A DECLARATION Of the well-affected Common-councel-men Of the CITY of LONDON, IN The name of themselves, and the Inhabitants thereof, concerning the injustice and oppression which is unequally cast and laid upon the distressed Citizens. Wherein they remonstrate a speedy and just way, for the taking off of all heavy burdens, relieving the oppressed, the mitigating of Taxes and Assessments, and laying it upon rich Merchants and others, who are able to bear it, to the end that those who have been oppressed may now go free. Extracted out of the Original, and published according to Order; to the end, that all Cities and Towns within this Nation, may take it as a precedent for their future ease and freedom, against all Oppressors whatsoever.   arms of the city of London 
London, Printed for G. Laurenson April 18. 164   

A DECLARATION OF The Common-council men of the City of London, within the Ward of Walbrook, setting forth the great injustice, and oppression of these present times, etc.  
Whereas by order of the late Lord Major and Commissioners, a precept came to the Deputy and Common-council men of the Ward of Walbrook, requiring them to call tr their assistance, such able persons as they shall think meet, to assess upon the Inhabitants of their Ward, the sum of 50. l. which was in arrears of the 4. former assessments of the 12, 10, 6, & 4 months, for the L. Gen. Fairfax his army, the Common counsel men in obedience to that precept, did call to assistance 8. other persons Inhabitants in their Ward, for the more equal rating and assessing of the aforesaid sum, and after long and serious consultation and debate, did find that the real estates, viz, the Rents of houses had not been rated at all, or not considerable in those 4 assessments; did therefore adjudge it, to be just to lay some considerable part of the 500 l. upon the aforesaid Rents, and they also finding that the Assessors in those 4 assessments, had exceeding overrated the poor people of small estates, and also had exceedingly under rated themselves, and the men of great Estates in the Ward. The now Common council men finding this great partiality and inequality, did judge it just before God, and all just men, to lay the greatest part of that which remained and not laid on the real estates, upon those of great estates that had been so much under-rated, that if the rich men had been rated, proportionably to those of small estates, there would have been little or none of those arrears, judging it very unjust and contrary to God's command, to add oppression to oppression, also contrary to the true intent and meaning of the Ordinances of parl. Having taken this course for the more speedy getting in of the aforesaid arrears, & also to prevent future arrears, did finish the books, and according to order sent them in. But upon the complaint of some of the Ward, together with such of the Comoncouncel as were assessors of those unequal assessments, to the Lord Mayor and Commis. We the now assessors were sent for before them, and notwithstanding we made it clear to the commis. that we had so assessed it as was most agreeable to Gods command to take of heavy burdens, & to relieve the oppressed, which we also declared was the true intent and meaning of the Ordi. of parl. & also discharge our trust; yet were we overawed and commanded to take the book & alter it, to take off from the rich, and to lay it on such as we knew to be overrated before, and yet had paid which we judged unreasonable, we also told the Aldermen, that their evil example in rating themselves so low in every assessment did occasion that no rich men in any Ward, would be rated proportionably to the estates, & did plead & do sin plead that an Alderman was but so much, & should they be rated equally with, or more than an Ald. We also told them that we did expect that as it was their duty, so they would have given us in command all the assessors of every Ward in London, to have considered such as had been overrated to have eased them, & also such as had been under-rated, to have laid the more on them. This was much stood upon, and by some answered with bitter expressions, and angry countenances; but our conclusions was with them thus. That we did hope in the sincerity of our hearts we had obeyed God's command, in taking off heavy burdens, and in relieving of some of the oppressed, and letting others that were more oppressed go free, and that if they (the Commissioners) did say those burdens on again, the sin should lie at their doors, and they should answer for it, we had discharged our trust. We know it to be just, that he that is worth 1000 l. should be rated ten times so much as he that is worth 100 l. and so proportionably from the least estate to the greatest, and he that hath the greatest estate hath the greatest advantage by this Rule of proportion, and if the Wards men be wise in their elections of common-council men, let them look upon such as are godly, wise men, of the middle rank of men, and make choice of such men they will find will act most and best for them and the public. What injustice, unequality; and oppression hath been used and exercised upon the poor and men of small estates in all former assessments the like hath been in a great measure in every Ward in levying men and arms to attend their Captains and Commanders in the Trained Bands, as an Alderman, or great rich man to send three men and peradventure sends but one, it may be none at all; when a poor man of small estate shall go forth, and find his own arms; this is also a great injustice and oppression.  
SIR,  
THe Earl of Brainford hath had audience, with the most high and mighty Princess the Queen of Sweden, and hath given an account to his young master the Prince, of the representing his Embassy to her Majesty, purporting, That there are matters of great consequence, to be maturely debated before there can be an Army of Switzers obtained, which gives a great demur to the new Game in agitation; so that if their Cards be not well played upon the first leading, the Game is in great halard of being utterly lost and frustrated in the conclusion. And the rather, by reason of the uniting of the two most famous and renowned Princes of Europe, which in all probability will soon be made manifest to all Christian princes, thorough out their several Territories: For the most illustrious Queen of Sweden, hath declared prince Charles palatine, etc. (her Cousin German) to be her rightful Successor to the Crown, in case she die without Issue: the States having with a great deal of joy and triumph approved thereof, and for the further confirmation thereof, humbly besought her Majesty to be pleased to accept of him also for her husband; to which she answered, That if they did make propositions to Her of that nature, she would take them into serious consideration, and speedily give them a positive answer, etc. so that there is so much probability in this, that it is taken for granted, that the Solemnisation of Marriage will suddenly be accomplished, between his Highness, and her Majesty, the most virtuous and illustrious Queen now reigning in Europe, the World's Mitrour, Religion's Banner, and a second Star to the late glorious Comet of England, the most high and mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth of happy memory.  
Hague 14. April, 1649.  
Other Letters from Holland say. That the Scots Commissioners have had audience with the Prince, they presented Letters unto their declared King, upon the knee, and said that was their endeared affection that moved them to that posture of obedience and loyalty: they tell their King he knew Scotland's mind by some sent before, and they desire to treat about it, but first Montrosse must departed, they bewailed the death of his late Royal Father, uttering many inveterate expressions against the causers of it: as yet no treaty hath been, nor answer given, and though it was declared, by their declared King to them, at the delivery thereof, that within few days he would return a satisfactory answer; yet he now seems to vary, determining to take some respite of time in consultation thereon, and desires likewise to take the advice of the State's General; and to that end hath given Sir Edward Hid directions to bring in a Declaration, to be presented to the said Council, the sum and abstract whereof followeth.  
That he desires a treaty with some of the State's General, in reference to the present transaction of affairs, touching his remove from the Hague to the Kingdom of France, before he take his journey for Ireland.  
2 That the chief motives of his inducement hereunto, are, by reason of the distractions breaking out anew in the Kingdom of Scotland; which divisions causeth him to despair in the safety of his person, etc. But these conjecturations in all probability will soon be frustrated, for we conceive he will make his abode here, as the best centre of his affairs, and that some of the States may possibly be advisers, in giving assistance to his resultations, in case his Council be not over violent to to the contrary.   

A Declaration of the proceed between the Scots and their Declared King.  
Sir, Col. Laighton is designed for Holland, with Letters from the Lord Seaforths' brother to their young titular King, inviting him to Sea, and to give commission to Montrosse to be Lieut. General, which will soon cause the increase of a potent Army in those parts, the Lord Plustarty being already very numerous, and hath declared for Charles the second, remonstrating the grounds and reasons of his present engagement, and stirring up the people to join with them therein, but its probable their design may be frustrated, for there are two thousand Horse and eleven thousand Foot raised of the new Establishment by the Estates, who are resolved not to act or comply with them, for the investing of the declared King upon their terms or principles. Some great Batteries are raising near the Cliffs of Leith, and the Fortications about the said town go on apace. Here is some whispering of the near approach of a period to all differences and disputes at the Hague, and that the young King and the Commissioners are upon a conclusion for peace, which gives popular satisfaction to many in this City.   

Edinburgh 13. April, 1649.  
Imprimatur,  
T. J.