take upon them the Name and Authority of the two Houſes of Parliament, when as in truth, they are and have been neither, and no Houſes at all ever ſince their being under ſuch a viſible force, and violent reſtraint and ſecluſion of the greateſt Number of their Members from thence by the Officers & Armies armed power, contrary to the undoubted known Rights, Priviledges and freedom of Parliament, which they, we, and the whole kingdom and Army are engaged by Covenant inviolably to preſerve) to make and publiſh two Printed Papers:
The firſt whereof they ſtyle, An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament for the chooſing of Common Councel-men, and other officers within the City of London, and liberties thereof for the year enſuing, The ſecond, an Ordinance of the Lords & Commons aſſembled in Parliament: concerning the Election of Common Councel-men, and other Officers in the City of London. Wherein among other things they do Declare and Ordaine; That no perſon whatſoever that hath been impriſoned or that did ſubſcribe or abet to the Treaſonable engagement (as they tearm it) in 1647, or that did aid, aſſiſt, or abet the late Tumult within the Cities of London and Weſtminſter, or the Counties of Kent, Eſſex, Middelſex, or Surrey ſhall be elected, choſen, or put into the Office and place of Lord Major, Alderman, Aldermans Deputy, Common Councel-men, or into any Office or place of truſt within the City for ſpace of one whole year, or be capable to give his voyce for the choſing any perſon to any the Offices aforeſaid. And it is thereby further Ordained by the Authority aforeſaid (though null and void) That if any perſon or perſons comprehended under the aforeſaid exceptions, being choſen, ſhall preſume to ſit in the court of Aldermen, Common-Councell, &c. or to execute any of the aforeſaid Offices contrary to the true intent of this Ordinance, ſhall forfeit the ſum of two hundred pounds, the one halfe whereof ſhall be within twenty dayes paid unto him or them that ſhall make proof thereof, and the other Moyety to be paid unto the Treaſurers appointed by Parliament for the uſe and relief of the maimed Souldiers; And it is hereby declared; That all ſuch elections are null and void, and the Lord Major for the time being is hereby required from time to time to give order, that this Ordinance be publiſhed at all elections, and that the ſame be ſtrictly and punctuolly obſerved, as alſo by affording the liberty of Pole, it being required by any of the Electors preſent; And for the better execution of this preſent Ordinance be it further ordained, That the Lord Major of London, the Sheriffs, and Aldermen, and Juſtices of Peace within the ſaid City of London, or any two of them ſhall, and are hereby authorized and required to commit to priſon all ſuch perſons, as after due proof upon oath to be made unto them, or any two of them of any perſon that ſhall make any disturbance at any election, contrary to this Ordinance, and to leavy the ſaid fine of two hundred pounds by diſtreſſe, and ſale of the goods of the perſon ſo offending contrary to this Ordinancee.
Which pretended Ordinances, being made and publiſhed by Confedracy as aforeſaid, whiles both Houſes remained under the unparalleld, force of the Officers and Army, who have levyed open war againſt them, and violently impriſoned, excluded and driven away most of the Members, and end…avour to diſſolve the Parliament, and tending wholly to alienate our affections from, and engage us againſt the Parliament, to deprive us of our undoubted Hereditary Liberties, Freedoms, Franchiſes and Customes, confirmed and ſetled upon us by ſo many Royall Charters and Acts of Parliaments, and enjoyed alwayes by our Predeceſſors under the worſt of Kings and Tyrants; to ſubvert the whole Government, Magiſtracy and Freedom of the City, and to put us into preſent confuſion and mutinies, that ſ… they might thereupon take advantage to enſlave, plunder and deſtroy us at their pleaſures: We do therefore in this our great extremity and perplexity, which ſo nearly concernes the preſent Government, weal, ſafety, and very life and being both of City, Parliament and Kingdom, here ſeriouſly and unanimouſly Proteſt before the Almighty all-ſeeing God, Angels and men, That theſe two pretended Ordinances, being made by confederacy as aforeſaid while both Houſes lay under ſo great a force, and moſt Members were violently excluded and forced thence, (there being at the paſſing of them not above 3, or 4. Lords, and 45. Commons at moſt preſent, and they under the forced guards of the Army) are in themſelves meer nul, void and u… obligatory to us and all others, to all intents and purpoſes, and were and are declared to be ſo, at the very time of their making. by the Ordinance of both Houſes of the 20 of Auguſt 1647 made by thoſe very Members who paſſed theſe two pretended Ordinances. And that all elections of any Officers whatſoever within the ſaid City and Liberties, wherein any of us have been deprived of our Voyces and Freedom by colour of either of theſe two Ordinances are meerly nul and void to all intents. And we further hereby in like maner declare and proteſt, that the fore mentioned clauſes contained in theſe pretended Ordinances (though the Houſes had been never ſo repleat and free when paſſed) which deprives us of the undoubted liberty and freedom of our voices in electing our officers; diſables any perſons elected by us to bear any office when elected, and which doe declare the ſaid elections void, impoſing a forfeiture of two hundred pound upon ſuch who ſhall in the least degree execute any truſt or office to which we ſhall elect him, to be levyed by diſtreſſe and ſale of his goods; and giving authority to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Juſtices of Peace within the City, to impriſon all ſuch perſons, (who coming to give their voices, or claiming and maintaining their freedom and the Cities) ſhall make any diſturbance at any election contrary to theſe pretended Ordinances; though never ſo faithfull to the Parliament, and active in their ſervice heretofore: are likewiſe void and null in themſelves, and the higheſt and moſt tyranicall uſurpations over our liberties, franchiſes, Perſons, eſtates and freedom in our elections, that the heads of our profeſſed enemies could invent, and moſt contrary to all the Houſes former Profeſſions, Remonſtrances, Declarations, promiſes, and engagements, and to their ſolemn League and Covenant, to defend and protect our liberties, franchiſes, cuſtoms rightes and freedoms, yea contrary to the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of the land; the manifold Charters and Acts of Parliament made from time to time, for the confirmation of our Cuſtoms, Liberties, and Freedom in the Elections of our Officers; and to the expreſs Statute of 3 Edw. 1. c. 5. which enacts, That all Elections ought to be free; and that no great man, nor other by force of Arms or menacing, ſhall diſturb any to make free Election▪ (much leſſe by menacing Ordinances, Fines and Impriſonments;) which Sir Edward Cook in his Commentary thereon (printed by both Houſes ſpeciall Authority) affirms and proves to be the Common Law of England, and the Subjects Birth-right. And contrary to the Statutes of Magna Charta c. 29. 5. Ed. 3. c. 9. 25. Ed. 3. c. 4. 28. Ed. 3. c. 3. 37. Ed. 3. c. 18. 42. E. 3. c. 3. and the Petition of Right; for defence whereof we have in our ſeven laſt yeers Wars, expended ſo many millions of Treaſure, and loſt ſuch ſtreams of gallant Engliſh blood. And finally, we do hereby unanimouſly further declare and proteſt▪ That notwithſtanding theſe pretended void Ordinances, or any other of this nature, made in derogation of our juſt Franchiſes, Rights, Liberties, Cuſtoms and ancient Government, we are reſolved, according to our oaths as Citizens and Freemen of London, and according to our ſolemn League and Covenant, as Chriſtians and Freemen of England, through Gods aſſiſtance, to the utmoſt of our powers and, abilities, with our lives and eſtates conſtantly and inviolably to maintain, defend, and preſerve our juſt Hereditary Freedom and right of electing all our City officers, whatſoever, acording to our ancient and uninterrupted Charters, Cuſtoms, Acts and Ʋſages, with all other our undoubted Franchiſes, Liberties, Priviledges, Rights and Cuſtoms left unto us by our Anceſtors, (eſpecially in theſe times of ſo much conteſting for common Liberty and Freedom;) and will protect and defend the ſame againſt all Invaſion and Encroachment of any uſurped, arbitrary and tyrannicall (Parliamentary or other) power whatſoever. In witneſſe whereof we have thought meet to publiſh this our Declaration and Proteſtation to all the world. January 1. 1648.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, Remonstrance of the Lord Mayor (1648)