[1663/6/30]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The which day a draft of a letter from the parliament to his majesty concerning the billeting was presented by the lord chancellor from the lords of the articles to the parliament which, being twice read in the house, was approved and appointed to be signed by the chancellor in name of the parliament; which was accordingly done, of the which letter the tenor follows.
Most sacred sovereign,
The desire we have had to return to your majesty a satisfactory account of what, by your most gracious letter of 4 June, was entrusted to us, for trying of the contrivance and carrying on of that design of billeting, (with which your majesty, with so much reason, declared yourself most dissatisfied) has occasioned that we have not sooner made these humble and thankful acknowledgements, which the gracious expressions of the former part of your letter call for, being desirous that the account of our dutiful and hearty obedience to those your majesty's most just commands, might accompany our due acknowledgments of your majesty's grace and goodness, and that our return might not divide what your majesty has by your royal letter joined. We do, with all humble duty and thankfulness, acknowledge the great blessings which this your ancient kingdom does now enjoy under your royal authority, the church being restored to its right government; the kingdom to its former peace; the laws to their free course, and the subjects to their just liberties, and all these flowing to us, as the happy fruits and effects of your majesty's blessed restitution, we conceive ourselves obliged in a due resentment thereof, and of the often and renewed expressions of your majesty's royal care and tenderness of this kingdom, to return the humble offer of our lives and fortunes and all that is dearest to us for the advancement of your majesty's honour, authority and greatness, and that it shall be our care that the expressions of our obedience to your majesty's commands shall be suitable to those unparalleled acts of grace and favour your majesty has vouchsafed upon us.
By your majesty's letter it appears that, by a gentleman employed last year with a letter of credit from [John Middleton], earl of Middleton, it was represented to your majesty that it was the desire of your parliament here, that the act of indemnity should carry an exception of incapacitating from public trust; and that he earnestly pressed, in name of your parliament, your majesty's consent to the incapacitating some few of the most guilty not exceeding twelve. And your majesty, desiring to know the truth thereof from us, in obedience to your majesty's commands, this being taken into the consideration of your parliament, and every member of parliament particularly asked thereupon, we find by the unanimous opinions and votes of the house that the parliament gave no warrant to desire of your majesty that the act of indemnity should carry an exception of incapacitating from public trust, and that the parliament gave no warrant at all to desire in their names your majesty's consent to the incapacitating of a few; yet we have seen the inclosed duplicate of an instruction given by the earl of Middleton in the contrary to Sir George MacKenzie [of Tarbat], signed and owned by him in the presence of your parliament to be a just copy, bearing that it was much desired by your parliament that some should be excepted from public trust. We also find no other ground in the act of parliament concerning billeting, neither do we remember of any other ground made use of before the articles or in the parliament for incapacitating, but that it was your majesty's pleasure to have it so, and that this was the rise of bringing in the act of billeting as the most expedient way of voting the act for incapacity.
And in obedience to your majesty's command for the further trial of the manner of contrivance and carrying on of this design of billeting, and your majesty's suspicion that your name was abused therein, some commissioners authorised by your parliament having taken the depositions of diverse members of parliament and two knights thereupon, and having delivered the principal depositions to your majesty's commissioner to be by his grace communicated to your majesty, have offered to us this particular account thereof under their hand writings, which we (without presuming at all to give any judgement thereupon) offer hereby to your majesty's royal consideration. And when your majesty shall be pleased to make your further pleasure therein known to us, we shall give such obedience thereto, and to the other particulars in your royal letter, as shall witness to the world that your majesty's royal judgement is the rule of our actions, and that your majesty's commands shall always receive that obedience from us which suits with the duty of good subjects and the relation we now serve your majesty in as your majesty's most loyal and faithful parliament, in whose name and by whose command these are signed by:
Signed thus, your majesty's most humble, most dutiful and most obedient subject and servant, [William Cunningham, earl of] Glencairn, chancellor, in the presence of the lords of parliament
[1663/6/31]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The parliament appoints the report given in by the commissioners for trying of the billeting, with the copy of [John Middleton], earl of Middleton's instruction to [Sir George MacKenzie of] Tarbat, which was given in signed under Tarbat's hand, to be sent to his majesty, and accordingly they were delivered to the lord commissioner for that effect.
The estates of parliament, having considered the report of the commissioners for trying the matter of the billeting, do approve of their diligence in the said affair and exonerates them of the trust committed to them therein.