A CHARGE Delivered in the Name of the ARMY under the Command of His Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, Unto the Commissioners of Parliament with the Army, at S. Albans, June 14. 1647. and by them sent up to the Parliament, against several Members of the Honorable House of Commons.
ALSO A PAPER Delivered to the said COMMISSIONERS of Parliament, June 15. from his Excellency Sir Tho: Fairfax, and the Army under his Command, of some farther humble Proposals and Desires to the Honorable Houses of PARLIAMENT.
PRinted and published by the appointment of his Excellency Sir Tho: Fairfax, and the Officers and Soldiers of the Army under his Command.
London, Printed for Laurence Chapman, IUNE 18. 1647.
June 14. 1647. The Heads of a Charge, delivered in the name of the Army under the Command of Sir
Tho. Fairfax, unto the Commissioners of Parliament, now with the Army at St.
Albans.
To be by them sent up to the Parliament, Against
Denzil Hollis Esquire, Sir
Philip Stapleton, Sir
William Lewis, Sir
John Clotworthy, Sir
William Waller, Sir
John Maynard, Knights; Major General
Massey Mr.
Glyn Recorder of
London, Colonel
Walter Long, Colonel
Edward Harley, and
Anthony Nichol Esquire, Members of the House of Commons, joyntly or severally as followeth.
1. THat contrary to the Trust reposed in them, the persons above named, Members of the House of Commons, have joyntly or severally invaded, infringed or indeavored to overthrow the Rights and Liberties of the Subjects of this Nation, in Arbitrary, violent or oppressive wayes (and in this case where no pretence was, or could be of the exigence of War, or other necessity which might justifie or excuse the same;) and they [Page 4] have likewise endeavored by indirect and corrupt practises to delay and obstruct Justice, to the great damage and prejudice of divers of the poor Commoners of England, Petitioning for the same.
2. That this Army being until the middle of March last, in a quiet and orderly condition and posture, free from any colour or appearance of distemper or disorder, or from offence to any, and ready (upon reasonable satisfaction in their necessary dues for service past) either quietly to have disbanded, or else to have engaged in the service of Ireland. The persons above named have joyntly or severally indeavored by false informations, misrepresentations, or scandalous suggestions against the Army, to beget misunderstandings, prejudices, or jealousies in the Parliament against their Army; and by deluding, surprizing, or otherwise abusing the Parliament, to engage the Authority of Parliament to such proceedings, as to put insufferable injuries, abuses, and provocations upon the Army, whereby to provoke and put the Army into a distemper, and to disoblige and discourage the same from any further engagement in the Parliament Service: By all which, and other the like particulars and proceedings of theirs, the Peace of this Kingdom hath been eminently endangered, and the relief of Ireland retarded.
3. That whereas the Parliament might otherwise have had out of this Army an intire force, and answerable to their proportion designed to have engaged for Ireland as aforesaid, under their old Officers and conduct; the persons above named for advancement of their own ends, faction, and designe, to the prejudice of the Publike, have joyntly or severally, under pretence of the service of Ireland, endeavored by such evil practises as before, to break and pull this Army in pieces, to the weakening of the power, and indangering of the safety of the Parliament and Kingdom; and have likewise endeavored to put the Parliament and Kingdom, to the trouble, hazard, delay, and vast expence of raising a new force as for that service.
4. That with the breaking of this Army as aforesaid, they [Page 5] have in the like manner indeavored under the pretence of the service of Ireland, to raise a new force as before to advance and carry on desperate designes of their own in England, to the prejudice of the Parliament and Publike; and in p [...]ance of the same have endeavored to divert the forces ingaged as for Ireland, and unto such their purpose as aforesaid here in England; and have in like manner endeavored to have gained a power from the Parliament for themselves, or some of them, of diverting and misimploying those forces aforesaid, and to raise new forces under pretence to guard the Parliament, and (not having obtained that) have in like manner endeavored privately to lift and engage Officers and Souldiers, or procure them to be listed and engaged without Authority of Parliament, for the raising of and imbroiling this Kingdom in a new and bloody War, and to interrupt and hinder the setling and securing the Rights, Liberties, and Peace of the Kingdom; and for the setling, upholding, and protecting of themselves and their accomplices, in their unjust, oppressive, and Factious designes and proceedings.
5. That they have joyntly or severally invited, encouraged, abetted or countenanced divers Reformadoes, and other Officers and Souldiers tumultuously and violently to gather together at Westminster, to affright and assault the Members of Parliament, in passage to and from the House, to offer violence to the House it self, and by such violence, outrages and threats to awe and inforce the Parliament.
The several Heads of Charge, the Army will by such Solicitors as they shall appoint (when the House of Commons shall admit thereof) make good in particulars each Head against some of the persons, and some one head or more against each of the persons; and shall shortly give in the several particulars against each person respectively, which shall be made good by proofs; the Army desiring to save and reserve to themselves the liberty of exhibiting any farther Charge against all or any of the said persons.
A Paper delivered to the Right Honorable Commissioners of Parliament now with the Army at S. Albans, June 15. 1647. From his Excellency Sir Tho. Fairfax, and the Army under his Command:
I. THat in pursuance of the Representation delivered in, we have prepared the Heads of a Charge against divers persons, Members of the House of Commons (to whom many passages in the said Representation do relate) which we have delivered in to be speeded to the Parliament, and shall (when the Parliament shall have admitted thereof) appoint fit persons on our and the Kingdoms behalfs to prosecute and make good the same.
II. That if the Parliament shall be pleased to admit these things into Debate and Consideration at the Desire of the Army, in behalf of themselves and the [Page 7] Kingdom, and to proceed thereupon for a general satisfaction therein; we shall then desire,
1. That the persons impeached in the said Charge may be forthwith suspended from sitting in the House, without which we cannot reasonably expect such a proceeding upon any the things we have proposed, as may probably bring the same to an happy or timely issue to the kingdom or our selvs; or as may prevent the present Designs and practices so imminently indangering the Peace of this Nation, if those same persons (who have notoriously appeared most active in all the late proceedings, to the prejudice and provocation of the Army, and hazarding thus far the Peace of the Kingdom) shall continue in the same power Judges of those things relating to the Armies satisfaction, and Peace of the Kingdom.
2. That there may be at least a Moneths pay immediately sent down to the Army for a present supply, out of which the Army shall pay Fourteen days quarter for time to come, and the other Fourteen days pay shall be accompted as part of Arrears. And to this we must desire a present Resolution to be with us on Thursday next by noon at farthest.
3. That if the Officers and Soldiers of the Army, who have ingaged for Ireland, or those who have deserted the Army and come to London, have since then received more then a Moneths pay, there may be so much more money sent down to the Army (above the Moneths pay aforementioned) as may make up that Moneths pay to the Army equal to what such Officers [Page 8] and Soldiers have so received at London or elswhere.
4. That no Officers or Soldiers who have so deserted the Army shall have any more paid them as for Arrears, until the rest of the Army shall first be satisfied in point of their Arrears.
5. Whereas there have been several Designs and Endeavors, without Authority from tne Parliament, to raise and List new Forces within this Kingdom, to draw together the Forces ingaged for Ireland, and march them towards London, and other secret practices to ingage the Kingdom in a second War; We further desire, That during the Debates and Transaction of this business betwixt the Parliament and the Army, the Parliament would not suffer any new Forces to be raised within this kingdom, or any Forces to be invited or admitted out of any other Kingdom to this, or any thing else to be done, that may carry the face of a new War, or of preparations thereunto, which may indanger or interrupt the present proceeding to the settlement of the Liberties and peace of this Kingdom.
6. That the Parliament would be pleased (without delay) to put the things contained in our several Representations and Papers already given in, into a speedy way of resolution and dispatch, The present posture and condition of the Kingdom and Army, As also of His Majesty himself not admitting Delays.