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<NAME>Megan Marion</NAME>
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<P>SEVERALL PROPOSALS FOR THE GENERALL GOOD OF THE COMMON-WEALTH. WITH The <HI>Grounds</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> thereof.</P>
<P>Seriou&s;ly propounded out of a reall de&s;ire of a firm e&s;tabli&s;hment of the peace and Liberties of the <HI>Common-wealth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>Stephen Dagnall,</HI> Book&s;eller at <HI>Alsbury.</HI> 1651.</P>
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<HEAD>Severall <HI>Propo&s;als</HI> for the generall good of the Common-wealth. With the <HI>Grounds</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> thereof.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. THat, for the more orderly proceeding in all ca&s;es of Law, the Courts of Judicature may be continued &s;till at <HI>We&s;t|min&s;ter</HI> (or &s;o many of them, as upon &s;erious examination &s;hall be judged nece&s;&s;ary) with &s;uch Offices thereon de|pending, as &s;hall be found apparently u&s;efull, and not burthen&s;ome to the Common-wealth; And that the <HI>Termes</HI> may be kept at certain times of the yeer, and not according to the former moveable Fea&s;ts, whereby the &s;uper&s;titious ob&s;ervation of tho&s;e Fea&s;ts may be for|gotten; and the people the better attend their &s;ea&s;ons, and imploy|ments in the Countrey; And that the &s;everall <HI>Termes</HI> may be made equall in length, whereby they may be the fitter for the di&s;patch of all bu&s;ine&s;s relating unto each <HI>Term;</HI> For &s;hould the Courts of Judi|cature, and the <HI>Terms</HI> now kept at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> be di&s;continued there, and &s;etled in &s;everall Counties, or Provinces, many inconveniences would inevitably follow. As fir&s;t there mu&s;t be as many Offices erect|ed in each County, or Province, as nece&s;&s;arily depend upon all the Courts at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> all which mu&s;t either be maintained by the State, or by particular per&s;ons, who&s;e Suits &s;hall be depending there. 2ly, The &s;everall Judges of tho&s;e Provinciall, or County Courts, ha|ving no &s;ociety together, will cau&s;e a great alteration in the Laws, by their various Interpretations of them; which would bring &s;o great a confu&s;ion with it, that no per&s;on could either &s;afely travell, or traffick in another Juri&s;diction as being ignorant of the Laws, and Cu&s;toms there in u&s;e. 3ly, The Courts in the &s;everall Provinces, or Counties being of equall power, there could be no Appeals in ca&s;e of any unju&s;t proceedings; or admit a Court &s;hould be &s;et up in any place, for Appeals, the oppre&s;&s;ion would be very great, by rea&s;on of the multitude of Appeals, and the great charge all parties would be put unto in the pro&s;ecution, and defence of them, the whole bu&s;ine&s;s being to be heard again, with all the witne&s;&s;es therein. 4ly, The con|tinuall re&s;idence of the Judges of each Province, or County, among&s;t their kindred, and acquaintance, would often tempt them unto par|tiality.
<PB N="2" REF="3">5ly, Not onely the Cities of <HI>London,</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and parts adjacent would be impoveri&s;hed for want of trading, and commerce, but the greate&s;t part of the Common-wealth be decayed al&s;o; for every man that lives by trading (being enforced to utter his com|modities in &s;everall parts, many times remote from his own habita|tion) mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity undergo both trouble, and hazard in recover|ing his ju&s;t debts, it being impo&s;&s;ible a Trade &s;hould be continued without tru&s;ting; and there being no <HI>Attorneis</HI> that will remove from one Juri&s;diction to another to attend the Cau&s;es there depending, the Creditor mu&s;t be enforced, for want of an <HI>Attorney</HI> to pro&s;ecute his Action, to repair in per&s;on to the place, where he layes his Action, how remote &s;oever it be from his own dwelling, and thither al&s;o bring his witne&s;&s;es at the hearing of his Cau&s;e, which, many times, through age, or other infirmities are unable to take &s;o long a journey; and if the Debtor after judgement &s;hall remove into another Juri&s;|diction, the pro&s;ecutor mu&s;t go in per&s;on thither al&s;o, and there pro|ceed upon that judgement; but if the Judges there &s;hould not allow his former judgement, as, being ignorant of the grounds thereof, the pro&s;ecutor after his great expence, &amp; lo&s;&s;e of time, would &s;till remain without remedie. 6ly, Trading decaying, there will likewi&s;e follow a generall fall in Rents in all places, and in all other commodities, &s;o that all Tenants, which have taken Lea&s;es of lands, or hou&s;es for any terme to come at a full Rent will al&s;o be undone; and though the State &s;hould grant them liberty to re&s;igne their Lea&s;es, yet, that would not keep them long from poverty, although it might be &s;ome refre&s;hing for the pre&s;ent, there being no vi&s;ible means left them, to imploy the remainder of their &s;tock for their &s;ub&s;i&s;tance; And not onely Tenants would be thus impoveri&s;hed, but all others much weakned in their E&s;tates, and &s;o unable to bear &s;uch taxes, as &s;hall nece&s;&s;arily be impo&s;ed upon them for the &s;upportation of the bur|thens of the Common-wealth, or to relieve tho&s;e many Labourers, and Artificers, which would be brought to beggery, for want of work, and imployment, which might produce &s;ome &s;ad effects, and cau&s;e tho&s;e Labourers, and Artificers to take &s;uch evill cour&s;es, as may exceedingly di&s;turbe the peace, &amp; quiet of the Common-wealth: 7ly, Each &s;everall Juri&s;diction would in time indeavour to become a Free State of them&s;elves, and deny dependance, or &s;ubordination un|to others, and refu&s;e, to joyn in coun&s;ell for the generall good of the Common-wealth, or give their common a&s;&s;i&s;tance in time of immi|nent
<PB N="3" REF="3">danger ari&s;ing in any other parts, unle&s;&s;e they may make their own conditions, whereby many mi&s;chiefs and calamities will un|doubtedly follow, to the ruine of the Common wealth, the particu|lar members whereof being once disjoyned, the whole body will &s;oon become a prey to the Enemy; the&s;e inconveniences are appa|rent, many more will then di&s;cover them&s;elves, when it may be too late to &s;eek a remedie.</P>
<P N="2">2. That a &s;evere cour&s;e may be taken again&s;t the buying and &s;el|ling of Offices, and that the fees, and allowance of all Officers, Law|yers, and other Mini&s;ters depending upon any Courts of Ju&s;tice may be &s;etled, and made known, And that no Office be impo&s;ed upon a|ny by compul&s;ion, but that &s;uch encouragement may be given to the undertakers of any Office, that they may willingly undergo the burthen thereof by having an allowance given them proportio|nable to the trouble, and charge incident to their re&s;pective Offices; For there is no rea&s;on that &s;ome &s;hould be enricht by Offices of pro|&s;it conferred upon them, while&s;t others wa&s;te them&s;elves, and their e&s;tates in the &s;ervice of the Common-wealth. And to the end the number of Offices may not be overburthen&s;ome to the Common-wealth, a &s;trict inquiry may be made of the u&s;efulnes of all Offices, and &s;uch continued only as &s;hall be found u&s;efull for the &s;ervice of the Common-wealth, with &s;uch a number of Officers as &s;hall be ne|ce&s;&s;ary for the managing thereof: that &s;o the Common-wealth may not be overburthened with the multitude of &s;uperfluous Offices, or Officers thereunto belonging, or the revenue thereof thereby exhau|&s;ted. And, that for prevention of all abu&s;es committed by Bay|liffes cho&s;en by the Shrief, the Con&s;table in each Pari&s;h may be joy|ned to execute all Writs, Warrants, and other proce&s;&s;e with liberty to break open any doors at &s;ea&s;onable times, for the better executi|on of &s;uch Writs, and Warrants as &s;hall be directed unto him, and that a &s;evere penalty may be inflicted upon all that &s;hall re&s;i&s;t him in the execution of his Office, or re&s;cue any apprehended by him, And that &s;uch men may be put into that Office, as are known for their integrity, and may be re&s;pon&s;able for thir actions. And that all Officers may be continued in their places, either during life, or &s;o long as they di&s;charge their &s;everall truths with faithfulne&s;&s;e, and none to be cho&s;en annually, as heretofore, that by their long conti|nuance in their Offices, they may the better know the duties of their places. And that the fees, and duty of all Officers may be publi&s;hed
<PB N="4" REF="4">in Print, that their &s;everall powers and duties being made known unto all, they may be the better que&s;tioned for their inju&s;tice, or neglect; And that all Officers, or Mini&s;ters depending upon any Courts of Ju&s;tice, taking bribes or greater fees, or rewards then &s;hall be allowed them by the appointment of the State, may be &s;everely puni&s;hed, and be for ever after held uncapable of any Office or pub|lick imployment in the Common-wealth.</P>
<P N="3">3. That the Statute Laws, and other Laws may be well revi&s;ed, and &s;uch onely left in force, as &s;hall be u&s;efull for the Common-wealth freed from the former niceties, and ob&s;curities; And that the benefit of all Fines, I&s;&s;ues, forfeitures of recognizances, &amp; all penalties, upon &s;uch penall &s;tatutes as upon the review &s;hall be judged nece&s;&s;ary to be continued, or hereafter to be enacted, may either be imployed, to the u&s;e of the re&s;pective parties dampnified, or &s;o much thereof as may make them &s;atisfaction for their lo&s;&s;e &s;u&s;tained thereby, or to the publick u&s;e of the County, where the offence &s;hall be commit|ted, with allowance of &s;uch proportion thereof to the pro&s;ecutors, as &s;hall be judged requi&s;ite for their encouragement to di&s;cover tho&s;e offences, whereby the abu&s;e of Officers in e&s;treating the &s;aid Fines, or conniving thereat will be wholly taken away, and tho&s;e mi&s;demenours rectified, for which the &s;aid fines, and penalties were impo&s;ed, and the publick charge of the County thereby le&s;&s;ned; And, to the end encouragement may be given for the apprehending of Robbers, and other felons, &s;ome allowance may be given to the apprehenders of them, proportionable to the quality of their offen|ces, out of the goods, and e&s;tates of tho&s;e Robbers and felons, for|feited upon their attainders, and that part of the re&s;idue may be al|lotted to the loo&s;er of his goods, in &s;atisfaction of his lo&s;&s;e, and the remainder, if any be) may be re&s;erved to defray the publick charge of the County, where the offence &s;hall be committed, or the party apprehended.</P>
<P N="4">4. That no per&s;ons goods, or other e&s;tate may be exempted from the paiment of their debts, and that Commi&s;&s;ioners in each County from time to time, be authorized to &s;ell the e&s;tates of &s;uch debtors, as &s;hall refu&s;e to &s;atisfie their creditors within convenient time ap|pointed by the &s;aid Commi&s;&s;ioners, rendring to the debtor the over|plus, that &s;hall ari&s;e upon the &s;ale of his e&s;tate, after &s;atisfaction gi|ven to the &s;everall creditors, and to alott to each creditor his ju&s;t proportion where the e&s;tate is not &s;ufficient to &s;atisfie them all; And
<PB N="5" REF="4">that the &s;aid Commi&s;&s;ioners may be impowred to examine the &s;aid debtors upon Oath, what &s;ums of money they owe, and to whom; and to examine all others upon Oath concerning the debtors e&s;tate, and that a &s;evere penalty may be inflicted upon the concealors ther|of, to be imploied towards the further &s;atisfaction of the creditors.</P>
<P N="5">5. That care be taken for prevention of abu&s;es daily committed by guardians, and &s;uch as are tru&s;ted with the managing of the e|&s;tates of Infants, and that no married woman may be guardian to any, in regard &s;he being under the power of another cannot improve the e&s;tate of the Infant to the be&s;t advantage, but mu&s;t &s;ubmit both the managing of the e&s;tate, and marriage of the Infant to the will of her husband, who often &s;trives to rai&s;e his fortune by the Infants ruine And that all guardians may give &s;ecurity to be accomptable for the profits of the Infants Lands, and may be liable to accompt to &s;ome friends of the Infants in the next degree, or to &s;uch as &s;hall be thereunto appointed by Authority, either every yeer, or as often as tho&s;e appointed to take the &s;aid Accompt &s;hall finde conve|nient; for tis impo&s;&s;ible that the Infant when he comes of age &s;hould have a cleere accompt of all the profits of his Lands received by his Guardian during his minority, or di&s;cover what hath been disbur|&s;ed for him during all that time, but mu&s;t either take his Guardians word, or els exhibute a Bill for the di&s;covery thereof, which often proves a fruitle&s;&s;e remedy, And that Guardians may be allowed du|ring the minority of the Infant out of the revenew of his e&s;tate, to pay the&s;e debts the Infant &s;hall be liable to pay when he comes to age, or his e&s;tate &s;tand charged withall, whereby creditors may be relieved, which otherwi&s;e mu&s;t &s;tay, to their exceeding prejudice un|till the Infant comes to age, And that executors may give &s;ecurity to perform the Will of the te&s;tator, and Admini&s;trators to give &s;ecurity for the paiment of the debts of the inte&s;tate, and for the equall di&s;tri|bution of the remainder of the goods to all that have right therto ac|cording to Law: And that exemplifications of Wills, legally proved under the Seal of the Office, may be allowed in evidence upon trials for Land, a&s;well as the Originall Will; And that all provi&s;oes, or conditions in Wills, or deeds may be adjudged void in Law, which &s;hall re&s;traine any per&s;ons under any penalty, or upon the forfeiture of any Lands or goods &s;etled upon them, from &s;uing for any other Lands or goods &s;etled upon any other per&s;ons, by the &s;aid Wills, or Deeds, or by any other, or from endevouring to overthrow the vali|dity
<PB N="6" REF="5">of the &s;aid Wils, or Deeds; that &s;o all per&s;ons may have free li|berty to recover their ju&s;t rights, without hazarding any part there|of, for by means of &s;uch provi&s;oes, and conditions, many Heirs are di&s;-inherited of great e&s;tates, and dare not &s;ue for any part thereof for fear of loo&s;ing all, or indevour to overthrow &s;uch Wils, or Deeds, whereby that e&s;tate is &s;etled upon others, who, working upon the weakne&s;s of the owners of &s;uch e&s;tates, when they are not of perfect, and di&s;po&s;ing memory, do procure &s;uch provi&s;oes, and conditions to be in&s;erted, which may &s;ecure their broken titles, and prevent all fu|ture claims.</P>
<P N="6">6. That, for the prevention of the daily mi&s;-imployment of lands, and money given to Ho&s;pitals, Colledges, and Schools, and to other charitable u&s;es, Commi&s;&s;ioners may be &s;etled in each County, for the calling to an account of all Governors of Ho&s;pitals, Colledges, and Schools, and of all other Feoffees in tru&s;t for charitable u&s;es, how they have imployed the &s;aid Lands, or money committed to their tru&s;t, that &s;o there may be a clear di&s;covery of all abu&s;es there|in, and tho&s;e abu&s;es rectified, and the offendors puni&s;hed; And that the chargeable fea&s;ts daily made by &s;uch Governors, and Feoffees may be di&s;continued, and the expen&s;es thereof converted to a better u&s;e; And that &s;peciall care may be taken for the erecting of Schools in places convenient, and for the admitting to Scholer&s;hips, and Fel|low&s;hips, in the fir&s;t place the children of the poorer &s;ort, who&s;e in|genuities &s;hall make them capable thereof; And that the yearly al|lowance of the govenours of Ho&s;pitalls, and Colledges may be &s;o moderated, that they may not exceed in wealth by the poores reve|nues, and that the &s;urplu&s;age of their revenues, may either be im|ployed for increa&s;ing the number of the Poor, or Scollers in the re&s;|pective Ho&s;pitalls, and Colledges, or augmenting their allowance, where they have not &s;ufficient maintenance; or for the erecting of free Schools in places convenient, for the fitting of Schollers, to &s;up|ply the vacancies in the re&s;pective Colledges tho&s;e Schooles &s;hall be appropriated unto; And that a &s;evere cour&s;e may be taken again&s;t the buying and &s;elling of Scholer&s;hips, and Fellow&s;hips, by inflicting pe|nalties, upon both buyers, and &s;ellors thereof.</P>
<P N="7">7. That Tithes, which are found by &s;ad experience to be oppre|&s;&s;ive to many people may be taken away, and care taken for the &s;a|tisfaction of &s;uch impropriators, at a generall charge, and that a &s;trict inquiry may be made therein, for many are u&s;urpt by &s;everall
<PB N="7" REF="5">patrons, without any colour of a title to them, and that &s;ome other unoppre&s;&s;ive way may be appointed for the maintenance of a faith|full Mini&s;try in &s;ome mea&s;ure &s;uitable to their de&s;erts, and the great|ne&s;&s;e of the charge they undertake; And that each Congregation may be re&s;tored to the election of their Mini&s;ters, with certain rules and cautions pre&s;cribed for the more orderly proceedings therein, and for the ca&s;ting out of &s;uch, as &s;hall be &s;candalous, and unfit for the work of the Mini&s;try.</P>
<P N="8">8. That care be taken for the ballancing of Trade with forreign States, and making the Coin here currant equall in allay, and value with the Coine of other States, that this Common-wealth may not be impoveri&s;hed by forreign Merchants gaining the Trade, and by the tran&s;portation of Coine; And that forreign Nations may be pro|hibited the fi&s;hing upon the Engli&s;h Coa&s;t, that &s;o the people of this Land might reap the profit thereof unto them&s;elves, and not be for|ced to buy their own Fi&s;h of forreiners; And that cu&s;tomes may either be moderated or taken away, unles it may be a policy in State to con|tinue the paiment of cu&s;tomes upon all commodities brought in by forreign Merchants; for if the yearly income accrewing to the State by cu&s;tomes, &s;hould be compared to the va&s;t &s;ums, the people pay by the exchantment of the price of all commodities pa&s;&s;ing through many hands before they come to be made u&s;e of, the di&s;proportion would &s;eem almo&s;t incredible, for every Trader looks to gaine, a&s;wel, by the &s;um he paies for Cu&s;tome, as by the &s;um he fir&s;t disbur&s;ed for the commodity, which carries with it an increa&s;e of gaine through every hand it pa&s;&s;eth, &s;o that the people who are nece&s;&s;ita|ted to make u&s;e of tho&s;e commodities, pay much more then comes in cleerly to the State, be&s;ides the &s;ums expended, in collecting of it in Fees to the &s;everall Officers imployed therein; for remedying of which inconvenience, and le&s;&s;ning of the peoples burthens &s;uch a cour&s;e may be taken that all monies to be rai&s;ed for the publick u&s;e, may be leavied by an equall rate proportionally to mens reall and per&s;onall e&s;tate, without exemption of any Land from the paiment of its due proportion, if the people would con&s;ider the benefit they &s;hould reap thereby, and therewith re&s;t contented, untill the great affaires of the Common-wealth would permit a relaxation of tho&s;e taxes, which are the ea&s;ier to be born in regard they are brought, in at a certaine, and cheap rate, and the collectors thereof more &s;ubject to a &s;trict accompt.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="6">
<P N="9">9. That care be taken for the encouragement and encrea&s;e of Trade throughout the Common-wealth, by prohibiting the tran&s;|portation of &s;uch commodities, which may any waies prejudice the manufactures of this Land; that &s;o there may be imployment in pro|fitable Trades for all tho&s;e that being willing to work, are now ready to peri&s;h for want of work and imployment, And for the avoiding the many mi&s;demenours committed daily by per&s;ons of di&s;&s;olute life and conver&s;ation, care to be taken for the compelling &s;uch to work, and puni&s;hing tho&s;e that &s;hall refu&s;e, and &s;pend their time, and e&s;tates in Innes, and Alhou&s;es, for prevention of which inconveni|ences, the licen&s;ing and &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of Taverns, Innes, and Alehou&s;es may be referred to the di&s;cretion of the Ju&s;tices of peace in the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters"> &s;e|verall Limits, whereby, the number of &s;uch hou&s;es being le&s;&s;ned, tho&s;e that continue, may the better maintain them&s;elves without di&s;order; And that &s;ome &s;tricter cour&s;e may be taken, for the freeing this Land from that cur&s;ed crew of Rogues, and Vagabonds, which &s;pend a&s;much, or more then would maintain the poore, and renders this Land the &s;corn and deri&s;ion of other Nations, who might more profitably be &s;et on work at home, or being incorrigeable, tran&s;por|ted into other plantations abroad; And, that the number of labou|rers may not encrea&s;e beyond the portion of work that may conve|niently be provided for them, care be taken for the prohibiting the building new cottages in Burroughs, and Market Townes without laying &s;ome con&s;iderable portion of Land thereunto; and that no new Cottage may be erected out of Market Towns without laying thereunto a double portion of Land required by the &s;tatute, and the like portion of Land to be laid to all Cottages already built, where the owner of &s;uch Cottage hath &s;ufficient Land in the &s;ame Pari&s;h to make up that proportion; for where Cottages depend wholly upon their labour, and have neither Corn, not Cattell to &s;upply wants through &s;ikne&s;&s;e, or other ca&s;ualties, they &s;oon are brought to po|verty; And whereas the owners of Cottages, by the exce&s;&s;ive rents re&s;erved upon them, do often cau&s;e their Tenants to be chargeable to the re&s;pective Pari&s;hes where they live, &s;uch care may be taken therein that the Landlords may be compelled to allow &s;uch a pro|portion of their Rents to their decaied, and impoveri&s;ht Tenants as may free the Pari&s;h from the burthen of maintaining them.</P>
<P N="10">10. That confederation may be taken of the &s;ufferings of Coppy holders by the exce&s;&s;ive fines, and Heriots taken at every change ac|cording
<PB N="9" REF="6">to the will of the &s;everall Lords, which coppyholders are often al&s;o enforced by the exactions of their Lords, to renew their e&s;tates for yeares in&s;tead of lives, which Lea&s;es once expired, their coppyhold e&s;tate is quite extinct, and &s;o tho&s;e Lands become whol|ly at the Lords di&s;po&s;e; The condition al&s;o of the &s;everall Tenants to corporations, and companies in Cities, and Burroughs is grown of late as mi&s;erable as the other, who&s;e Tenants having e&s;tates for lives, or yeares have expended large &s;ums of money in building, and o|ther improvements of the Land they held, in hope of having their e|&s;tates renewed at the u&s;uall rates upon the expiration of their &s;eve|rall termes, but of late &s;uch exce&s;&s;ive Fines have bin impo&s;ed upon them, that they have been uncapable of renewing their e&s;tates, and &s;o have been compelled to leave tho&s;e Lands which they and their pre|dece&s;&s;ors have enjoyed for many yeares to be po&s;&s;e&s;t by &s;ome of the alliance, or dependants of their Landlords, without any &s;atisfaction had for their disbur&s;ements and improvements, the Fines &s;o taken &s;eldome being imployed to any other u&s;e but the fea&s;ting of them|&s;elves, and others, the yearly rents, and profits of tho&s;e Lands being &s;ufficient to di&s;charge the &s;everall u&s;es tho&s;e Lands were fir&s;t apoin|ted for, without the taking &s;uch exce&s;&s;ive Fines, And further that &s;uch a cour&s;e may be taken, that all other Tenants al&s;o (who by their own particular charge, and indu&s;try &s;hall much improve the Lands they hold, may have rea&s;onable &s;atisfaction made them by their Landlords, in ca&s;e they &s;hall not reap the benefit of their improve|ment before the expiration of their Lea&s;es; that &s;o they may the bet|ter be encouraged to improve the Lands they hold to the be&s;t advan|tage of the Common-wealth, without receiving any prejudice by &s;uch improvements.</P>
<P N="11">11. That con&s;ideration may be taken of the large, and va&s;t circu|its of ground lying wa&s;te, and in great mea&s;ure unprofitable, and &s;ome cour&s;e taken for the improvement thereof for the benefit of tho&s;e that are intere&s;ted therein, according to their &s;everall inte|re&s;ts, and proportions. And that, where the commoners, or owners of &s;uch grounds refu&s;e to make an improvement thereof them&s;elves, li|berty may be given to any others to improve tho&s;e wa&s;ts, allowing &s;uch rea&s;onable &s;atisfaction to the proprietors, as &s;hall be thought fit, by &s;uch Commi&s;&s;ioners as &s;hall be appointed for that purpo&s;e, and for the deciding of all other differences that &s;hall ari&s;e among&s;t the improvers; and that liberty may be given to the owners of all other
<PB N="10" REF="7">Lands to improve the &s;ame, where the advantage to the Common-wealth by &s;uch improvement may out ballance particular intere&s;ts, and advantages, and no depopulation thereupon en&s;ue; and to the end the poorer &s;ort of people may enjoy the benefit of &s;uch com|mons as &s;hall be thought fit to be continued, a&s;well as others who have greater &s;tocks, all right of commoning without number may be taken away, and every commoner allowed his due proportion, accor|ding to the proportion of his Lands; And that for the avoiding many &s;uits in Law, each Pari&s;h may enjoy the commons therein unto them|&s;elves, and no others not having any Lands therein, to be entercom|moners with them, either by pre&s;cription, or by any other title; And that encouragement may be given for the more diligent &s;earching after mines of all &s;orts by permitting the owners of the ground, where any mine of any metal &s;hall be found, to reap the &s;ole benefit thereof without any &s;ei&s;ure by the State, as heretofore.</P>
<P N="12">12. That a &s;trict inquiry may be made by Commi&s;&s;ioners in every County of all generall nu&s;ances, erecting of Mills, planting of War|rens, turning of water cour&s;es, or Highwaies, or the like, or of any thing els that may be more prejudiciall to the borderers, then either advantageous to the party or the Common-wealth, and &s;uch of them rectified or taken away that &s;hall be &s;o found; And to the end all Highwaies leading to Market Towns may be made more pa&s;&s;a|ble, all per&s;ons may be compellable under a certain penalty to re|paire tho&s;e wayes as far as his own Land lieth, with the like liberty for the gathering of &s;tones, or digging &s;tones, or gravell in any mans Land within the &s;ame Pari&s;h as formerly was given to the Pari&s;h by the &s;tatute, and where the highway lies between two per&s;ons ground both of them to joine in the charge of the repairing of it, as far as their Land lieth, in that manner, for commonly &s;uch waies are made defective by the meanes of tho&s;e that border thereupon, and there|fore the more fit to be repaired by them, rather then by &s;uch poor people, who are not able to &s;upport them&s;elves, and Families du|ring the time required by the &s;tatutes now in force, for their a&s;&s;i|&s;tance, and that tho&s;e Highwaies as lie through wa&s;ts, and commons, may be repaired by the Commoners, and Lord of the Soil, where his profit out of the &s;aid wa&s;ts, and Commons is con&s;iderable, by &s;uch proportions as &s;hall be rea&s;onable, and where the owner of Land ad|joyning to the way, is not able through povertie to repaire his part, that defect either so be &s;upplied by the Pari&s;h, or by &s;uch therein, as
<PB N="11" REF="7">have no Land adjoining to tho&s;e Highwaies; that &s;o the burthen may be born with mo&s;t equality.</P>
<P N="13">13. That all Faires may be kept upon certain daies of the month, and not according to the former moveable Fea&s;ts; for tho&s;e daies will never be forgotten by the people, &s;o long as they continue to be a guide for any bu&s;ines, and that after a generall &s;ettlement of all Faires, a catalogue thereof may be &s;et forth in Print, that all may have &s;ufficient notice of the alterations; And that for the better pre|vention of the frequent &s;tealing of Hor&s;es, a &s;trict cour&s;e may be ta|ken, that no Hor&s;e may be &s;old in Faire, or Market without being entred into the Toll Book, with the names of the buyer, &s;eller, and voucher, and of the place of their &s;everall re&s;idencies, and that the keeper of the toll Book enter no Hor&s;e therein, unle&s;&s;e the &s;eller, or voucher be known unto him, upon paine of making &s;atisfaction for the Hor&s;e to the owner that hath lo&s;t him; and that the voucher not knowing the &s;eller and his place of re&s;idence may undergo the like penalty; and that an Office may be erected in <HI>London,</HI> into which all keepers of toll Books &s;hall certifie all hor&s;es entred into their &s;everall Toll Books, with their particular marks, and prizes, with the names of the buyer, &s;eller, and voucher, and of the places of their &s;everall re&s;idencies, within one month afrer the entrance of them, that being recorded in the &s;aid Office all loo&s;ers of Hor&s;es may repaire thither, and be informed where their Hor&s;es were &s;old, and the &s;tealer there|by di&s;covered; And that &s;ome fitting allowance may be given to the keeper of the &s;aid Office; and &s;ome additionall allowance given to the keeper of the toll Book by the buyer and &s;eller of the Hor&s;e, if it &s;hall be thought requi&s;ite in re&s;pect of his trouble in certifying the &s;ale thereof into the &s;aid Office.</P>
<P N="14">14. That none by vertue of any tenure, grant, charter, Office, de|gree, or place of re&s;idence, may be exempted from the ordinary cour&s;e of Law, but that the &s;ame ju&s;tice may be equally admini&s;tred unto al; And that all privileges heretofore granted to any per&s;ons, or to any corporations, or companies in Cities, or Burroughs may be &s;eriou&s;|ly con&s;idered, and &s;uch of them made void, as &s;hall be found unre&s;o|nable, or oppre&s;&s;ive to the people, And that all per&s;ons re&s;ident in Corporations, and Burrough Towns, may have liberty to appeal to the Judges of A&s;&s;ize, or Ju&s;tices at the generall Quarter-&s;e&s;&s;ions, upon any unju&s;t proceedings again&s;t them by the Ju&s;tices of the &s;aid cor|porations, or Burrough-towns otherwi&s;e Ju&s;tices in corporations
<PB N="12" REF="8">being either ignorant of the Laws, or led by private intere&s;ts, may do inju&s;tice without controul, who are Ju&s;ticss onely by their Char|ter, and not by Commi&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="15">15. That &s;ome titles of Honour may be conferred upon the emi|nent maintainers of the Liberties of the Common-wealth, an&s;wera|ble to the greatne&s;&s;e of their &s;ervices they have performed; for there is no rea&s;on, that &s;uch as have been enemies to the Common-wealth and Liberties thereof &s;hould enjoy their titles of Honour, whil&s;t tho&s;e that have &s;ubdued them, and &s;o often hazarded their lives for the &s;ervice of the Common-wealth &s;hould &s;till remain as private men, without any notice taken of their de&s;erts; And further it may be con&s;idered, whether it may not be more advantageous to the Com|mon-wealth, and add more to the reputation of all tho&s;e that &s;hall be honoured with &s;uch titles, That all titles of Honour may conti|nue but for life, and not be made hereditary unles the &s;ucce&s;&s;or inhe|riting the vertues of his predece&s;&s;or &s;hall be thought worthy by the State, to have the &s;ame honours conferred upon him, which cour&s;e may cau&s;e &s;uch per&s;ons to endeavour to exceed their Predece&s;&s;ors in their vertues, and engagements to the State, and be a means that honours may be lookt upon as badges of de&s;ert, and not be &s;tained by the di&s;&s;olute, and unworthy carriage of any, as hath been too of|ten &s;een; And further it may be con&s;idered, whether it may not be convenient, and for the &s;ervice of the Common-wealth, rather to ca&s;t an eye of favour upon &s;uch per&s;ons, who having formerly oppo|&s;ed the State, &s;hall now &s;hew an evident demon&s;tration of their true conver&s;ion, by the acknowledgment of their former errors, and cor|diall &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the pre&s;ent Government, then &s;till to let &s;uch per|&s;ons, eminent for their parts and ingenuities, to live like drones in a Common-wealth, uncapable of imployment, who&s;e future &s;ervices might countervaile their former errors, and heal the breaches made among&s;t us, by a former union.</P>
<P N="16">16. That for the better holding corre&s;pondency with forreign States, and managing the weighty bu&s;ines of the Common-wealth with greater &s;afety, the Members of the Councell of State may be continued, &s;o long as they discharge their tru&s;t with faithfulnes, and not be &s;ubject to a yearly change; for a &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of per&s;ons of|ten changed cannot mannage the weighty affaires committed to their tru&s;t, with that advantage and &s;ecurity to the Common-wealth or &s;o ea&s;ily di&s;cover the &s;ecret &s;tratagems contrived by Forreign
<PB N="13" REF="8">States, or &s;o well fru&s;trate their devices, often long in hatching as tho&s;e, that by their long experience in affairs of State, and by their holding of intelligence in Forreign Princes Courts, do ob&s;erve the growth of &s;uch de&s;ignes, whereby they may prevent the evills that would follow, and carry on the grand concernments of the State with greater &s;afety; for no man's born a Statesman, And if a yearly change of Councellors, as &s;ome de&s;ire &s;hould be admitted by the State, what encouragement would any have to wa&s;te their time, and trea&s;ure to fit them &s;elves for that imployment, which would la&s;t but &s;o &s;hort a time? and what mi&s;chiefes would attend the State, which would be &s;waied by raw, and ignorant State&s;men? for in King <HI>James</HI> his time, it was ob&s;erved, that when the ancient &s;tock of grave, and prudent Councellours was decaied, and others placed in their roomes, not having that experience in the affairs of State, the honour of this Nation was exceedingly impaired, and &s;ome forreign States gained tho&s;e advantages &s;o prejudiciall to this Nation, that to this day could never be regained.</P>
<P N="17">17. That to prevent the many inconveniences that may ari&s;e by the often change of per&s;ons in authority, &s;ecure provi&s;ion may be made, from the di&s;&s;olution of this pre&s;ent Parliament, for the e|quall di&s;tribution of elections in all Counties, with certain rules and cautions pre&s;cribed for the more orderly proceeding at elections; and for making di&s;affected per&s;ons uncapable of being elected, or electors or being pre&s;ent at elections; and that none under a &s;evere penalty &s;hall give any reward, or other recompence to any per&s;on for his vote at any election, or before, or after; And that none but freehol|ders of &s;uch a yearly value, as &s;hall be judged fit, may have a vote at any election, and all tenants, and Coppyholders to continue &s;till di&s;abled, to elect, or to be pre&s;ent at elections; for &s;hould all Tenants any coppyholders (who depend upon the will of their Landlords and other Lords of mannours) be allowed to give their votes at &s;uch elections, many di&s;affected per&s;ons (which &s;hould be thought fit to be di&s;abled them&s;elves to vote at &s;uch elections) in&s;tead of their own &s;ingle votes, would procure many to vote according to their own defires; whereby many di&s;affected per&s;ons would become mem|bers of the &s;upreme Councell of the Common-wealth, and &s;o the Common-wealth betraied; And, that the continuance of each Parli|ament may be left to the wi&s;dom of the particular members thereof, that &s;o they may have time for the di&s;patch of the great affairs com|mitted
<PB N="14" REF="9">to their care, and for the remedying of the grievances of the Common-wealth; for tis impo&s;&s;ible to predict what weighty bu&s;ines may befall each Parliament, and what ob&s;tructions they may meet withall in the di&s;patch thereof; what rules can then exactly be pre|&s;cribed unto them for the time of their continuance or had this pre|&s;ent Parliament been either limited a certain period, or tied to the exact performance of &s;uch rules, as &s;hould have been pre&s;cribed unto them by any former Parliaments; in&s;tead of that happy peace, and liberty is enjoyed, this Common-wealth had been involved in per|petuall &s;lavery.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
