BE it Ordained, and it is Or­dained by the Lords and Com­mons assembled in Parliament, That Henry Broad, Richard Wilcox, Ni­cholas Bond, James Prince, and Thomas Richardson, shall be a Committee for taking, examining, allowing and de­termining the Accompts of all such Officers, Soldiers, Artificers and [Page 4]Waggoners, and of all Officers and Soldiers that have served the Par­liament in the late Wars, and have not been under the Entertainment and pay of the particular Counties and Associations of this Kingdom, or of the present Army under the Lord Fairfax, as well for their pay, as for the Money and Goods they have received from the State, or from any person or persons during the time of their Services, in order to their pay, or the Service of the Parliament, and for which they ought to be ac­comptable; which said Committee hereby Ordained, or any three of them shall have power, and are here­by authorized and required to take, examine, allow and determine the Accompts of the said Officers and Soldiers, as well for their pay, as for the Money and Goods they have re­ceived from the State, or from any person whatsoever, during the time of their Services, in order to their [Page 5]pay, or the Service of the Parlia­ment, according to an Ordinance of the Eight and twentieth of May, One thousand six hundred forty and seven, and the Instructions therein men­tioned, intituled, Instructions agreed up­on by the Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment assembled, to be observed in taking, ex­amining and determining the Accompts of all Officers and Soldiers who have actually and faithfully served under their Command in the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, from or since the beginning of these Wars (Any former Order or Or­dinance of both or either House of Parliament concerning the taking and determining the Accompts of the Soldiery of this Kingdom and Do­minion of Wales, under the command of the Parliament, or any clause therein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding) And that every Member of the said Committee hereby Ordained, before he enter upon the said Service, shall [Page 6]take an Oath before the Speaker for the time being of either of the said Houses, for the due execution thereof; Which Oath the several Speakers for the time being of both the said Houses shall have power, and are hereby authorized to administer, The tenor whereof shall be as follow­eth; Viz.

‘ I A.B. do swear, That according to my best skill and knowledge, I shall faithfully and truly demean my self in taking, stating and determining the Accompts of all such persons as shall come before me, in execution of an Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, intituled, An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, For taking, stating and de­termining the Accompts of all such Officers and Sol­diers, or Widows of the said Officers and Soldiers that have served the Parliament in the late Wars, and have not been under the Entertainment and Pay of the particular Counties or Associations of this Kingdom, nor are of the present Army under the Command of THOMAS Lord FAIRFAX, [Page 7]according to the tenor of the said Ordinance, and the Instructions therein mentioned; And that I shall not for fear, favor, reward or af­fection, give any allowance, or conceal, spare or discharge any, nor receive or take directly or indirectly, by my self, or by any other to my use, any Fee, Reward or Gratuity whatso­ever, from any person or persons concerned as Accomptants by this Ordinance, nor any Profit or Advantage whatsoever, other then that Salary appointed by the Parliament, and expressed in an Ordinance of the date of these presents: So help me God.’

And the said Committee shall have power, and are hereby authorized and required, by Warrant under their Hands, or the Hands of any three or more of them, to send for, and require from all Muster-Masters, Commis­saries, Treasurers, Receivers, Pay­masters, and all other Officers and persons whatsoever, that have paid any Money, or have been intrusted and imployed in any Army, Brigade, [Page 8]County or Garison, or otherwise un­der the command of the Parliament, or have paid any Money by Order or Directions of one or both Houses of Parliament, or by any Committee or Committees of Parliament, All Books of Musters, Payments, Ac­compts, Lists, upon which payments of Arrears in part have been or are to be made, or authentick copies there­of under their Hands (and upon their Oathes to be administred by the said Committee, or any two of them, which they have hereby power and authority to administer) And also all Certificates and other Papers and Vouchers whatsoever: And are by all other ways and means so to in­form themselves, as may conduce to the best and most effectual execution of this service. And all Muster-Ma­sters, Commissaries, Treasurers, Receivers, Paymasters, and other Officers and persons as aforesaid, are hereby required to give obedience [Page 9]to every such Warrant accordingly: And the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom are also hereby Ordered to be ayding and assisting to the said Committee by this Ordinance Ordained, in giving them or any two or more of them ac­cess and free leave to see and peruse any Accompts, Books or Vouchers remaining in their custody, when and so often as the said Committee shall have occasion to make use thereof in order to this service. And the said Committee hereby Ordained, or any two of them shall have power, and are hereby authorized to administer an Oath as they shall see cause, to all Officers and Soldiers who shall make their addresses to them for the stating and determining their Ac­compts, according to this Ordinance and the Instructions therein men­tioned (or to any person who may be concerned in any such Accompt, or is enabled to give any evidence for [Page 10]clearing the truth thereof:) The te­nor of which Oath shall be as fol­loweth; Viz.

‘ I A. B. do swear, That I shall according to my best knowledge, give in to this Com­mittee a just and true Accompt of all and every sum and sums of Money by me (or by my appointment, or to use) received for my Pay, or otherwise in Money or Goods, in order to the service of the State, by vertue of any Order or Ordinance of both or either of the Houses of Parliament, or by colour or pretence of any such Order or Ordinance, or for which I am any way chargeable or ac­comptable, without any concealment what­soever: So help me God.’

And the said Committee, or any three of them shall have power, and are hereby authorized to give out De­benters under their Hands to the said Officers and Soldiers, for so much Money as shall appear to them to be due upon their Accompts, allowed and determined according to the said [Page 11]Instructions and this present Ordi­nance; which Accompts and Deben­ters shall be fairly Entred and Re­gistred into a Book or Books to be kept for that purpose by the Register Accomptant, who shall attest under his Hand as Register, the Entry of every Debenter to be given forth by the said Committee as aforesaid, be­fore the same be delivered to the par­ties therein concerned, whom the said Committee have hereby power to appoint, being one of themselves. And it is hereby Ordained and De­clared, That all Officers and Sol­diers that shall receive Debenters from the said Committee as afore­said, may sell, assign and set over the Moneys due upon those Debenters to such persons as they shall think fit; and all such person and persons to whom such Moneys so due shall be assigned, set over and sold, have here­by power and authority to demand and receive the same, as if the said [Page 12]Debenters were in their own Name or Names: Provided, That every such assignment be first shewed to the said Committee, and an Entry there­of made by their Register to be by them appointed as aforesaid, to the end it may be the better known to whom the State is indebted. And it is hereby further Ordained and Declared, That for the Moneys as shall appear to be due by such Deben­ters as shall be so Signed, Registred and given out by the said Commit­tee as aforesaid, The State shall be lyable to the payment thereof to the said Officers, Soldiers, or their Wi­dows or Orphans, and the same shall be paid and satisfied out of Two third parts of the Lands and Estate of all Delinquents mentioned and comprehended in the three first Qua­lifications of the Propositions for Delinquents, sent to the King into the Isle of Wight, not formerly dis­posed of, or the Fines that shall be set [Page 13]upon those Delinquents by the Hou­ses, and also out of the Moneys ari­sing out of the remaining part of all the Lands and Revenues of all the late Archbishops and Bishops of Eng­land and Wales, appointed to be sold by several former Ordinances, after such Engagements satisfied as are already charged thereupon: Provi­ded always, That if any surcharge can be brought upon any Accompt whatsoever, made and stated by the said Committee, within two years next after Debenters shall be given as aforesaid, That then defalkation shall be made thereof out of the said Debenter, so as it do not exceed one third part of the whole Debenter: And it is hereby further Ordained, That in case any doubt or difficulty shall at any time arise in stating of any the Accompts beforementioned, so as the said Committee cannot clearly proceed to the determination thereof according to the said Instru­ctions, [Page 14]Then in every such case the said Committee may make their ad­dresses to the Committee of the Ar­my, for their advice and direction therein, which they are hereby requi­red and authorized to give according­ly, as to their best discretions shall seem meet; which Direction by way of Order, shall be a sufficient Rule and Warrant for the said Committee (by this Ordinance nominated and appointed) to proceed by, to the allow­ance and determination of all such Accompts accordingly. And it is hereby further Ordained and Decla­red by the authority aforesaid, That the said Committee or any two of them have power and authority to administer to the said Register Ac­comptant, and to the several Clerks, Messengers, or other necessary of­ficers and persons by them to be im­ployed in and about the said service, an Oath for their and every of their faithful demeanor, The tenor of [Page 15]which Oath shal be as followeth, Viz.

‘ I A.B. do swear, That according to my best skill and judgement, I shall faithfully, and diligently and truly demean my self in the Office of [...] wherein I shall be imployed by this Committee: So help me God.’

And it is lastly Ordained, That the said Committee or any three of them shall have power and authority to state, audite and determine the Ac­compts of all such Officers and Sol­diers (as shall be referred to them by the Committee of the Lords and Commons for the Army) that have been of the Army under the com­mand of Thomas Lord Fairfax, for ser­vices by them done in other Com­mands then of the said Army, and to return the same Accompt so stated to the said Committee. And the said Lords and Commons do further Ordain and Command, as well all [Page 16]Majors, Sheriffs, Iustices of the Peace, Constables, and other Offi­cers and Ministers of Iustice, as also all Colonels, Captains, and other Officers and Soldiers under the command of the Parliament, to be ayding and assisting to the Commit­tee in the due execution of this Ordi­nance. And it is lastly Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That the Committee and every one of them and their Clerks and other Officers to be imployed in and about the said service, according to the tenor and effect of this present Ordinance, shall be therein protected and saved harm­less by the power and authority of both Houses of Parliament.