THE PETITION of the CITIZENS of LONDON, to both Houses of Parliament, Feb, 26. 1641.
Concerning the Election of persons for the Militia of the City, with the Government and Charters thereof.
With his Majesties Message to both Houses of Parliament, March 1. 1641.
Touching the Militia of the Kingdome, and of the City of London,
LONDON, Printed by T. F. for J. Thomas, 1641.
To the Right Honorable, the Lords and Commons now assembled in PARLIAMENT.
The humble Petition of the Citizens of London.
THat the Citizens of London have time out of mind enjoyed the ordering of their own Armes which have successively been annexed to rhe Majoralty, for the time being. The Lord Major having alwayes been alwaies a person of worth and quality (one of their owne choise) and hath still advised with the Court of Aldermen in the Execution thereof, so that if the same should be conferred upon others, we humbly conceive it would not onely be a personall dishonor to the Lord Major, but also reflect upon the government and Customes of the City of London (granted to the Citizens by the great Charter of England) and confirmed by divers Acts and Charters since, and with every Freeman of the said City, is by the Oath [Page] of his Freedome bound to maintain to the uttermost of his power, this grave Assembly may be pleased to take into their grave Considerations, That Alteration in the ancient Gouernment in this Renowned City may breed great distractions & inconveniences then for the present can be discovered, or in the future can be amended.
Wherefore our humble desire is, that since the Government, hath by experience been found for the honour of his Majesty the good of the City and whole Kingdome, and that in the most troublesome times, as it hath beene admired and commended by strangers before any other City in the whole World, That the same by your Honourable favour may be continued as in former time without all alteration.
And they shall ever pray, &c.
His Majesties Message to both Houses of Parliament, Fe [...]ruary, 28. 1641.
HIS Majesty having with his best care and vnderstanding, perused and considered that which was sent him from both Houses, for the Ordering of the Militia presented unto him [...]o be made an Ordinance of Parliament, by the giving of his Royall Assent, as he can by no meanes doe it, for the reasons hereafter mentioned, so he doth not conceive himselfe Obliged by any promise made in his Answer of the second of this Moneth to the Petition of both Houses, to yeeld to the same.
His Majesty finds great cause to except against the presacor interduction to th [...]t Order which confesseth a most dangefrous and desperate designe vpon the House of Commons os late supposed to be an effect of the bloody counsels of papistd & other ill affected persons by which many may understanh (looking uppon other Printed papers to that purpose) his comming in Person to the house of Commons on the fourth of Ianuary, which bego [...] so unhappy a misunderstanding betweene him and his people; and for that though he beleeves it upon the information since given him to be an apparant breach of their priviledge; and hath offered, and is ready to repaire the same for future, by any Act shall be desired of his Majesty, yet he must declare and require to be believed that he had no other designe upon that House or any Member of it, then to require as he did the persons of those five Gentlemen, his Majesty had the day before accused of high Tr [...]son, and to declare that he meant to proceed against them legally, and speedily, upon which hee believed that [Page] House would have delivered them up, and his Majesty cals the Almighty God to witnesse, that he was so farre from any intention or thought of fo [...]ce or violence, although that house had not delivered them according to his demand or in any case whatsoever that he gave those his Servants and others, who then waited on his Majesty, expresse, charge, and command that they give no offence to any man, nay if they received any provocation or injury they should beare it without returne, and his Majesty neither saw nor knew that any person of his traine had any other weapons, but Pentioners and Guard, those with which the usually attend his Person to Parliament, and the other Gentlemen Swords. And therefore his Majesty doubts not but this Parliament will be regardfu [...] of his Honour herein, that he shall not undergoe any imputation by the rash or, indirect indiscreet expressions of any Youngman then in his Traine, or by any desperate words then uttered by others, who might mingle with them without his consent or approbation.
For the persons nominated to be Lievtenants of the severall Counties of England and Wales, his Majesty is contended to allow that recommendation onely concerning the City of London, and such other Corporations, as by ancient Charters have granted unto them the power of the M [...]litia, his Majesty doth not conceive, that it can stand with justice or policy to alter their government in that particular.
And his Majesty is willing forthwith to grant every of them, that of London and those other Corporations excepted, such Commissions as he hath done this Parliament to some Lord Lievtenants by your advise, but if that power be not thought enough, but that more shall be thought fit, and to be granted to those persons named then by the Law is in the Crowne it selfe, His Majesty holds it reasonable, that the same be by [...]me Law first vested in him, with power to transferre it to those persons, which he would willingly doe, and what ever that power shall be, to avoid all future doubts and questi [...].
His Majestie desires it may be disgested into an Act of Parliament rather then an Ordinance, so that all his loving Subjects may thereby particularly know both what they are to doe, and what they are to suffer, for their neglect, that there may be the least latitude for his good Subjects to suffer under any Arbitrary power whatsoever, as to the time desired for the continuance of the power to be granted, His Majestie giveth this Answer, that he cannot consent to divest himselfe of the just power which God and the Lawes of this Kingdome have placed in him for the defence of his people, and to put it into the hands of others for any indefinite time, and since [...]the ground of this request from his Parliament, was to secure their present feares and [...]ealousies, that they might with safety apply themselves to the matter of his Message of the 20. of Ianuary, his Majestie hopeth, that His grace to them since that time, in yeelding to so many of their desires, and in agreeing to the persons now recommended to him by His Parliament, and the power before expressed to be placed in them, will wholly dispell those feares and jealousies, and assureth them, that as his Majestie hath now applied this unusuall remedy to their doubts, so if there shall because, Hee will continue the same to such time as shall be agreeable to the same care in new expressions towards them.
And in his answer his Majestie is so farre from receding from any thing he promised or intended to grant in his answer to the former Petition, that his Majestie hath hereby consented to all was then asked of him by that Petition concerning the Militia of the Kin [...]dome (except that of London, and th [...]se other Corporations) w [...] the hands of [...] persons [...] should be recommended unto him by both Houses of Parliament, and his Majestie doubts not, but the Parliament upon well weighing the particulars of this Answer, will find the same more satisfactory to their ends, and the peace and welfare of all His good subjects, then the way proposed by this intended Ordinance, to which for these reasons his Maiestie cannot consent.
And whereas His Majesty observes by the Petition from both Houses presented to Him by the Earle of Poro [...]nd, [...] Thomas Heale,, and Sir William Savill, that in some placss, some persons begin to intermeddle of themselves with the Mili [...] his Majesty expecteth, that the Parliament should exami [...] the particulars thereof, it being a matter of high concernme [...] and very great consequence, and his Majesty requireth, that if it shall appeare to his Parliament, that any persons whatsoever have presumed to command the Militia without lawfull authority, they may be proceeded against according to Law.