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<DATE>2008-03-05</DATE>
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<NAME>Robyn Anspach</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<P><PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
A DECLARATION In Vindication of the Honour of THE PARLIAMENT, And of the COMMITTEE of the <HI>NAVY</HI> and <HI>C&V;STOMES;</HI> again&s;t all Traducers: Concerning the managing of the <HI>Navy</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;tomes,</HI> and many other weighty Affaires of State: Faithfully Relating what &s;trength of Shipping have been yearly employed for the guarding of the Seas, and what moneys ari&s;ing by the Revenue of the <HI>Customes,</HI> Exci&s;e of Fle&s;h and Salt, and other Re|ceits, have been applyed to that U&s;e.</P>
<P>The Rules by which they have been all managed; and a ju&s;t Account how the moneys have been di&s;po&s;ed.</P>
<P>By GILES GRENE, a Member of the Honourable Hou&s;e of Commons.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Laurence Blaiklock.</HI> 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="declaration">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>A DECLARATION In Vindication of the Honour of the PARLIAMENT, and of the Com|mittee of the <HI>Navy</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;tomes;</HI> again&s;t all Traducers.
Concerning the managing of the <HI>Navy</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;tomes,</HI> and many other weighty Affaires of State.</HEAD>
<P>_THere is no truth now more apparent, then that the tongues and pens of many men; and the Pre&s;&s;e have in the&s;e latter times been &s;o loo&s;e and di&s;ordered, as that they have been applied too fre|quently to the &s;candalizing of procee|dings in Parliament, and the &s;everall Committees, and Members by them imployed, in the tran&s;acting of the weighty affaires of the Kingdome, during the times of the&s;e late di&s;tempers: that &s;o they might bring them into the di&s;affections of the people. The truth of this
<PB N="2" REF="3">
is clearely proved by tho&s;e &s;everall <HI>Pamphlets</HI> which every day are engendred, and &s;ent abroad into the world: and by the cunning and artifice of &s;everall evill di&s;po&s;ed per&s;ons, of different tempers, they are made in&s;trumentall for different ends and intentions. And this is perceived by all wi&s;e men, &s;o that it is hoped tho&s;e Libells take no impre&s;&s;ion with them, in regard of the per&s;ons &s;candalized: And among&s;t others finding the Committee of the <HI>Navy</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;tomes,</HI> as they have had no &s;mall part of the care and trou|ble of the&s;e weighty affaires, &s;o not to have the lea&s;t &s;hare in tho&s;e &s;candalls and reproaches: In di&s;charge of the duty I owe unto the Parliament, who when the <HI>King</HI> de&s;erted them, were nece&s;&s;itated to undertake the Government of the <HI>Navy</HI> Royall of this King|dome, for the &s;afety and good thereof, and likewi&s;e of the Cu&s;tomes appointed for its maintenance and &s;upport, and al&s;o in di&s;charge of that particular duty I owe the Committee of the <HI>Navy</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;tomes,</HI> and the Gentlemen attending tho&s;e &s;ervices, unto who&s;e care and tru&s;t both <HI>Hou&s;es of Parliament</HI> committed that great and weighry Charge. And to cleare up the Honour, Care, Prudence, and Fidelity of both <HI>Parliament</HI> and <HI>Committee,</HI> again&s;t all Traducers, in the advantagious and faithfull di&s;charge of the tru&s;t for the weale and &s;afety of the People, and all the three Kingdomes; I thought it not the lea&s;t part of my duty, (being be&s;t acquainted with tho&s;e affairs) to make this following Declaration of the beginning, progre&s;&s;e, and pre&s;ent State of the &s;ame; relating to the <HI>Cu&s;tomes</HI> and <HI>Navy;</HI> and by what Rules they have been trans|acted.</P>
<P><PB N="3" REF="3">
In the yeare 1641. &s;hortly after the <HI>Parliament</HI> fir&s;t &s;ate, and before the <HI>King</HI> de&s;erted them, the Hou&s;e of Commons appointed &s;ome Gentlemen of that Committee, and recommended to their charge the di&s;covery of the abu&s;es of the then Farmors of the Cu&s;tomes, and the Examination of their Accounts from the fir&s;t yeare of his Maje&s;ties Raigne, unto that time: And notwith&s;tanding the work was conceived by many worthy Gentlemen not to be feazible, yet that Cmmittee within few Months by their report did &s;o &s;atisfie the Hou&s;e of the whole State of that affaire, as it produced 176000. in fines to the u&s;e of the &s;tate.</P>
<P>This done about the 25. of <HI>May</HI> 1641. the Hou&s;e of Commons commanded that Committee to frame a Bill for the legall payment of <HI>Tonnage</HI> and <HI>Poundage,</HI> to continue for a few weeks, untill &s;ome difficulties and mi&s;under&s;tandings between the King and Parlia|ment were removed; and upon the &s;ame grounds &s;e|verall other &s;hort Acts of <HI>Parliament</HI> were pa&s;&s;ed un|till <HI>Iuly</HI> 1642.</P>
<P>But the burthens upon Merchandize, both forreign and dome&s;tick being unequally layd by the old Book of Rates, occa&s;ioned &s;everall complaints and Petitions, from <HI>Merchants, Cloathiers, Shopkeepers,</HI> and others, unto the <HI>Parliament,</HI> for ea&s;e of tho&s;e burthens; where|upon in the yeare 1641. the Hou&s;e ordered that <HI>Com|mittee</HI> to frame a new Book of Rates: This proved a work of that travell and con&s;equence in relation to the &s;upport of the trade of the <HI>Kingdome</HI> on the one &s;ide, and the Revenue of the <HI>Kingdome</HI> for &s;upport of the <HI>Navy,</HI> the &s;trength of the <HI>Kingdome,</HI> on the other &s;ide, as it became full of labour and intricacy to keep
<PB N="4" REF="4">
the Ballance even; for the encrea&s;e of the one, and &s;upport of the other, of which the very bare di&s;co|very of tho&s;e Rules which the wi&s;edome of that <HI>Com|mittee</HI> found out to the due framing of that elaborate work, will &s;ufficiently &s;atisfie the Reader at fir&s;t view.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>They fir&s;t divided all Merchandize into
Dome&s;tick and Forreign.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Dome&s;tick into Commodities
totally to be prohibited, or to be tran&s;ported.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Tran&s;portations into
Manufactures of Wooll, and Other Staple Commodities.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The Manufactures of Wooll, in regard of their ge|nerall influence throughout mo&s;t conditions of men, and hazard of the lo&s;&s;e of that Trade in Forraigne parts &s;o much of late undermined by Forraigne ma|nufactures, was much ea&s;ed of its former impo&s;ition.</P>
<P>The other Staple Commodities as Tyn, Lead, &amp;c. not &s;o &s;ubject to danger as the others, were rai&s;ed to &s;ome higher Rates, according as the &s;ame could well beare.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>The Forraign Commodities were divided into Nece&s;&s;aries. and Superfluities.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Nece&s;&s;aries, and of certain u&s;e, as victualls, and all materialls for to encrea&s;e the Manufactures of the Kingdome were ea&s;ed.</P>
<P>Superfluities which might be &s;pared, and were in|centives to Prodigality, either in apparrall, or diet, food, or rayment, had their full load; &s;aving that in
<PB N="5" REF="4">
the very &s;uperfluities they found it nece&s;&s;ary to make addifference: As,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Tho&s;e of bulk, advantagious in the employment of Shipping and Marriners, in that relation, were &s;omewhat ea&s;ed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Tho&s;e of &s;mall Stowage had a full load laid on them.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Yet in tho&s;e likewi&s;e they made a difference: <LIST>
<ITEM>Ea&s;ing all &s;uch as were unmanufactured,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Burthening the re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">t.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>But the Marchants of the Kingdome not only &s;uffe|ring under the unequall impo&s;itions laid on their Commodities, but under the Arbitrary power, and undue Fees of the Officers of the Cu&s;tomes, which oftentimes more oppre&s;&s;ed them then the payment of the impo&s;itions them&s;elves.</P>
<P>It was not the lea&s;t labour of that Committee, to di&s;po&s;e of the manner of payment of the duty, and to give &s;uch directions therein as by tho&s;e Rules they delivered the Merchant, from all occa&s;ions of op|pre&s;&s;ion, by the Officer, and yet kept up the Officer in his due e&s;teeme.</P>
<P>In compleating of this great work, the Committee proceeded by a further rule, as well to attaine to the knowledge of the value of all Commodities, as to their u&s;efulne&s;&s;e, without which, they could not well agree on the duty: And to that end did make u&s;e of the labours and judgements of many Merchants of quality, of known integrity, and be&s;t experienced in Forraigne Trade, and Importers of the &s;everall Com|modities, who having with much labour laid the foun|dation of this great work; It was al&s;o the wi&s;dome
<PB N="6" REF="5">
of the Committee in &s;o high a tru&s;t to take advice from the Retailors, and &s;everall Traders in the re|&s;pective Commodities.</P>
<P>And after divers dayes di&s;putes with them, having made their ob&s;ervations in writing of the differences in opinion between the Importer and Buyer, did referre the whole work together with their own ob&s;ervations, unto the Farmours and Officers of the Cu&s;tomes, who according to their great experience and wi&s;edome, did contribute much unto the compleating thereof: And upon return of their opinions, the Committee finding yet further differences; did after divers dayes &s;pent in conference with the three Parties, <HI>viz.</HI> the Importer, the Buyer, and the Officer, and upon ob&s;ervations from them all, appoint a generall meeting of the Merchants, Retailors, and Officers, acquainted them with their dif|ferences in opinion, which were reduced to very few, con&s;idering the variety and greatne&s;&s;e of the work: And after a deliberate debate with them joyntly, the Committee did compleat that work; and &s;o pre|&s;ented it to the Hou&s;e of Commons, where it re|ceived a generall approbation with very few amend|ments.</P>
<P>The Book of Rates thus formed, and upon Report made to the Hou&s;e of Commons thereof, being ap|proved and pa&s;&s;ed without a contradicting voyce, Or|der was given for the &s;ame to be printed and publi&s;hed; and an Act of Parliament to be drawn for <HI>Tonnage</HI> and <HI>Poundage,</HI> relating to the&s;e Rates, which with great de|liberation of that Committee, and advice with the Kings Councell, learned in the Law, was drawn accord|ingly, reported and pa&s;t both Hou&s;es, and &s;ent to
<PB N="7" REF="5">
the King then at <HI>York,</HI> for the Royall A&s;&s;ent, which his Maje&s;ty refu&s;ing, Order was given to that Com|mittee to con&s;ider of a way how to continue the pay|ment of <HI>Tonnage</HI> and <HI>Poundage</HI> by an Ordnance which they did accordingly, which upon Report pa&s;&s;ed both Hou&s;es: Here aro&s;e the great difficulty of managing the affaires of the Cu&s;tomes, which by Ordnance of Parli|ament was committed to the charge of that Commit|tee, wherein power was given them to remove and place all Officers belonging to the Cu&s;tomes, to give Orders and Directions to the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Cu&s;tomes as occa&s;ion &s;hould &s;erve: To heare and decide all differences happening between the Merchants and Offi|cers in reference to the Cu&s;tomes; and by their Or|ders to di&s;po&s;e of all moneys ari&s;ing on the Cu&s;tomes, for the u&s;e of the <HI>Navie.</HI></P>
<P>An imployment of great weight and as great tru&s;t, and which they di&s;charged with as much faithfulne&s;&s;e, wi&s;edome, and advantage to the State, the di&s;tractions of the times, the di&s;affections of many Merchants, and the want of a penalty to enjoyn the payment, con&s;ide|red, as ever that affaire was managed &s;ithence the Conque&s;t; which doth manife&s;tly appeare by their &s;aving upward of twelve thou&s;and pound <HI>per Annum,</HI> in the very charge of the Commi&s;&s;ioners; and reduced unnece&s;&s;ary Officers, formerly employed in the manag|ing of tho&s;e affaires, and yet encrea&s;ed that Revenue at lea&s;t one third <HI>per Annum,</HI> in tho&s;e Ports which were &s;till under the obedience of <HI>Parliament,</HI> be&s;ides the re|ceits of tho&s;e Out-Ports that were regained from the Enemy.</P>
<P>The di&s;tractions of the Kingdome encrea&s;ing after
<PB N="8" REF="6">
the Kings de&s;erting the <HI>Parliament:</HI> It plea&s;ed both Hou&s;es by Ordinance in <HI>August</HI> 1642. to commit the charge of the <HI>Navy,</HI> and &s;etting forth the yearly Fleets to Sea for the defence of the three Kingdomes, unto the care of that Committee of the Cu&s;tomes, and &s;o they became the Committee of the <HI>Navy</HI> and Cu&s;tomes: By which Ordinance they had power to order the payments of moneys ari&s;ing from the Cu&s;tomes to the Trea&s;urer of the <HI>Navy,</HI> who was a member of that Committee, for the carrying on of that work: And the moneys being &s;o &s;etled in his hands, they were all to be i&s;&s;ued out by him, by the only Order of that Committee; which Tru&s;t I dare con|fidently affirm he hath di&s;charged with as much clear|ne&s;&s;e and freedome from any corruption as ever Trea|&s;urer did. And to &s;atisfie the world that this tru&s;t was faithfully di&s;charged by that Committee, I will here give a &s;hort account of the &s;everall Fleets &s;et to Sea, with their &s;trength and charge.</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>In the year 1642 the Parliament doubt|ing that Forraign Force would be invited into this Kingdome, commanded that Committee that a &s;trong Fleet &s;hould be &s;et to Sea, for that yeare, which con&s;i&s;ted of twenty Saile of the Kings Ships, and twenty three Merchants Ships with 5382. Marriners, the charge whereof as well in the Summer as Winter Guard, with other matters incident to the keeping up of the <HI>Navy,</HI> that yeare amounted to two hundred and one thou&s;and, &s;even hundred &s;ixty one pounds.</CELL>
<CELL>201761 l.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB N="9" REF="6">
<ROW>
<CELL>In the year 1643. the Parliament having more parti|cular information of preparation of Forraign Forces to infe&s;t this Kingdome, there were &s;et forth for the Summer Fleet 34 of the Kings Ships, &amp; 34 Merchants Ships, with 7265 Marriners, and for the Winter Guard 21 Kings Ships, and 24 Merchants Ships, with 4035 Marriners, the whole charge whereof with other mat|ters incident to the keeping up of the <HI>Navie,</HI> did amount unto three hundred and thirty thou&s;and three hundred &s;ixty nine pounds.</CELL>
<CELL>330369 l.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>In the yeare 1644. there were &s;et forth for the Summer Fleet, 36 Kings Ships, and 20 Merchants Ships, with 5099 Marriners, and for the Winter Guard, 18 Kings Ships, and 13 Merchants Ships, with 2677. Marriners: The totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the <HI>Navy,</HI> did amount unto two hundred thirty eight thou&s;and foure hundred and &s;eventy pounds.</CELL>
<CELL>238470 l.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>In the year 1645. there were &s;et forth for the Sum|mer Fleet, 34 Kings Ships, and 20 Merchants &s;hips, with 4483 Marriners, and for the Winter Guard, 27 Kings Ships, and 14. Merchants Ships, with 2950 Marriners; the totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the <HI>Navy,</HI> a|mounted to two hundred twenty five tho&s;and, five hundred forty foure pounds.</CELL>
<CELL>225544 l.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>In the yeare 1646. there were &s;et forth for the Summer Fleet, forty foure Kings Ships, and 29 Mer|chants Ships, with 5605 Marriners, and for the Winter Guard, 26 Kings Ships, and 12 Merchants &s;hips with 2880 Marriners; the totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the <HI>Navy,</HI> amounted to two hundred ninety &s;ix thou&s;and, fifty one pound.</CELL>
<CELL>296051 l.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB N="10" REF="7">
<ROW>
<CELL>And this year, there are &s;et forth for the Summer Fleet 43 of the Kings Ships and Frigats, and 13 Merchants Ships; the charge whereof with the Frigots now building, furni&s;hing the Magazin, and pay|ing the Ordinaries, and the other matters of the <HI>Navy,</HI> will <HI>per</HI> e&s;timate amount unto two hundred thirty three thou&s;and foure hundred and fifteen pounds.</CELL>
<CELL>233415 l.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Be&s;ides, there have &s;everall years been &s;et out &s;everall Ships, by private Adventurers by way of reprizall, which have been allowed victuals by the State.</P>
<P>In all which Expeditions, the&s;e particular actions of that Committee are remarkable.</P>
<P N="1">1. That being furni&s;hed with this great power and tru&s;t, in &s;etting forth of Ships, providing of materials and payment of moneys, they took along with them the concurrent advice and full con&s;ent of the Com|mi&s;&s;ioners of the <HI>Navy,</HI> Victulars of the <HI>Navy,</HI> Of|ficers of the Ordnance, and all other Officers of the <HI>Navy</HI> re&s;pectively, as fellow &s;ervants tru&s;ted with them, who by the order and directions of that Commit|tee, did with all chearefulne&s;&s;e and faithfulne&s;&s;e, for any thing that ever appeared unto that Committee, act and execute all things for the greate&s;t advantage of the State, in relation to the honour, &s;afety, and pro|fit thereof.</P>
<P N="2">2. That with their concurrent advice and help, the &s;e|verall Yards, &amp; Store-hou&s;es of the <HI>Navy Royal,</HI> were &s;o plentifully &amp; &s;ea&s;onably maintained with Pitch, Tarre, Hemp, Cordage, Planck, Timber, and all other materi|als for &s;hipping: And the Office of Ordnance &s;o fur|ni&s;hed with Ordnance, Powder, Shott, &amp; other Gunners
<PB N="11" REF="7">
Stoares, The victualling Office &s;o carefully and advan|tagiou&s;ly managed, as that there was not one &s;hip of all the&s;e &s;everall Fleets, but at her &s;etting to Sea was compleatly and Arithmetically furni&s;hed with double Equipage, of Cordage, Sayles, &amp;c. with due proportion of Powder, Match, Bullett, according to the Number and dimen&s;ions of her Ordnance: and with Beef, Pork, Fi&s;h, Pea&s;e, Butter, Chee&s;e, Bread, Beere, and all o|ther victuals, and all of the choy&s;e&s;t and be&s;t, as there was never complaint made to the Parliament or Com|mittee of any defect of any of the&s;e, either for quan|tity or quality.</P>
<P N="3">3. That comming in of &s;hips, (&s;aving in the time of the late Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Cu&s;tomes, who for &s;ome rea&s;ons be&s;t known to them&s;elves, did refu&s;e upon pre&s;&s;ing occa&s;ions to furni&s;h the Parlia|ment or that Committee with money or credit:) The Committee took that care for providing of moneys, (many times with their credit) as the Marriners were &s;o timely paid off, that the State was not at the charge of one dayes dead pay, neither was ever complaint of Marriners hard at the doores of the Par|liament, &s;ince the time of the&s;e Commi&s;&s;ioners.</P>
<P N="4">4. That the whole body of the Navy was kept up, in that honour, &s;trength, and readine&s;&s;e for &s;ervice, as no age can parallel, there being at this pre&s;ent an increa&s;e of above thirty &s;hips and Frigats more then they found belonging to the <HI>Navy Royall,</HI> whereof &s;ome have been taken by reprizall, &s;ome bought for money, and &s;ome built from the &s;tocks, which are mo&s;t active nimble Ve&s;&s;els, all now in &s;ervice.</P>
<P N="5">5. That this great work was &s;o advantagiou&s;ly car|ried on, as notwith&s;tanding the State was &s;ometime
<PB N="12" REF="8">
above three hundred thou&s;and pounds in debt, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> atpre&s;ent about two hundred and fifty thou&s;and pound<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> yet hitherto (&s;aving in the time before mentioned) there never wanted monies to carry through all the difficulties of that &s;ervice.</P>
<P>Neither was the managing of the Cu&s;tomes and of the Navy, though two &s;uch great workes, the only imployment of that Committee: But in the yeare 1643. the Parliament having by rea&s;on of the great fleetes contracted great debts on the Navy, were plea|&s;ed to put an Exci&s;e on Fle&s;h and Salt, the profits whereof they appropriated to the u&s;e of the Navy, and committed the charge and care thereof to that Committee, by who&s;e wi&s;edome and care, with the concurrence of the Commi&s;&s;ioners of Exci&s;e, only by changing the manner of the collection, the yearly income was encrea&s;ed from about &s;even or eight thou|&s;and pound, unto near &s;ixty thou&s;and pound <HI>per Ann.</HI> as by the Commi&s;&s;ioners of Excize Accounts will ap|peare; All which monies were di&s;po&s;ed of by that Committee by the &s;ame Rule of Cu&s;tomes. Be&s;ides, there are &s;everall Gentlemen of this Committee who being with divers honourable Lords, appointed a Committee for the Excize, have tran&s;acted very great matters concerning the regulating of tho&s;e Receipts, and reconciling of differences happening in the &s;ame. There was a further charge lay on that Committee, which was the managing of the &s;hips, and goods ta|ken by reprizall, which begot not the lea&s;t trouble to the Committee, in regard of the many intricare ca&s;es, which fell out, &s;carce numerable, in &s;o &s;hort a Narrative, yet was that di&s;tracted work with the faith|fullne&s;&s;e, care, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> of the Commi&s;&s;ioners
<PB N="13" REF="8">
and Collectors appointed for reprizall goods, car|ried on with all advantage as was po&s;&s;ible for &s;o un|happy a work to bee managed, which proved much the more trouble&s;ome and intricate, (though the cheife&s;t part of that trouble fell to the Collectors) by rea&s;on owners of Merchants &s;hips and all mari|ners had &s;hares in all prizes and prize goods taken; And this is here remarkable, that there is not an owner of &s;hipping, nor mariner in the Kingdome that can ju&s;tly complaine, but that he hath received his full payment of all advantages which have been made in this kind, &s;aving in &s;ome ca&s;es of late, only for want of a Iudge of the Admiralty to adjudge the &s;ame.</P>
<P>Beyond all this, It is ob&s;erveable, that in the fir&s;t yeare of the&s;e unhappy di&s;tractions, &s;ix of the Com|mittee of the Navy with three honourable Lords, did di&s;charge the office of the Lord high Admirall, and of the Judge of the Admiralty: and with unex|pre&s;&s;ible trouble and care, without the help of the Admiralty Court, the Iudge having de&s;erted it, did by the order of the Parliament, wade through tho&s;e in|tricare ca&s;es which fell out that fir&s;t yeare. Be&s;ides this, &s;everall worthy Gentlemen of that Committee, have for divers years &s;ince, together with divers ho|nourable Lords, for want of a Lord High Admirall, by command of both Hou&s;es, carried on the whole frame of the affaires of the Admiralty and Cinque-ports. There lay yet a further charge on divers Gentlemen of that Committee, in regard of tho&s;e relations which that Committee had unto all Sea affaires and to trade: It plea&s;ed the Parliament to joyne them with divers honourable Lords as a Committee of forreign affaires,
<PB N="14" REF="9">
who by rea&s;on of the variety of complaints, which came from the &s;everall Amba&s;&s;adors of <HI>Spaine, France,</HI> the <HI>States,</HI> and orhers, of the &s;hips and goods of their Ma&s;ters &s;ubjects to be taken in reprizall, by &s;hips im|ployed by the Parliament, were often incumbred with many intricate points of State; And it was no or|dinary &s;ervice which tho&s;e noble Lords and the re&s;t of that Committee, laboured under to defend the ju&s;t rights of the Parliament, upon tho&s;e &s;everall Emergencies which fell out, in &s;peciall, between the Amba&s;&s;adors of the <HI>States;</HI> And this Committee, who after three Moneths debate, did maintaine the Actions of the Parliament as warrantable, by Treaties of State, and by Law of Nature, and Nations; As by a Declaration &s;ent unto the States from both Hou|&s;es of Parliament, mo&s;t clearely appeareth&punc; and this Committee held con&s;tant weekly intelligence with the Parliaments Agents imployed in <HI>France, Flanders,</HI> and <HI>Holland,</HI> for the obtaining of Ju&s;tice for tho&s;e Mer|chants, who were agrieved by the taking or &s;eazure of their &s;hips or goods, or otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P>There was another burthen lay on that Committee, which was the managing of that mo&s;t Chri&s;tian and honourable work for the Redemption of the poore Captives from their &s;lavery under the <HI>Turke,</HI> who with the help and unwearied paines of divers wor|thy Merchants of the City of <HI>London,</HI> did with all advantage carry on that work, which will bee me|morable to Po&s;terity: The care of the money col|lected for tho&s;e u&s;es, and the imployment of them being tru&s;ted by the Parliament, with that Com|mittee, and that tru&s;t with all faithfullne&s;&s;e di&s;char|ged, &s;o as had not that &s;ad accident happened on
<PB N="15" REF="9">
the Ship <HI>Honour</HI> in the lo&s;&s;e of the fir&s;t Carga&s;on at Gilbraltar, (which much increa&s;ed the trouble of that Committee, and tho&s;e Gentlemen) the work had well neare been fini&s;hed; yet ble&s;&s;ed be God, two hundred and fifty Captives are redeemed and brought home, Ten thou&s;and pounds &s;terling more in peeces of Eight &s;ent away for <HI>Argier,</HI> and another Carga&s;on of the like value ready to be &s;ent upon the fir&s;t intelligence from the Agent at <HI>Argier:</HI> And care is taken for the redemption of tho&s;e in <HI>Tunnis, Sal|ly, Saphia,</HI> and all <HI>&s;outh Barbary.</HI> Be&s;ides all tho&s;e publick and weighty imployments of that Commit|tee, unce&s;&s;ant were their labours in particular bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es referred unto them by the Hou&s;e of Commons: As the recovery in of the monyes due on the bonds delivered in by the Farmours taken for Cu&s;tomes in the time of the late Act of Parliament: preparing Ordinances for the advancement of the Trade of &s;e|verall Companys of Merchants trading into for|reign parts, with limited Rules and Re&s;trictions; compo&s;ing of differences upon &s;everall occa&s;ions be|tween Merchants and Officers of the Cu&s;tomes; and examining, and &s;tating that intricate affaire of the Vintners, which &s;ubjected them to ju&s;t Fines; and ma|ny other bu&s;ine&s;&s;es of great weight and intricacy, and were with all cheerefullne&s;&s;e and faithfullne&s;&s;e tran&s;acted to cleare up the Honour and Iu&s;tice of the Parliament: and that without the u&s;e of any Ar|bitrary power, but in all ca&s;es which they found pro|per to receive their Tryalls in any Courts of Iu&s;tice, were carefull to referr &s;uch cau&s;es to their proper Courts.</P>
<P>But the whole former Narrative may bee true, yet the Honour of the Parliament, or of the Committee
<PB N="16" REF="10">
of the Navy no way cleared, but rather &s;tands the more deeply charged: For it doth appeare by &s;everall pa&s;&s;a|ges in the Narrative, That the Committee of the Navy have executed the power and tru&s;t of two great Officers of State; as in the fir&s;t yeare of the&s;e unna|turall Di&s;tempers, being 1642, the Office of the Lord High Admirall: and from that very yeare to this day the greate&s;t part of the office and tru&s;t of the Lord Trea&s;urert; The&s;e had the power of di&s;po&s;ing multitudes of offices, the one In the Navy, the other in the Cu&s;tomes; be&s;ides great fees and other per|qui&s;ites of profit and great advantage; yet the pow|er of the Committee re&s;ted not here, but the Nar|rative &s;etts forth divers other imployments of tru&s;t, whereby great advantages have bin very probably made by that Committee or &s;ome private Gentlemen, as the preferment of per&s;ons to Offices, and tho&s;e un|worthy or not qualified for &s;uch Offices, and men of more merit, &s;ufferings and abilities laid by, which doth lay a great blemi&s;h on the honour of the Par|liament, to imploy their own Members in &s;uch great places of tru&s;t and advantage; And this is vi&s;ible to all men, that the Chaireman of that Committee, had five hundred pounds <HI>per annum,</HI> allowed him, be&s;ides all his other great advantages, or otherwi&s;e neither he nor &s;ome others of that Committee would ever have followed the affaires of that Committee, with that zeale and paines early and late, that &s;carce a Trade&s;-man in the City, or husband-man in the Countrey tooke the like: &s;o that he was thereby brought to &s;uch weakne&s;&s;e at three times, he was at the very gates of death by &s;edentary di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<P>Vnto all which it is nece&s;&s;ary to give this further account that as to my own particular, I do here in the
<PB N="17" REF="10">
pre&s;ence of the Almighty God, the &s;earcher of all hearts, and the righteous Iudge as well of all mens intentions, as of their Actions, prote&s;t; That next that duty I owe unto God, who hath called me to this imployment, and to the Parliament, who hath intru&s;ted mee with the &s;ame, and to my Coun|try, for who&s;e &s;ake and pre&s;ervation I was &s;ent hither, all irre&s;i&s;table motives to an Ingenious and con&s;ci|onable Chri&s;tian, to make me account no labour too great, nor care too much, to be any way in&s;trumen|tall in &s;o great and glorious a work as the Reformati|on in Church and State, being the main end of the Endeavours of the Parliament; I &s;ay next the duty I owed to tho&s;e former relations, I was impatiently &s;tudious (with the help, wi&s;edome, and care of that Committee) to manage tho&s;e great workes with that advantage to the Common-wealth, and with that clearene&s;&s;e from all private ends, as that on the one &s;ide the King, on the other &s;ide the people, might be in love with Parliaments; the King that he might &s;ee the grear difference in the managing of the af|faires of State, between the Councells of the Par|liament, and his old Councellours, of whom he was &s;o fond, and by mo&s;t of whom he was &s;o gro&s;ly de|ceived, and the State abu&s;ed; on the other &s;ide, that the people might &s;ee their happine&s;&s;e under the Go|vernment of a King directed by the Councell of Par|liament, in receiving redre&s;&s;e of their grievances, re|lei&s;e in their wants, due and &s;peedy ju&s;tice with all cleerene&s;&s;e, and without con&s;umption of their time, by long attendance, or of their e&s;tates by needle&s;&s;e and forced expences. And as to the five hundred pound allowed mee by the Parliament, towards the defraying of my expences, having my whole e&s;tate then under
<PB N="18" REF="11">
the power of the Enemy for above three yeares; I acknowledge it a great mercy from God, and a great favour in the Parliament, to provide &s;o liberally for me: yer I doe profe&s;&s;e that tho&s;e monies have not &s;upplied my nece&s;&s;ities, but before the Quarters have come about, I have been forced to borrow mony of my children or &s;ervants, for to defray my ordinary disbur&s;ements; yet have I not bin profu&s;e either in ap|parrell or dyet, but have lived in a far le&s;&s;e plenty then before I came to attend the &s;ervice of the Parliament.</P>
<P>And as to the di&s;po&s;ing of tho&s;e &s;everall Of|fices, either in the Navy or Cu&s;tomes; I doe make this An&s;wer, that it is true, that many hundreds of per&s;ons mo&s;t of them de&s;troyed in their E&s;tates by the&s;e civill warrs, had their Petitions ly before that Committee for preferments unto office; and that Committee did accordingly di&s;po&s;e of very many as they fell, wherein they u&s;ed all po&s;&s;ible care that the per&s;ons they preferred &s;hould be qualified for the imployment, men that had &s;uffered in their E&s;tates, and recommended for their integrities; And to my be&s;t remembrance they never preferred any but upon the &s;peciall recommendation and certificate of the Members of one or both Hou&s;es or Parliament: All which offices were by that Committee conferred with &s;o much care and clearne&s;&s;e, as what ever was the former practice of officers of State, in di&s;po&s;ing of them for money, a thing too apparent, and too great a blemi&s;h to tho&s;e times: yet I doe with all confi|dence affirme, that neither my &s;elfe, nor any Gen|tleman of that Committee ever received one penny for any &s;uch preferment; And that Committee in this point have been &s;o exact and tender, in regard of the Scandall that might ari&s;e to the Parliament,
<PB N="19" REF="11">
by &s;ale of Offices, as that they have from time to time taken &s;trict Account of the Clerks attending that Com|mittee, what advantages they made by the di&s;po&s;ing of &s;uch Offices; And it appeares by their Accounts duly kept, they have gotten between them all for Orders, Warrants, and Grants for Offices, not full thitty five pound, whereof neare forty places have been Cu&s;tomers, Comp|troulers, and Searchers in the Cu&s;tome hou&s;e, all pla|ces of repute and profit,</P>
<P>And as to the profits which did ari&s;e the fir&s;t year, for the Admirall tenths, and were alwayes by him carefully taken and converted to his private u&s;e. I do confe&s;&s;e there were Priz&s;es taken that year which amounted unto twenty two thou&s;and pound or thereabouts, whereof two thou|&s;and two hundred pound accrued to the tenths, but that neither out of the tenths, nor any other profits what&s;oever, I never received one farthing, but all the profits were faith|fully converted by that Committee to the u&s;e of the State.</P>
<P>As to the Office of the L. Trea&s;urer in the di&s;po&s;ing of moneys, the la&s;t particular, and wherein &s;atisfaction may more e&s;pecially be expected, of what advantages have been made by the moneys ari&s;ing by tho&s;e three &s;prings, or other|wi&s;e appropriate to the di&s;po&s;all of this Committee.</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>From the Cu&s;tomes hath bin ordered unto Sir <HI>Henry Vane</HI> (whereof &s;eventy thou&s;and pounds is borrowed) nine hund|red twenty three thou&s;and eight hundred &s;ixty foure pounds two &s;hilling &amp; ten pence half-penny.</CELL>
<CELL>923864 l. 2 s. 10 d. ^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">^b.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>From the Exci&s;e of Fle&s;h and Salt, one hundred forty five thou&s;and foure hundred &s;eventy one pounds &s;eventeen &s;hillings and &s;even pence.</CELL>
<CELL>145471 l. 17 s. 7 d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB N="20" REF="12">
<ROW>
<CELL>From Prize goods, twenty three thou&s;and nine hundred forty three pounds &s;ix &s;hillings &s;ix pence halfe-penny.</CELL>
<CELL>23943 l. 6 s. 6 d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>From other hands and receipts being either moneys borrowed, which are &s;ince repaid, or otherwi&s;e for &s;peciall rea&s;ons appointed for the u&s;e of the Navy, ninety three thou&s;and &s;ix hun|dred pounds three &s;hillings and nine pence.</CELL>
<CELL>93600 l. 3 s. 6 d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW ROLE="total">
<CELL>Amounting in the whole,</CELL>
<CELL>1186879 l. 10 s. 9 d.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>To which I &s;ay, That as in the ca&s;e of Offices, &s;o in this al&s;o, the Committee have commanded their Clerks to give an account of what hath been given them for the Orders &s;igned for moneys; and it appeares, it hath not been <HI>communibus annis,</HI> fifty pounds <HI>per Annum</HI> unto each; yet in Orders, Letters, &amp;c. twenty Reames of Paper at lea&s;t, have yearly been written, be&s;ides the Journals of the Committee, which are with all faithfulne&s;&s;e and care pre|&s;erved for the u&s;e of the Parliament.</P>
<P>And to &s;atisfie the World of my own integrity, I do &s;o|lemnly profe&s;&s;e, as in the pre&s;ence of God, at who&s;e Tri|bunall, I mu&s;t give an account for all my Actions before all Men and Angels; that for the appointing of all tho&s;e moneys di&s;po&s;ed of by that Committee, I never received, nor any other to my knowledge for my u&s;e, any Summe or Summes of money, not the value of a penny from any per&s;on or per&s;ons what&s;oever as a Fee, Bribe, Reward, or what other name you may give it; but the &s;ame hath in every part been faithfully conveyed from the Trea&s;ury of the State to the hands of the &s;ubject with|out any advantage made upon them, &s;aving that there
<PB N="21" REF="12">
was about foure yeares &s;ince, three pounds &s;ent unto me from a Captaine at Sea for a Beaver hat, which mony I gave freely away, and was di&s;po&s;ed to my be&s;t remembrance thirty &s;hillings to the di&s;tre&s;&s;ed prote|&s;tants which came from Ireland, the other moity to maymed Souldiers in the Parliaments &s;ervice:) Nor have I ever received any Sume or Sums for any other affai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">s of Parliament what&s;oever tran&s;acted by that Committee All provocations tending there unto I have avoyded, and declined, I abhorre and from my &s;oule dete&s;t the very thought of &s;uch proceedings: It is &s;o farr below a Gentleman and a Member of the high Court of Par|liament. If any man can ju&s;tly charge me with any &s;uch matter, there is a Committee appointed by the Hou&s;e of Commons for examination of &s;uch matters, where he may complaine: and I will give him foure&s;old re|parations; Or further, if any man can make it evident, that he hath given any thing as a reward, gratuity, or &s;uch like to my wife, any child, &s;ervant, or any other for my u&s;e, I will make him reparation to the full value.</P>
<P>And for any Gentleman, or other per&s;on, that hath at any time by way of civility brought or &s;ent me any thing what&s;oever, which yet among men is lawfull, and may have in it no di&s;hone&s;t intentions either in the giver or receiver; I doe hereby invite and de&s;ire him to let me know the value of the &s;ame, and I will wil|lingly &s;atisfie him for it: And what I have here a&s;&s;erted on my own behalfe, I am confident I may with much freedome a&s;&s;ert on the behalfe of tho&s;e worthy Gentle|men of the Committee, who con&s;tantly attended tho&s;e Services.</P>
<P><PB N="22" REF="13">
And now I have done, and by this I hope have <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> all mode&s;t Chri&s;tians, and &s;topped the mouth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;lander: whereby I tru&s;t I have di&s;charged my fir&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">+gagement, in clearing up the honour of the Parliam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters"> and of the Committee of the Navy and Cu&s;tomes, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> their faithfull tran&s;acting of all the affaires <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> to their tru&s;t and charge: that they have been <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> not with any ba&s;e or private ends or advantages, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> with publick &s;pirits to the honour of the Parlia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="4 letters"> good of the people, advantage and &s;afety of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">|dom.</P>
<BYLINE>By GILES GRENE E&s;quire
A Member of the Honourable Hou&s;e of Commons.</BYLINE>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="13">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
