WHereas the King seduced by wicked Counsell hath raysed an Army, and levyed War against the Parliament, and great number of Forces are daily raised under the commands of Papists and other ill-affected persons, by Commissions from his Majesty; And whereas divers Delinquents are protected from publike Justice by his Majesties. Army, and sundry outrages and rapines are daily committed by the Souldiers of the said Army, who have no respect to the Lawes of God or the Land, but burne and plunder the Hou­ses, and seize and destroy the persons and goods of divers His Maje­sties good Subjects; And whereas for the maintenance of the said Ar­my divers assessements are made upon severall Counties, an [...] His Ma­jesties Subjects are compelled by the souldiers to pay the same; which sa [...]d army if it should continue, wou [...]d soone ruine and w [...]ste the whole Kingdome, and overthrow Religion, Law, and Libertie. For suppressing of which said army and ill-affected persons there is no probable way under God, but by the armv raysed by au [...]hority of the Parliament; which said army so raysed cannot be maintained without great summes of Money, yet for raysing such summes by reason of his Majesties withdrawing himselfe from the advice of the Parliament, there can be no Act of Parliament passed with his Ma­jesties assent, albeit there is great Justice that the said Monies should be raysed: The Lords and Commons in Parliament, having taken the same into their serious consideration, and knowing that the said army so raysed by them, hath beene hitherto for the most par [...] main­tained by the voluntary contribution of divers well affected per­sons, who have freely contributed according to their abilities.

But considering there are divers others within the Cities of Lon­don and Westminster, and the Suburbes of the same, and also within the Borough of Southwarke, that have not contributed at all towards the maintenance of the said army, or if they have, yet not [...]nswerable to their Estates, who notwithstanding receive benefit and protection [Page] by the same army as well as any others, and therefore its most just that they should as well as others be charged to contribute to the maintenance thereof.

Be it therefore Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment assembled, and by authority thereof; That Isaac Pennington Lord Maior of the City of London, Sir John Wollaston Knight and Alderman, Alderman Towes, Alderman Warner, Alderman Andrewes, Alderman Chambers, Alderman Fowkes, Sir Thomas Soham Knight and Alderman, Samuel Vassell, John Venn, Morris Thompson, and Ri­chard VVarrin, Citizens, or any foure of them, shall hereby have pow­er and authority to nominate, and appoynt in every Ward within the City of London, six such persons as they, or any foure of them, shall thinke fit, which said six, so nominated, or any foure of them, shall hereby have power to enquire of any that shall remaine, or be within the said severall Wards that have not contributed upon the Propositions of both Houses of Parliament, concerning the raysing of Money, Plate, Horse, Horsemen, and armes, for defence of the King and both Houses of Parliament, and also of such as are able men, that have contributed, yet not according to their Estates & abilities. And the said six persons so nominated or any four of them within their severall and respective wards and limits, shall have pow­er to assesse such person or persons, as are of ability and have not contributed, and also such as have contributed, yet not according to their ability, to pay such sum or sums of Money according to their Estates, as the said Assessors or any foure of them shall think fit and re [...]sonable, so as the same exceed not the twentieth part of their E­states, and to nominate and appoint fit persons for the collection thereof. And if any person so assessed shall refuse to pay the money assessed upon him, it shall be lawfull to and for the said Assessors and Collectors, or any of them to leavy the said sum so assessed by way of distresse and sale of the goods of the person so assessed, and refusing; And if any person so distrained shall make resistance, It shall be law­full to and for the respective Assessors and Collectors or any of them, to call to their assistance any the Trained bands of the said City of London or any other his Majesties Subjects, who are hereby required to be ayding & assisting to the said Assessors and Collectors in the pre­mises; And it is hereby further ordained, that the respective Burgesses [Page] of Westminster and Southwark, together with the severall Committees appointed for the subscriptions of Money, Plate, Horse, Horse-men and armes within the said City and Borough shall respectively have power hereby to nominate Sessors for the same City and Borough, in such manner as the Lord Major, &c. hath for the City of London, and the said Assessors or any foure of them to name collectors as a­foresaid; Which said Assessors and Collectors shall have the same power respectively within their respective limits, as those to be no­minated within the said City of London have hereby limit [...]ed to them. And for the Suburbs of London and Westminster,the respective Knights of the Shires where the said Suburbs are shall have hereby the like power to name Assessors, and they so named, or any foure of them, and the Collectors by them to be nominated, or any of them within their respective limits, shall have the like power respectively as the Assessors and Collectors for London have by vertue of this Ordinance. And be it ordained that the sums so assessed and levied as aforesaid shall be paid in at Guild-Hall London, to the hands of Sir Iohn Wolla­stone, Knight, Iohn VVarner, Iohn Towes, and Thomas Andrews Aldermen, or any two of them; And the Assessors and Collectors to be nomina­ted by vertue hereof shall weekely report to the Committe of the House, of Commons, for the propositions aforesaid, what sums of money have bin assessed, and what sums have bin levied weekely accor­ding to the purport hereof, And the said monies so levied and paid in shall be issued forth in such sort as the other monies raised upon the propositions aforesaid, and not otherwise.

IT is Ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That Committees shall be named in all Counties, to take Care for Provisions of Victuals for the Army raysed by the Parliament, as likewise for the taking up of Horses for service in the Field, Dra­gooners, and Draught-Horses, as likewise for borrowing of Money or Plate to supply the Army. Which Committees, or any two or more of them, shall have power and authoritie, to value all kind of Provisions both for Men and Horse, all kind of Horse for service, or otherwise, which shall be voluntarily offered to be lent upon the Publike Faith, or likewise to receive any Money or Plate to be lent as before; and that upon Certificate of any two of such Committees, the same Provisions of Horses, Money, and Plate, and the value there­of shall be entred by the Treasurer of the Propositions, and shall be repayed to the party from whom the same was received, with like Consideration as other Money lent.

[Page]And in case the Owners of such Provisions, Money, Plate, and Horses, shall refuse or neglect to bring in the same upon publike Faith, for the use of the Army, for the better preventing the spoyle and embezeling of such Provisions of Money, Plate, and Horses, by the disorder of the Souldiers, and that they may not come into the hands of the Enemies: It is further Ordered, that the Committees a­fore-mentioned, or any two of them, be hereby authorized and e­nabled to send for such Provisions, Money, Plate, and Horses, and take the same into their Custodie and to set an indifferent Value and Rate upon them: Which Value they shall certifie to the Treasurers for the Propositions, to be repayd at such time, and in such man­ner, as shall be Ordered by both Houses of Parliament. It is like­wise Ordered, That the said Committees of the severall and respe­ctive Counties shall meet and consult with the Committees of the adjacent and neighbour Counties, unto the place or places where the said Army or any part thereof shall passe and remaine, con­cerning the Receiving, Procuring, Valuing, and Disposing of such Provisions, Horses, Money, and Plate. And if they cannot conve­niently meet, that then it shall be lawfull for any two, or more of the Committee, to execute the severall Services above mentioned in the adjoyning Counties, as well as in the Countie wherein hee is named a Committee; and that such Certificates as they shall make of any Provisions, Horses, Money, or Plate, shall be as effe­ctuall for the Securities of the Parties, as if the same were received and taken within the Countie for which hee or they are named Committees. And the said Committees, or any two, or more of them, shall cause the said Provisions to be delivered to the Com­missarie for the Victuals, or to his Deputie, and such other Officers of the Army, who may be charged with the same upon their Ac­compt, and shall certifie the Treasurer of the Army, or his Deputie that so Defalcation of the Value thereof may be made out of the Pay of such Officers and Souldiers as shall receive the same. And the said Committee shall likewise cause all such Money and Plate to be delivered unto the Treasurer of the Armie, or his Deputie, who shall take Care, to convey the Plate unto the Treasurer for the Pro­positions, and shall be charged with all such Money upon his Ac­compt as with other Money received from them.