VOTES and ADDRESSES of the Honourable House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT, made this present year 1673, concerning Popery and other Grievances.  

March 29. 1673.  

The Parliaments Address to his Majesty for the Removal of Grievances in England and Ireland.  
WEE your Majesties most loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, conceiving ourselves bound in necessary duty to your Majesty, and in discharge of the Trust reposed in Us truly to inform your Majesty of the Estate of your Kingdom. And though we are abundantly satisfied that it hath been your Royal Will and Pleasure that your Subjects should be governed according to the Laws and Customs of this Realm, ye● finding that contrary to your Majesties gracious Intention some Grievances and Abuses are crept in, We crave leave humbly to represent them to your Majesties knowledge and desire.  
1. That the Imposition of 12d. per cauldron upon Coals for the providing of Convoys, by virtue of an Order from Council, dated the 15th of May 1672, may be recalled, and all Bonds taken by virtue thereof canceled.  
2. That your Majesty's Proclamation of the 4th of D●cember 1672, for preventing of Disorders which may be committed by Soldiers, and whereby the Soldiers now in your Majesties Service are in a manner exempted from the ordinary course o● Justice, may likewise be recalled.  
3. And whereas great Complaints have been made out of several parts of this Kingdom of divers Abuses committed in quart●ring of Souldiers, That your Majesty would be pleased to give Order to redress those Abuses; and in particular that no Souldiers be hereafter quartered in any private houses; and that due satisfaction may be given to the Inn-keepers or Victuallers where they lie before they remove.  
4. And since the continuance of Souldiers in this Nation will necessary produce many Inconveniences to your Majesties Subjects, We do humbly present it as our Petition and Advice, That when this present War is ended, all your Souldiers which have been raised since the last Session of Parliament, may be disbanded.  
5. That your Majesty would be likewise pleased to consider of the Irregularities and Abuses in Pressing Souldiers, and to give Order for the Prevention thereof for the future.  
6. And although it hath been the course of former Parliaments to desire Redress in their Grievances before they proceeded to give a Supply; Yet we have so full assurance of your Majesties Tenderness and Compassion towards your People, that we humbly prostrate ourselves at your Majesties feet with these our Petitions, desiring your Majesty to take them into your Princely Consideration, and to give such Orders for the Relief of your Subjects, and the Removing these Pressures, as shall seem best to your Royal Wisdom.   

Address touching Ireland.  
WEE your Majesties most loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, taking into Consideration the great Calamities which have formerly befallen your Majesties Subjects of the Kingdom of Ireland from the Popish Recusanrs there, who for the most part are professed Enemies to the Protestant Religion, and the English Interest; and how they make use of your Majesties gracious Disposition and Clemency, are at this time grown more insolent and presumptuous than formerly, to the apparent danger of that Kingdom, and your Majesties Protestant Subjects there, the Consequence whereof may likewise prove very fatal to this your Majesties Kingdom of England if not timely prevented. And having seriously weighed what Remedies may be most properly applied to these growing Distempers, do in all humility present your Majesty with these our Petitions.  
1. That for the establishment and quieting the Possessions of your Majesties Subjects in that Kingdom, your Majesty would be pleased to maintain the Act of Settlement, and Explanatory Act thereupon, And to recall the Commission of Enquiry into Irish Affairs, bearing date the 17th of January last, as containing many new and extraordinary Powers, not only to the prejudice of particular persons, whose Estates and Titles are thereby made liable to be questioned; but in a manner to the overthrow of the Acts of Settlement; And if pursued, may be the occasion of great Charge and Attendance to many of your Subjects in Ireland, and shake the Peace and Security of the whole.  
2▪ That your Majesty would give order that no Papist be either continued or hereafter admitted to be Judges, Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs, Coroners or Maiors, Sovereigns or Portreives in that Kingdom.  
3. That the titular Popish Archbishops, Bishops, Vicars-General, Abbots, and all other exercising Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by the Popes Authority, and in particular Peter Talbot, pretended Archbishop of Dublin, for his notorious Disloyalty to your Majesty, & Disobedience and Contempt of your Laws, may be commanded by Proclamation forthwith to depart out of Ireland, and all other your Majesties Dominions, or otherwise to be prosecuted according to Law. And that all Covents, Seminaries, and public Popish Schools may be dissolved and suppressed, and the Secular Priests commanded to depart under the penalty.  
4. That no Irish Papist be admitted to inhabit in any part of that Kingdom, unless duly licenced according to the aforesaid Acts of Settlement; And that your Majesty would be pleased to recall your Letters of the 26th of February 1671, And the Proclamation thereupon, whereby general Licence is given to such Papists as inhabit in Corporations there.  
5. That your Majesties Letters of the 28th of September 1672, and the Order of Council thereupon, whereby your Subjects are required not to prosecute any Actions against the Irish for any Wrongs or Injuries committed during the late Rebellion, may likewise be recalled.  
6. That Colonel Talbot( who hath notoriously assumed to himself the title of Agent of the Roman catholics in Ireland) be immediately dismissed out of all Command Military and Civil, and forbidden access to your Majesties Court.  
7. That your majesty would be pleased from time to time out of your Princely Wisdom to give such further Order and Directions to the Lord Lieutenant, or other Governor of Ireland for the time being, as may best conduce to the Encouragement of the English Planters and Protestants Interest there, and the suppression of the insolences and Disorders of the Irish Papists there.  
These our humble Desires we present to your Majesty, as the best means to preserve the Peace and Safety of that your Kingdom, which hath been so much of late in danger by the Practices of the said Irish Papists, particularly Richard and Peter Talbot; and we doubt not but your Majesty will find the happy Effects thereof, to the great Satisfaction and Security of your Majesties Person and Government, which of all earthly things is most dear to us your Majesties most loyal Subjects.   

Ordered October 20. 1673.  
THAT an Address be made to his Majesty by such Members of this House as are of his Majesties Privy-Council, to acquaint his Majesty, That it is the humble Desire of this House, That the intended Marriage of his Royal Highness with the duchess of Modena be not consummated; And that he may not be married to any Person but of the Protestant Religion.   
And the same day the Parliament was prorogued till Monday next.  

The Address of the Parliament to his Majesty.  
WEE your Majesty's most humble and loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, being full of assurance of your Majesties gracious Intentions to provide for the Establishment of Religion, and the preservation of your People in Peace and Security; and foreseing the dangerous Consequences which may follow the Marriage of his Royal Highness the Duke of York with the Princess of Modena, or any other of the Popish Religion, We hold ourselves bound in Conscience and Duty to represent the same to your sacred Majesty, not doubting but these constant Testimonies which we have given your Majesty of our true and loyal Affections to your sacred Person will easily gain a belief that these our humble Desires proceed from Hearts still full of the same Affections toward your sacred Majesty, and with intentions to establish your Royal Government upon those true Supports of the Protestant Religion, and the Hearts of your People, with all humility desiring your Majesty to take the same into your Princely Consideration, and to relieve your Subjects from those Fears and Apprehensions which at present they lye under from the progress hath been made in that Treaty.  
We do therefore humbly entreat your Majesty to consider, that if this Match do proceed, it will be a means to disquiet the minds of your Protestant Subjects at home, and to fill them with endless Jealousies and Discontents; and will bring your Majesty into such Alliances abroad as will prove highly prejudicial, if not destructive to the Interest of the very Protestant Religion itself.  
And we find by sad experience that such Marriages have increased and encouraged Popery in this Kingdom, and given opportunity to Priests and jesuits to propagate their Opinions, and seduce great numbers of your Majesty's Subjects.  
And we do already observe how much the Party is animated with the hopes of this Match, which were lately discouraged by your gracious Concessions in the last Meeting in this Parliament.  
That we greatly fear this may be an occasion to lessen the Affections of the People to his Royal Highness, who is so nearly related to the Crown; and whose Honour and Esteem we desire may always be entirely preserved.  
That for another Age more at the least this Kingdom will be under the continual apprehensions of the Growth of Popery, and the Danger of the Protestant Religion.  
Lastly, We consider that this Princess having so near a Relation and Kindred to many Eminent Persons of the Court of Rome, may give them great opportunities to promote their Designs, and carry on their Practices among us, and by the same means penitrate into your Majesties most Secret Counsels, and more easily discover the state of the whole Kingdom.  
And finding that by the Opinions of very Learned-Men it is generally admitted that such Treaties and Contracts by Proxies are dissolvable, of which there are several Instances to be produced, We do in all humbleness beseech your Majesty to put a Stop to the Consummation of this intended Marriage.  
And this we do the more importunately desire, because we have not yet the happiness to see any Issue of your Majesty's that may succeed in the Government of these Kingdoms, which Blessings we most hearty pray Almighty God in his due time to bestow upon your Majesty and these Kingdom, to the unspeakable Joy and Comfort of all your Majesty's Subjects, who desire nothing more than to continue under the Reigns of your Majesty and your Royal Posterity for ever.    

October 27, 1673.  
A Message from the King by the Usher of the Black-Rod. The House returning, Mr. Speaker reports the King and Lord Chancellor's Speeches, The Consideration thereof adjourned till Friday.  
A Debate touching the next Speaker's continuance in the Chair. A Question being put, Whether the Question upon the said Debate should be now put? Past in the Negative.  
Resolved, That for the better Solemnization of the fifth of November next, the House meet in a Body, and go from thence to St. Margarets, and that Dr. Stillingfleet be desired to Preach.  
A Bill for Repairing of Churches, and better payment of Petty-Tithes, red, and Ordered a second Reading.  
Orders for issuing out new Writs to supply Vacant Places.  
A Committee appointed to Inspect the Journals.  
The Grand Committee for Religion, Grievances, Trade, and Courts of Justice appointed. And then the House Adjourned till Thursday morning.   

October 30. 1673.  
Mr. Secretary Coventry brought from his Majesty an Answer to the Address presented to him touching the Duke of York, as followeth.  

C. R.  
HIS Majesty having received an Address from the House of Commons, presenting their humble Desire that the Intended Marriage betwixt his Royal Highness and the Princess of Modena may not be Consummated, Commandeth this Answer to be returned, That be perceived the House of Commons have wanted a full Information of this matter, the Marriage not being barely Intended, but completed according to the Forms used amongst Princes, And by his Royal Consent and Authority; Nor could He in the least suppose it disagreeable to his House of Commons, His Royal Highness having been in the view of the World for several months engaged in a Treaty of Marriage with another catholic Princess, and yet a Parliament held during the time, and not the Least Exception taken at it.   
An Address ordered to be presented to his Majesty concerning a Marriage between his Royal Highness and the Princess of Modena, And a Committee appointed for that purpose.  
A Committee appointed for preparing a Bill for a General Test to distinguish between Protestants and Papists; and those that shall refuse to take it, be incapable to enjoy any Office Military or Civil; or to sit in either House of Parliament, or to come within five miles of the Court.  
The House adjourned till Monday,   

October 31. 1673.  
Resolved, That the House considering the present Condition of the Nation, will not take into any further Debate the Consideration of any Aid or Supplies, or Charge upon the Subjects, before the time of payment of the Eighteen months Assessment, granted by a late Act of Parliament, entitled, An Act for raising the Sum of Twelve hundred thirty eight thousand and seven hundred and fifty pounds for the Supply of his Majesties present Occasions, be expended; Except it shall appear that the Obstinacy of the Dutch shall render it necessary; Nor before this Kingdom be Effectually Secured from Popery and Popish Counsels, and the other present Grievanc●s be redressed. And,  
An Address ordered to be presented to his Majesty for a Fast to be observed throughout the Nation, and a Committee appointed for that purpose.  
A further Address to be presented to his Majesty concerning the Marriage of the Duke of York with the duchess of Modena, And the jailers of this House to attend his Majesty to know his Pleasure when He will be attended therewith. And they adjourned till to morrow in the afternoon.   

November 3. 1673.  
A Report from the Committe appointed for that purpose was made for an Address to be presented to his Majesty, to appoint a General Fast to be observed throughout the Nation; And the Concurrence of the Lords to be desired thereto.  
A Bill for Repair of Churches, and for the better Recovery of Small-Tithes, red a second time and committed.  
The standing-Army voted a Grievance.  
A Committee appointed to prepare an Address to be presented to his Majesty, to show how this standing-Army is a Grievance; And then adjourned till three of the clock afternoon. Mr. Speaker and the House went to attend his Majesty at White●all with the Address: who returning, Mr. Speaker reports, That it was a matter he would take into his present Consideration, and would return speedily an Answer.  
And then the House adjourned till to morrow morning eight of the clock.   

November 4. 1673.  
The House of Commons having ordered an Address to be made to his Majesty, showing that the standing-Army was a Grievance, and a Burden to the Nation; and did intend that day to wait on his Majesty to present it: But his Majesty was in his Robes in the House of Peers, and the Lords hastening to Him, the Black-Rod being sent to the Commons-House to command the Speaker and the Commons to come to his Majesty to the House of Peers; but it so happened that the Speaker and the Black-Rod met both at the Commons-House door; the Speaker being within the House, the door was commanded to be shut, and they cried to the Chair, others said the Black-Rod was at the door to command them to wait on the King to the House of Peers: but the Speaker was hurried to the Chair. Then was moved,  

1. That our Alliance with France was a Grievance.  
2. That the evil Counsel about the King was a Grievance to this Nation.  
3. That the Lord Lauderdale was a person that was a grievance to this Nation, and not fit to be entrusted or employed in any Office or Place of Trust, but to be removed.   
Whereupon they cried, To the Question. But the Black-Rod knocking very earnestly at the Door, the Speaker rose out of the Chair and went away in a confusion.   
FINIS.