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to the Council of State, and give an Account of his Inter-regnum. Contempt of the Order of Parliament; or, in Default thereof, that his Estate, Real and Perfonal, be fequeftered. This Proclamation to be forthwith printed, published, and proclaimed by the Serjeant at Arms, in Westminster-Hall, the New PalaceYard, and at the Old Exchange, London.

We have met with a Copy of this Proclamation, printed amongst the various Diurnals, or News Papers, of thefe Times, which take in its own Words:

W

By the PARLIAMENT.

Hereas John Lambert, Efq; being com-A Proclamation manded by the Parliament to repair to against Lambert. one of his Dwelling-Houfes, most remote from "the City of London, in order to the Quiet and Peace of the Commonwealth, and afterwards, upon Requeft made on his Behalf, was ordered to repair to Holmby, in the County of Northampton, there to remain and abide during the Pleasure of Parliament; to which Command the faid John Lambert hath not fubmitted, but doth, or did lately, lye privately in and about the City of London, as is informed, and is vehemently fufpected to have promoted, countenanced, and abetted the late Mutiny and Tumult at Somerfet-Houfe, in the Strand, ' upon the second of February, 1659: It is therefore ordered that the faid John Lambert do render himfelf, by Thursday next, to the Council of State, to give an Account of his Contempt of Order of Parliament; and, in Default thereof, the Eftate, Real and Perfonal, of the faid John Lambert, is to be feized and fequeftered to and for the Ufe of the • Commonwealth: And the Commiffioners of Sequeftrations fitting at Haberdashers-Hall, in London, are hereby commanded to fequefter the fame accordingly: And it is further ordered, That this prefent Order be proclaimed and published in Westminster, according to ufual Courfe.' VOL. XXII.

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Inter-regnum. Ordered, alfo, That the Members of this House, 1659. who had acted at the pretended Committee of Safety, do appear in Parliament on this Day Se'nnight; the House then to go upon the Business relating to the faid Members, the first Thing, and nothing to intervene.' A Committee likewife was appointed to fend for Henry Scobell, Efq; and Mr. Robinson, late Clerk to the Committee of Safety, to examine all the Books, Papers, &c. that are in their Hands, particularly a Draught of a Form of Government, prefented to the faid Committee, and report their Opinion which of the Things were worthy for the Confideration of Parliament.

The Vote was alfo renewed for a Month's Pay to be forthwith advanced to all the Forces and Garrifons in England; the Committee for the Army to provide the fame.

February 14. Mr. Millington reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill touching the Engagement was referred, the Amendments to the faid Bill, which were twice read, and then it was refolved, That the Engagement be in thefe Words, viz.

I A. B. do promife and declare, That I will be true and faithful to the Commonwealth of England, and the Government thereof, in the Way of a Commonwealth and Free State, without a King, Single Perfon, or House of Lords.

Lord-Commiffioner Widdrington and Mr. Sollicitor Ellis were ordered to bring in an A&t the next Morning, for the Council of State to take this Engagement, inftead of the Oath of Renunciation; and that, upon taking thereof, with the Refidue of the Inftructions given to the Council of State, they do fit and act with the reft of that Council.

February 15. Letters from Col. Gverton at Hull, dated February 12, 1659, and a Declaration, under the Hands of feveral Gentlemen in Yorkshire, were read, declaring for the fecluded Members, or a Free

Par

Parliament, and against paying of Taxes. Referred Inter-regnum. to the Council of State.

A Paper was given to the Houfe, by Alderman Atkins, of feveral Informations taken by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London; with their Defire that it might be examined, the fame being fcandalous to divers Members of Parliament. Referred to a Committee.

February 16. The A&t concerning the Oath, or Engagement, to be taken by the Members of the Council of State, was read a fecond Time, with Amendments; and, upon the Queftion, paffed.Some additional Qualifications for Members of Parliament were also brought in, read, and agreed to be Part of the Bill. A Divifion of the Houfe happening on one of these Additions, the Numbers were 27 to 26; which we mention only to fhew the Strength of the House at that Time.

February 18. Some more Additions were offered, but rejected, and no more were voted to be added to this Bill; which, upon the third Reading, was paffed, and ordered to be printed and published: The Title to be, An Act concerning Elections of Members to ferve in Parliament.

This extraordinary A&t, which took up so much Time to model and make fit for their Purpose, we have never yet met with at Length; but the Reader will have fome Notion what it was, by the following Abstract of it, taken from one of the weekly News Papers of thofe Times, publifhed by Authority. Some of the principal Heads of this Act are as followeth :

'No Perfon who hath been concerned in the Irib Rebellion, or who are Profeffors of the Popish Religion, or who have married a Wife of the 'fame, or brought up his Children' therein, or have been in Arms against the Parliament fince Jan. 1, 1641, unless reftored by Commiffion fince May 7, 1659, and continued faithful fince; or fuch as ⚫ have been concerned in any Plot for Charles Stu

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Inter-regnum.art fince 1648, or that have advised or promoted ' a Single Person fince Jan. 1, 1659; nor any Per' son disabled by Act 17. Car. intituled, An A& difabling Perfons in Holy Orders; neither any Per-: fon who denieth the Scriptures to be the Word of God, or the Sacrament, Prayer, Magiftracy, or Miniftry to be the Word of God; nor fuch as are ' guilty of any of the Offences in the Act bearing Date 1650, intituled, An A&t against several blaf"phemous and execrable Opinions, derogatory to the 'Honour of God, and deftructive to human Socie

ty; no common Profaner of the Lord's Day, no common profane Swearer or Curfer, nor common 'Drunkard; nor the Son of a fequeftered Perfon (unless fuch Sons as have borne Arms for the Parlia'ment, and continued faithful thereto) during the Life of his Father; nor any that promife or give a Reward to be elected, or any Entertainment to the Electors; alfo that the Elected takes the Engage 'ment before he fits in the House. They who are elected and fit in Parliament, contrary to these 'Qualifications, to forfeit 1000l. to the Commonwealth; and those who elect contrary to the Tenor of this Act, to forfeit one Part of their Real Estate ⚫ and one Part of their Perfonal Estate to the Com'monwealth.'

February 18. Being Saturday, the House, on the breaking up, adjourned itself to Monday the 20th; on which Day we meet with nothing but an Hiatus, marked with fome Afterifms, in the Journals; the Reason of which will be explained in the Sequel, as well as the following extraordinary Refolutions, which are entered as made on the next Day, when we find the Face of Things greatly changed in the House.

Several Refolu- Refolved, That the Refolution of this Houfe, tions for expun- of the 18th of December, 1648, that Liberty be giging Paffages in the Journals. ven to the Members of this Houfe, to declare their Diffent to the Vote of the 5th of December, 1648: That the King's Anfwer to the Propofitions of both Houses, was a Ground for this Houfe to pro

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1659.

ceed upon, for Settlement of the Peace of the King- Inter-regnuin. dom, be vacated, and made null and void, and obliterated.

Refolved, That the Refolution of this Houfe, of the 20th of December, 1648, touching Members declaring their Diffent or Difapproval of the faid Vote, of the 5th of December, 1648, to a Committee therein named; and every Claufe of the faid Order, be vacated, and made null and void, and obliterated.

Refolved, That the Order of the 23d of February, 1648, that no Member that hath not fitten in this Houfe fince the 31st of January then last, should fit in any Committee, untill this Houfe take further Order, be vacated, and made null and void, and obliterated.

Refolved, That the feveral Votes, of the 20th of December, 1648, touching the Manner and Entry of the difapproving of the feveral Members to the Vote of the 5th of December, 1648, be made null and void, and obliterated out of the Journal-Book. Refolved, That the Vote of the 9th of June, 1649, touching the fufpending the fitting of fuch Members as fhould not enter their Diffent or Difapproval of the said Vote of the 5th of December, 1648, and fhould not, before the 30th of the faid Month of June, give Satisfaction to the faid Committee, and that the Houfe would proceed to the Election of new Members in their room, be vaca ted, and made null and void, and obliterated.

Refolved, That all Orders of this Houfe made upon a Paper, intituled, A folemn Proteftation of the imprisoned and fecluded Members of the Commons Houfe, against the horrid Force and Violence of the Officers and Soldiers of the Army, on Wednesday and Thursday last, being the 6th and 7th of December, 1648, be, and are hereby, vacated, and made null and void, and obliterated: And that the faid Paper be taken off the File.

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Refolved, That the Refolution of Parliament, of the 5th of January, 1659, for confirming the

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