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had many Applications to mee to continue them where they are, and the most usuall pretence of perticular persons is, that they have Patents from his Majtie during life of the government of Counties, Provinces, and Towns, as my Lord Donegall pretends one for the Province of Ulster, St Francis Foulks of ye Towne of Clonmell; how inconvenient a Military command for any Terme longer then during pleasure may prove his Majtie is best able to judge; I am confident many here are during life, but they shall never hinder mee in disposing the forces, as I find necessary for ye securing the country without regard to any man's convenience. As soon as I can have a List of all these Patents I will send it to your Lo and shall desire to know his Majties opinion upon them.

VII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OE ARLINGTON.

[Stowe MS. 499, fo. 10b].

[After stating that he will do as well as he can without the troops which have been sent into England, and vividly describing the destitution of the disbanded forces, Essex proceeds.]

MY LORD,

Dublyn Castle, Aug. 20, 1672.

I fear the distractions and disputes wch have bin of late in this citty will give mee more trouble to compose then at first I believ'd it would have done. I find pties on both sides much exasperated agst each other, and unwilling to come to an amicable end among themselvs, wch if it could have bin compasd had bin best, and after ye conclusion to have given rules for ye future govenment of yo Corporacion, but I now believe 'twill come to a hearing at ye Councell Table, and will engage factions there, and I am confident cause much heat in ye debate, but I shall to my best doe justice in y9 case.

Some Letters were by ye last post transmitted to y' Lop to desire an Authority from his Majtie for raising the value of forrain coyn, wch is ye only Proposall offer'd as a means to encrease ye money of this kingdome, but 'tis a matter soe disputable whether ye country will receive advantage or prejudice by enhauncing forreign money, as I doe much question whether it will bee advisable to make use of such a power if it should be allowed us.

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Another matter of ye same nature is now before us wch is a great abuse upon ye People here (as ye like has of late bin in England) wch is ye uttring of Farthings by private men, 'twill bee necessary there bee publick ones allow'd before these others can be cal'd in and prohibited; some apprehension I am in lest any one in England should get a Patent for coyning them, and some abuse may creep in that way. I only desire y Lop yt any such attempt may bee stop'd till ye Proposall come from nence, wch I assure y1 Lop I shall endeavor to make in such terms as may only tend to ye Publick good, and not to yo Profitt of perticular persons.

By severall Informations from ye north part of Ireland, I am told of divers meetings of Non Conformists, wch are very frequent in that quarter where ye Scots inhabite, perticularly in the Citty of London Derry wch is a Garrison and of great Importance, being ye only considerable Town wch ye English have in that Country.

I am forct to place but a small Garrison in it consisting only of 3 foot Companys, by reason ye Army is now soe small, wch Garrison I fear may bee very insecure if those meetings bee permitted in that Citty, for 2,000 have sometimes met there at once, nor doe I well know since his Majties Declaration for Liberty of conscience in England, wch hath an effect here on men's minds, how to restrain it without Order.

The best course I can think of would bee to doe ye same here as is practis'd in England, wch is to license some persons and places and to prohibite all others; this if it bee limited to convenient places may hinder all meetings not only in London Derry, but in

a See Letter XII.

b Cancelled on March 8, 1673.

all other Garrisons wch I conceive will bee of great securitie to them. Just as I was writing this a Petition from ye BP of that diocess a came to mee; a copy of ye Petition is here enclosed, wth wch I shall conclude this tedious letter, and remain, &c.

VIII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF ARLINGTON.

[Stowe MS. 494, fo. 12.]

MY LORD,

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Dublyn Castle, Aug. 20, 1672.
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I have bin very instant wth ye Comiss's of ye Treary to bring in a clear Account of all moneys they have receiv'd since their undertaking, and of all ye paymts they have made. Some Accounts they have delivered, but such as are in no waies satisfactory. I am confident they find I will not bee kept ignorant, and tis observable that upon my earnest pressing of them to account, They have sent over into England one Copley, Servt to Mr. Hays, now Comtroller of ye Revenue. He was dispatcht very privately, and, as I hear, had a Vessell on purpose to transport him.

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I perceive many here doe depend upon their friends in England for nomination, both to these and other Governments here, but I doe assure my self yr Lop will bee carefull of mee in this perticular, for I doe dayly more and more find how necessary it is (to speak abstractedly from my own concerne), even to ye Kgs business, that ye Chief Governors here bee supported, and not imposd upon in ye disposall of all places of command here.d

Yr Lop will pardon this freedome, &c.

a See Letters XV., XX.

b See Introduction.

Scil. Governorships or Deputy-Governorships of counties. a This is frequently pressed by Essex.

IX. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF ARLINGTON.

MY LORD,

[Stowe 499, fo. 14]

Dublyn Castle, Aug. 24, 1672.

Yr Lops of the 16th instant I have received, together with an account of Mounsieur De Witt's death, wch was in the most barbarous manner I ever have heard.

The giving rules to Corporacions is at present ye worke wee have in hand. Some difficulties I meet with in it, wherein I conceive 'tis necessary for mee to know his Majties pleasure to direct my proceedings. At ye beginning of this week I orderd a Committee of Councell to meet and prepare some present regulation of Corporacions.

The severall Proposalls reported were these:

1. That no election of Mayor, Sheriff, Recorder, or Towne Clerke bee valid till confirmed by ye approbation of ye Lieut and Councell. 2. That the Election of Mayor, and all other Magistrates, shall bee by ye Mayor and Aldermen and Common Councell, and not by a popular vote.

3. That care bee taken for forreine Protestants who are Artificers or Merchants to bee admitted into Corporacions.

4. That all ye Heads, Officers, Aldermen, Magistrates, and Common Councell men of Corporacions doe take yo Oath of Allegiance, and such other Oaths as are there in force according to Lře from ye Privy Councell, dated 17 Aug., 1670.

These in yo generall for all Corporacions, and perticularly for yo Citty of Dublyn this following.

5. That ye Common Councell bee elected every three years. The three first of these Rules can, I thinke, admit of no dispute, only the enlargement of ye 3d to all Forrainers of any religion what ever, as well as Protestants, and ye last too, wch relates only to ye Citty of Dublyn is, without doubt, very proper for this City, and

CAMD. SOC.

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VOL. I.

reasonable. The only difficulty rests upon ye fourth, wch imposes ye Oath.

That his Majestie may have ye whole matter before him at one view, I have with this enclosed ye copys of such Letters,a either heretofore or lately written by his Majties command, as are to bee found here in ye councill books relating to this subject, and upon this occasion I desire his Majtie would bee pleasd to review ye sevrall clauses wch for his greater ease I have scored with a pen in the severall copys here transmitted to your LoP, wherein these perticulars appear observable.

1. That his Majties Lre for restoring ye Irish to inhabite or Trade in Corporacions, dated May 22a, 1661, is in ye same Termes and almost the same words as ye later Lie to ye La Barkeley, dated Feb. 26, 1671.

2. That when upon ye receipt of ye said Lře, dated 22a of May, 1661, the Lords Justices were in doubt how to proceed in this matter and desird a further signification of his Majties pleasure herein, a very sharp Lĩe agt ye Romanists was returnd in aunswer from his Majties Privy Councell in England wth great restrictions upon yo clauses of his Majties Lře, and at the same time (viz., about yo 12 or 13 Aug: 1661) the Lře was accompanied with another from Mr Secretary Nicholas, expressly declaring it was never his Majties Pleasure to establish them in any Priviledge relating to Magistracy or Govermt.

3. That in a Lie from ye Lords of his Majties Privy Councell, bearing date ye 17th of Aug: 1670, concerning ye granting of new charters to Corporacions, a speciall clause is inserted, Providing that all Heads and Members of Coporacions bee made incapable to Act till they have taken ye Oath of Allegiance, and such other Oaths as are there in force.

4. I doe well remember that sometime after ye writing of this last Lre, dated ye 26 of Feb', 167, Mr Secretary Trevor has

These copies are among the MSS. On Feb. 20, 1672, indulgence had been granted by royal letters to Irish Roman Catholics to live in corporations.

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