No. 76.
A narrative of the proceedings of the Court of Common Council held in Guildhall, London, the 13th of January, 1648-9, presented by order of the Court to the House of Commons.
Journal 40, fo. 314.
A common councell beinge lawfully summoned to meete at eight of the clocke in the morneinge upon the day above written, Wee commoners of the citty of London members of the said courte in obedience to the said summons and for discharge of the trust reposed in us made our appearance att the vsuall place of meetinge for the saide courte about the time appointed. Aboute eleaven of the clocke the Lord Maior accompanied onely with two of the Aldermen tooke the chayre Wee then desireinge the lord mayor that the acts of the last courte might be reade accordinge to the vsuall course of the saide courte and for the further confirmacõn of the said acts could not obteyne the same (though earnestly desired) for above an howres space after which some members of the said courte (being parte of a committee formerly chosen by the said courte) tendered a peticõn therevnto to bee reade, and considered of which peticõn (beinge the same now presented to this honoble House) was drawne vpp by them in referrence to an order of the said courte and received the approbacõn of the major parte of the quorum of that comittee and though itt was often and earnestly prest for a long time by the major parte of the courte that it might be reade to receive the sence of the courte, yett the Lord Maior wholly refused to suffer the same or that the question should be putt whether it should be reade yea or noe After the fruitelesse expence of many howres another question beinge drawne vpp the major parte of the courte required itt to be putt, to be putt [sic] to be decided according to the right and custome of the courte and beinge denyed therein declared how vnjust and of what a destructive nature to the beinge of the courte such a denyall would bee yet notwithstandinge the Lord Maior with the two Aldermen departed and lefte the courte sittinge to the greate greife and generall dissatisfaccõn of the same Beinge thus deprived of our ordinary assistance for our proceedings, wee did then require and command the Common Serjeant and Towne Clarke officers of the said courte to stay in the courte and putt the question both which they contemptuously refused and lefte the courte sittinge likewise Wherevpon in discharge of our trust and in our tender care of the common good of Citty and Kingdome Wee did stay and remaine a courte wherein was thrice reade debated and voted (nemine contradicente) the peticõn hereunto annexed to be as this day presented to this honoble Howse.
Havinge given this honoble Howse this breife, but true, narrative of parte of our sufferings for eight howres at least In the breadth (as wee conceive) of our vndoubted rights & priviledges and conceiveinge the like obstruccõns would render our meetings in councell altogether fruitlesse for publiq benefitte and service for the future Wee are forced to appeale vnto this honoble Howse for such consideracõns hereof and direccons herein, as may make the commons of London in common councell assembled vsefull to the ends for which they were chosen.
No. 77.
Letter from the Council of State to the Mayor and Aldermen of the City for defacing statues of James I and Charles I. Dated Whitehall, 31 July, 1650.
Repertory 60, fo. 213.
My Lord and Gentlemen.
In pursuance of an Order of Parliament wee desire you forthwith to give order that ye two Statues that Stand at ye west end of Paules above ye worke borne up by ye Columnes sett upp to represent King James and the late King may forthwith bee throwne downe. Alsoe yt ye head of that Statue at ye Exchainge sett there to represent ye late King be broaken off, and ye Septer broaken out of his hand And this inscripcon put upp by it Exit Tyrannus Regum ultimus Anno Libertatis Angliæ restitutæ primo Annoque Domini 1648 Januarij 30º And yow are alsoe to take care that ye inscripcon under those Statues at Paules be cutt out of ye stones and that this be doune before Saturday the tenth of August next and yt ye Councell bee then certified of your proceedings therein.