affairs of the navy, in what readiness the fleet is to go out to sea."

1

On the 8th of May, the Council ordered "that one thousand pounds out of the tenths of the Admiralty be laid up for making chains and medals, for rewards of officers and mariners, that should do eminent service at sea."2

While the Council of State thus applied themselves to the affairs of the navy, they by no means neglected the land forces. On the same day on which the last-mentioned order was made, namely, the 5th of March, the Council made the following minute:

"That it be reported to the House that the Council of State hath taken their order for the 2nd of March into consideration concerning the forces of the nation, and they find that there are in being of

"That it is necessary to have so many kept up for the service of England and Ireland."

"That of this number 12,000 horse and foot to be sent to Ireland."

"That for the maintenance of these forces, viz. the 44,373 there must be the monthly sum of

"That it be offered to the House for the raising of this money that the £60,000 per mensem by tax be continued as now it is, for the army of England, and the £20,000 per mensem for Ireland.

"That for the other £10,000 per mensem, it be raised out of the revenue of the Crown by sale, lease, or other disposing of it, as it shall seem good to the House; and by the sale or otherwise disposing of the lands that are now by ordinance of Parliament at the disposing of the Commissioners at the Star Chamber, which lands are now for security for raising of £50,000 for Ireland.

"That there be a course taken by the House to charge the anticipations of the receipts at Goldsmiths' Hall upon some other visible security that the payments there may be made use of for carrying on of the public service."

1

In accordance with this minute, the Parliament having resolved that £120,000 per mensem be provided for six months for maintaining the forces in England and Ireland, to the end free quarter might be taken off; and that, towards raising this sum, a tax of £90,000 per mensem, to begin from the 25th of March instant, be levied upon lands and goods, passed an Act for that purpose: and this being the first instance of a tax laid upon the subjects of England, by authority of the Commons only, the Speaker was ordered to write a circular letter to the Commissioners appointed in every county for levying the tax.2 Notwithstanding the Speaker's circular this weight of taxation was

1 Order Book of the Council of State, 5th March, 1648, à Meridie. MS. State Paper Office. On the same day is this minute:"That the House will be pleased to set rules for the Committee at Goldsmiths' Hall to proceed upon for the composition with such delinquents as were in the last year's war." There is a large number of MS.

volumes in the State Paper Office filled with the proceedings of this committee at Goldsmiths' Hall respecting these compositions in regard to delinquents'

estates.

2 Commons' Journals, Die Jovis, 8 Martii, 164. Parl. Hist., vol. iii. p. 1304.

found to be very oppressive by the country at large, and the tax was levied with difficulty. Nothing could more strikingly show that, though England had got rid for a time of the ignoble tyranny of the Stuarts, it had to pay somewhat dear for the privilege of calling itself a commonwealth, than the following order of the Council of State of 16th June, 1649:-"That the lord general be desired to appoint parties of horse to be aiding and assisting with the agents and collectors of the money upon the ordinance of £20,000 per mensem for Ireland in the several counties of England and Wales."1

:

2

It is no discredit to those clear-headed and strong-willed statesmen, that they were ignorant of a science which had not then dawned upon the world; but it may be not uninstructive to mark some of the errors they committed from ignorance of the natural laws that regulate trade, and which no statesman can violate with impunity. Immediately after the last-quoted minute, they make the following order "That for the more ready sale of such lands as are to be sold for the use of the commonwealth, the interest of money may be brought to six pounds per cent.' In accordance with this order, it was, on the 12th of March, resolved by the House that the interest of money should be brought down from eight per centum to six per centum from and after the 29th of September next; and an Act was ordered to be brought in for that purpose. The following minute further shows their ignorance of those natural laws of trade which, in the time of a dearth or scarcity of corn, by raising the price enforce a more economical consumption, and which can only come

3

1 Order Book of the Council of State, 16th June, 1649. MS. State Paper Office.

2 Order Book of the Council of State,

5th March, 164, à Meridie. MS. State Paper Office.

3 Commons' Journals, Die Lunæ, 12 Martii, 1648.

into full operation under a complete freedom of the corntrade" the only effective preventive of a famine, as it is the best palliative of the inconveniences of a dearth: "That the Ipswich petition against Robert Green, merchant, for engrossing of corn, be recommended to Mr. Attorney, to prosecute him according to law, and to take information from Wm. Hanby, attorney for that town, to proceed against the said Green, to the end the poor people may see that care is taken of them in the time of dearth." And on the 5th of April an Act for abating the price of victuals and corn was read the first and second time, and committed.3

"2

Lieutenant-General Cromwell having been appointed, as has been before mentioned, to the command in chief of the forces destined for Ireland, the Council of State proceeded to hasten as much as possible the dispatch of that important business.

Some new regiments were raised about this time for the service of Ireland. The case of one regiment may be selected to show the Council of State's mode of proceeding. On the 6th of March there is a minute for the payınent of £400 to Colonel Tothill for a regiment of foot for Ireland now fully ready, near Chester, according to contract with the late committee at Derby House. Colonel Tothill was to receive the rest of his money for the said regiment upon the transporting of them, out of the £50,000 for Ireland out of the lands of delinquents. "The late committee being dissolved, that the House be moved to give power for the disposing of the said money, whereby the contract by which a very good regiment is actually ready for the service of Ireland may be speedily

1 Smith's Wealth of Nations, vol. ii. pp. 398, 399, M'Culloch's edition,

2 Order Book of the Council of State,

2nd May, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. 3 Commons' Journals, 5th April, 1649.

After

furnished, and the said regiment transported.” 1 granting a warrant for the payment to Colonel Tothill of £400, the Council order "that the rest of the money which is to be paid to Colonel Tothill for the transporting of his regiment into Ireland be transmitted to Chester to Mr. Walley for that service." On the 27th of March there is a minute, "That a letter be written to the Governor of Chester to let him know that sixpence per diem is ordered for the payment of Colonel Tothill's regiment, and that money is now in Mr. Walley his hands to defray it; that, therefore, free quarter is not to be demanded by them:" and another minute, "That a letter be written to Mr. Walley to desire him to take care that the quarters of Colonel Tothill's regiment may be paid from the time of their muster, that the people in the country be not burthened by them more than of necessity, and that he do not pay the money into the hands of the soldiers, but to the people themselves.'

2

Now, it is to be observed that sixpence at that time was equivalent to eighteenpence, or, rather, two shillings at present, and the care of the Council of State in this important matter sufficiently distinguishes them from some of the governments that went before, as well as from some that came after them in this country. It was one of the worst features of the government of Charles I. that he billeted his troops in private houses, and made them live at free quarter. But the sturdy English yeomen were not people to submit quietly to such an outrage. There is in the State Paper Office a letter, dated 1st March, 1628, from Captain John Watts, and other officers of the regiment of Sir Thomas Fryer, stationed in the county of Dorset, to

1 Order Book of the Council of State, 6th Mare Office.

MS. State Paper

2 Order Book of the Council of State, 27th March, 1648. MS. State Paper Office.