and governed by the same laws-the said Earl of Strafford did, in answer to an address from the City of Dublin, declare that Ireland was a conquered nation, and that the King might do with them what he pleased, and that the Charters of Dublin were nothing worth, and did bind the King no farther than he pleased. 2. That in the case of the Earl of Cork, he declared the Earl and all Ireland should know that an act of State was as binding as an Act of Parliament. 3. That he sentenced to death without any warrant or authority of law, and without trial or legal proceedings, put the sentence into execution. 4. That he disseized Lord Mountmorris, and put him out of possession of his lands on a paper petition. 5. That without trial or jury process, he procured the Judges' opinions on a case regarding Lord Dillon, and dispossessed him and others, and ruined their families. 6. That without legal process, and merely on petition, he made a decree against Lord Loftus, and imprisoned him for disobedience thereof. 7. That without any authority, and contrary to his commission, he required Lord Loftus (the Chancellor) to deliver to him the Great Seal, and imprisoned him for disobedience thereof. 8. That without legal proceedings he imprisoned the Earl of Kildare for refusing to submit his title to his lands to said Earl's will, and detained him for a year, notwithstanding His Majesty's letters for his enlargement. 9. That in the case of Dame Hibbotts, in which the most of the Council were favourable to that lady, the Deputy by threats of fine and imprisonment compelled her, notwithstanding, to submit to his order, whereby she relinquished her estate in the lands in question, which were conveyed to the use of the said Deputy; and did imprison divers others for disobedience to his orders and decrees, as to titles of lands and pretended debts, on paper petitions preferred to him, and no cause legally depending. 10. That he issued General Warrants to imprison any of the poorer sort, who after citations should refuse to appear, or should deny obedience to decrees and orders imposed or issued out against them. 11. That he procured the customs of merchandise exported and imported to be farmed to his own use, and raised the Book of Rates, so that the customs which were hitherto but a 20th part of the value, were enhanced a 5th, a 4th, and a 3rd, to the great oppression of the subjects, and decay of trade. 12. That he restrained the export of commodities without his license, and then raised great sums of money for licenses for his own use. 13. That by his sole proclamation he prohibited the importation of tobacco; that for his own use he afterwards imported it, whereby he obtained the monopoly, and sold it at great and excessive prices; and for the violation of his proclamation not to expose any for sale without the Deputy's own seal, he fined, imprisoned, whipped, and put in the pillory His Majesty's subjects. 14. That he issued his proclamation enjoining the working of flax, the principal and native commodity, in such ways, wherein the natives were unused and unpractised, and seized the same, whereby the deputy gained the sole sale thereof. 15. That by proclamation he imposed new and unlawful oaths on the owners and masters of ships, whence they came, what their merchandize, whither they were bound. 16. That to subdue the subjects of the Realm of Ireland, he imposed of his own authority large sums of money on divers towns and places in said realm, and levied the same by soldiers with force and arms, and sent soldiers to lie on the lands of such as would not comply; and that he expelled divers people from their houses and manors, and imprisoned them and their wives in Dublin, until they would surrender their estates, and thereby levied war against the Irish. 17. That he obtained from His Majesty the allowance to his proposition, that no complaint of oppression, or injustice done in Ireland should be received until first submitted to him; and to prevent the subjects of all means of complaints and of redress, he issued his proclamation to prevent the subjects of the reali departing thence without his licence, and enforced the same by fine and imprisonment. EEN 18. That he had raised an army of 8,000 papists, and had imposed a new oath by his own authority, purporting to obey all His Majesty's commands, and to protest against none of them. VI. IMPEACHMENT OF THE LORD CHANCELLOR. [February 27th, 1641.] Committee appointed to draw up an Impeachment of High Treason against the Lord Chancellor Bolton, the Bishop of Derry, Sir Gerald Lowther, Lord Chief Justice of Common Pleas, and Sir George Radcliffe; and to move the Lords that they may be secured and sequestered from their House, the Council table, and all other places of Judicature. Articles exhibited against them : 1st. That they have conspired to subvert the fundamental laws and government of the kingdom, and introduced an arbitrary and tyrannical government against law, by the countenance and assistance of Thomas, Earl of Strafford, then Chief Governor. 2nd. That they have traitorously assumed to themselves, and every of them, regal power over the goods, persons, lands and liberties of His Majesty's subjects of this realm. 3rd. That the better to preserve themselves and the said Earl of Strafford, in these and other traitorous courses, they have laboured to subvert the rights of Parliament, and the ancient courses of Parliamentary proceedings. VII. THE GRACES. King Charles's letter for the continuance of Parliament (28th March), was laid before the House, together with the following (3rd April), regarding the Graces: these resembled the English Petition of Right, and secured the property of the subject from the claims of the Crown, and the person of the subject from the oppression of the Government. The acts here alluded to did not pass into law, and the civil war put an end to this legal proceeding, which would have given security to the Irish, (a good argument this against insurrection.) [May 22nd, 1641.] His Majesty's Letter touching the Graces. well: Right trusty and well-beloved Councillors, we greet you Whereas, humble suit hath been made unto Us by the Committees of the Lords and Commons, in Parliament assembled, in that our kingdom of Ireland, among the particulars, for the obtaining of the benefit of certain Instructions and Graces, by us promised, in the fourth year of our reign, to our subjects of that kingdom, which they allege they have not hitherto fully enjoyed according to our gracious intention, and their said suit for enjoying the said Graces being by us taken into serious consideration, after great deliberation and the advice of our Privy Council thereupon heard; we thought fit, by these our letters to declare that all and every of our subjects, of that our kingdum, shall, from henceforth enjoy the benefit of the said Graces, according to the true intention thereof * that forthwith several Bills be transmitted from you, our Justices and Council there for securing unto our said subjects in Parliament such particulars. * * We are graciously pleased, according to our princely promise, in the 24th and 25th articles of the said Graces, and in performance of the engagements of our Royal Father and Queen Elizabeth, to secure the estates, or reputed estates of the inhabitants, as well of Connaught and County of Clare, or County of Thomond, as of the Counties of Limerick and Tipperary. We will and require you, * * * * that forthwith an act be transmitted for the settling of the said Province and Counties, and every part thereof, according to the tenor and intention of the said twenty-fourth and twentyfifth articles respectively. And these our letters for your proceedings therein shall be your sufficient warrant. Given under our signet, at our Palace at Westminster, the third day of April, in the seventeenth of our reign, by commandment of His Majesty. H. VEYNE. VIII. THE THREE INSTRUMENTS. Drawn up by Committees of both Houses of the Irish Parliament, and transmitted to England to His Majesty. FIRST INSTRUMENT. [May 24th, 1641.] The thankful acknowledgment and humble supplication of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in Parliament assembled. WHEREAS your sacred Majesty That your Majesty will be likewise graciously pleased to vouchsafe to apply effectual and timely remedies to the grievances. heretofore complained of, or hereafter to be represented unto your Majesty by our said Committees, which said grievances were occasioned and acted by some Ministers of State in this Kingdom, without your Majesty's privity or knowledge, as we do most confidently assure ourselves; and that your Majesty will be graciously pleased, that this Parliament may not be prorogued or dissolved, until such time as the said bills, and such. other bills as are, or shall be found in Parliament, and until the said grievances be removed. The declaration and protection of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in Parliament assembled. WHEREAS, in the reign of King Henry II. the Common Law and lawful Customs of England were received, planted, and established in His Majesty's Kingdom of Ireland, and then and |