To the Right Honorable, The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled:
The humble Petition of the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of
London in Common Councel assembled;
THat your Petitioners being deeply sensible of the sad, miserable and deplorable condition of the King, Parliament and Kingdom, by the long continuance of a bloody and unnatural War (whereof they had great hopes to be freed) after the common Enemy was subdued, the Army of our Brethren of Scotland withdrawn, and the Kings Majesty placed at Holdenby, by consent of both Kingdoms (in order to a happy composure of all differences both in Church and State) But contrary to expectation, your Petitioners, to the great grief and sorrow of their Souls, do finde the Government of the Church to be still unsetled, Blasphemy, Heresie, Schism and Prophaneness increased, The relief of bleeding Ireland obstructed, The War (to their great astonishment) again [Page 4]renewed, The People of England thereby miserably impoverished and oppressed, The blood of our fellow Subjects (spilt like water upon the ground) Our Brethren of Scotland (now entred this Kingdom) in a Hostile maner, His Highness the Prince of Wales commanding at Sea a considerable part of the Navy, and other ships under His power, having already made stay of many English Ships, with Merchandizes and Provisions to a very great value; by reason whereof, Navigation will be destroyed Seamen desert us, Merchants inforced to leave off reading, clothing and other manufactures of this Kingdom fall to the ground, Wool, which is the staple commodity of the Land remain unsold, The Mint stand still, Customs and other Profits by Merchandizing will be very much abated, if not utterly destroyed; Corn, Salt, Cole, Fish, Butter, Cheese, and all other provisions brought by Sea to this City and Kingdom stopped, The innumerable number of the poorer sort depending onely upon manufactures, wanting work and bread (as is greatly feared) will in a very short time become tumultuous in all parts of [Page 5]the Kingdom, And many inforced to remove themselves and families into foraign parts, and there setle the manufactures of this Kingdom never to be regained; all which will unavoidably (in a very short time) totally ruine the people of this Kingdom.
Your Petitioners humbly conceive, no visible way can prevent the apparent ruine of these Kingdoms, but the speedy freeing of His Majesty from that restraint wherein He now remaines, and by a Personal Treaty, restoring to the King His just Rights, to the Parliament their undoubted Priviledges, to the People their Native Freedoms and Benefit of the Laws (being the Birthright of every Subject) and by the due attendance of the Members of Parliament, in discharge of their trust to the Kingdom, and in observing the self denying Ordinance.
The [...] remises considered, your Petitioners do humbly pray, That the Kings Majesty may be speedily freed from that restraint wherein he now remains, and humbly invited unto a Personal Treaty, for the setling of a safe and well grounded Peace; And that [Page 6]therein the Union between the two Kingdoms may be preserved; That in the interim, all acts of hostility both by Sea and Land may by command of King and Parliament cease, And Trade free without interruption, That the Government of the Church may be speedily setled according to the Covenant, Distressed Ireland relieved, The People of the Land (by disbanding all Armies) may be eased of their intollerable burthens, The Liberty of the Subject restored, The Laws of the Land established, The Members of this Honorable House enjoyned to attend the service of the Kingdom, That the self-denying Ordinance may be effectually observed: And that this Honorable House would be pleased, speedily to take into their serious consideration the sad condition of such Merchants, whose ships and goods are under that Fleet, which is now with His Highness the Prince of Wales, and suddenly to finde some expedient for their releasment.
And your Petitioners shall daily pray, &c.
9 Augusti, 1648.
THe House of Commons have considered of the Petition of the Lord Major, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common-Councel assembled, presented to them August 8. And upon serious Debate had thereupon, thay have thought fit to acquaint the Common-Councel,
That they have passed an Ordinance for the setling of Presbyterian Government; and therein (upon review of all their former Ordinances) they have perfected and compiled the same in one entire body.
And for the obtaining a safe and well-grounded Peace, They have resolved upon a Treaty with the King in the Isle of Wight, upon the Propositions formerly agreed upon and presented to the King at Hampton-Court, and for taking away of Wards and Liveries; and also upon such other Propositions as shall be propounded either by His Majesty or both Houses of Parliament: And that the King make choyce of what place He pleaseth in that Island, to be there with Freedom, Honor and Safety, to Treat personally with the Commissioners of Parliament; And the Committee which they have sent to present this offer, are now with His Majesty.
Concerning the seizing of the Ships and Goods of the Merchants of the City of London, and the decay and obstruction of the Trade of the Kingdom by the Revolted Ships that lie in the Downs, The House is deeply sensible thereof, and have done what lies in them for reducing those Ships to their due obedience to the Parliament, by offering them Indempnity for their Offence, and payment of the Mariners Arrears upon their submission; and by sending the Earl of Warwick, Lord Admiral, with power to command the rest of the Navy to reduce those Ships by force, if they refuse the pardon offered them; which might have proved an effectual means before this time, to have prevented the loss already suffered, and to have secured the Trade of the Kingdom, had not the going out of the Fleet been retarded by the backwardness and treachery of divers [Page 8]who have secretly complyed with the late defection of the Navy. And that the House may manifest their earnest Desires to entertain any further means for the more speedy and certain effecting of this work, of so necessary importance to the Honor and Welfare of this Nation, They have appointed a Committee to Treat with the Merchants (that are most concerned therein) to receive their Advice, and to know what ayds they will contribute to the clearing of the Seas; and their readiness therein, as it will return abundantly to their own advantage, so it will be embraced (as a most acceptable Service to the whole Kingdom) by this House.
As to the Scotish Army which have in Hostile maner invaded this Kingdom, are possessed of Barwick and Carlisle, contrary to the Treaties betwixt the Kingdoms, and do joyn themselves with the Popish and Malignant party in the North, The House of Commons have Declared them Enemies to this Kingdom; and that all those English or Irish as voluntarily adhere to them, are Traytors and Rebels, and to be proceeded with accordingly. And they resolve (by Gods assistance) to adhere to and prosecute this their Resolution; and upon the just and necessary grounds thereof, They do expect the hearty concurrence and assistance of this City of London, as of the rest of the Kingdom, Notwithstanding all the secret Plots and Endeavors of the Scots Emissaries, or the Agents of the Popish and Malignant party of this Kingdom to the contrary.