THE HUMBLE PETITION OF The Commons of the City of LONDON IN Common Council ASSEMBLED, To the Honourable, The Commons of England IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.  
With a NARRATIVE of the Proceed of the Court of COMMON-COUNCEL: And the VOTE of the House of Parliament, and their Answer thereupon.  
Together with Colonel Titchborn's SPEECH, made in the Honourable House of Commons at the delivery of the said Petition and Narrative.  

ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, That this Petition and Narrative, and Answer of the House thereunto, and Vote thereupon, be forthwith Printed and Published:  
H: Scobel, Cler. Parl. D. Com..   
London, Printed by Peter Cole, at the Sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhill, at the Royal Exchange, Jan. 16. 1648.   

 blazon or coat of arms of the City of London   

Die Lunae, 15 Januarii, 1648.  
THe House being informed, That divers of the Common-council of the city of London were at the door, they were called in, and Col: Titchburn, in the name of the Commons of the city of London made a short preamble as followeth:  

Mr. SPEAKER,  
THe Commons of the city of London in Common-council assembled, have appointed these Gentlemen, with myself, to present their humble Petition to the Honourable House this morning, I shall spend none of your precious time in any preparatory speech, hoping our Petition will speak for itself, were it not that some part of the Title is absent from this Petition, which doth usually attend this Honourable House in Petitions of this nature; nor shall I speak to the cause of such an absence, because the Court itself hath in a short Narrative given this honourable House some account thereof, which I have here, to present with this our Petition; only this, give some account, why we could not in judgement and conscience defer the presenting this Petition: First, Because the matter of it, as we humbly conceive, containeth in substance that which many of us hath ventured our lives for, and all of us our estates in a measure beyond proportion. Secondly, In regard of the season, we being sensible that our staying hitherto might without a very  interpretation from this Honourable House be accounted slowness in our duty, and if we had yet forborn, to have begot a jealousy that we have lost our first love: But give us leave to say, That we stand here with the same truth of heart, and public Principles, which we first engaged withal in this public cause; only herein we confess to differ, That the great experience which God hath given us in this Seven years' time, hath begotten more light in us, by which we have a clear understanding of persons and things, whereby we are advantaged, and the more resolvedly fixed to live and die in the maintaining of this public cause with this Honourable House.  
This Petition speaks our Desires, the Narrative our Grievance, both which we crave leave to present to this Honourable House.    

To the Honourable, The Commons of England assembled in Parliament: The humble Petition of the Commons of the City of London in Common-Councel assembled,  
SHOWETH,  
THat seriously weighing those unspeakable toils, difficulties, dangers, and temptations, in every kind, wherewith you have been hotly assaulted for many years together, by the powerful influence whereof, many great pretenders to the public interest have been wrought off from the same; And withal, considering that all these, notwithstanding you have stood like a mighty Rock, firm and constant to your Trust, and are now acting after such a Rate as our dead hopes break forth with triumph from their Graves, We cannot but with enlarged hearts bless the God of Heaven for you, and (if it were possible) in the hearing of the whole world, proclaim our thankfulness to you for the same.  
And apprehending, That the Non-Execution of Justice, the Intrusting of the Militia, and Navy in the hands of Neutralists, unfaithful, and dis-affected Persons; the great decay of Trade, the protecting of many men's Persons and Estates from the due course of Law, and the unsettled condition of this Nation, are some of the great and principal Evils under which the hearts of thousands of your friends (yea the whole Land) groan; We humbly pray,  
1 That as you have begun to advance the Interest of unpartial Justice, so you would vigorously proceed in the Execution thereof upon all the Grand and Capital Authors, Contrivers of, and Actors in, the late Wars against the Parliament and Kingdom, from the highest to the lowest; that the wrath of God may be appeased, good men satisfied, and evil men deterred from adventuring upon the like practices for the future.  
2 That the Militia, Navy, and all Places of power, may be put in the hands of none but such as by a constant and uniform tenor of their words and actions, have approved themselves faithful unto you, and the just rights of the Nation.  
3 That with all convenient speed you would think upon some effectual course for the recovery, and increasing of the almost lost Trade and Manufacture of this City and Kingdom.  
4 That no Privilege whatsoever may exempt any from the just satisfaction of their due debts.  
5 That having by your Votes of the 4th of this instant January, Declared, That the Commons of England in Parliament Assembled, have the Supreme power of this Nation; you would (as far as you are able) endeavour the settling thereof upon foundations of Righteousness and Peace; In the maintenance, and prosecution of which Votes, and of these our just and humble desires, We are resolved to stand by you to the uttermost of our power, against all opposition whatsoever.  

A Narrative of the Proceed of the Court of Common-Councel, held in Guildhall London the 13 of Jan. 1648. humbly presented by Order of the said Court, To the Honourable, The Commons of England assembled in Parliament.  
A Common-council being lawfully summoned to meet at eight of the clock in the morning, upon the day above written, We Commoners of the city of London, Members of the said Court, in obedience to the said summons, and for discharge of the Trust reposed in us, made our appearance at the usual place of meeting for the said Court about the time appointed: About eleven of the clock the Lord Major, accompanied only with two of the Aldermen, took the chair; We then desiring the Lord Major, that the Acts of the last Court might be read according to the usual course of the said Court, and for the further confirmation of the said Acts, could not obtain the same (though earnestly desired for above an hours space; after which, some Members of the said Court (being part of a Committee formerly chosen by the said Court) tendered a Petition thereunto to be read and considered of; which Petition being the same now presented to this Honourable House, was drawn up by them in reference to an Order of the Court, and received the approbation of the major part of the quorum of that Committee; and though it was often and earnestly pressed for a long time by the major part of the Court that it might be read, to receive the sense of the Court, yet the Lord Major wholly refused to suffer the same, or that the question should be put whether it should be read, yea or no: After the fruitless expense of many hours, another question being drawn up, the major part of the Court required it to be put to be decided according to the Right and custom of the court; and being denied therein, declared how unjust, and of what a destructive nature to the being of the Court, such a denial would be; yet notwithstanding the Lord Major with the two Aldermen departed, and left the Court sitting, to the great grief, and general dissatisfaction of the same. Being thus deprived of our ordinary assistance for our proceed, we did then require and command the common-Sergeant and Town-clerk, Officers of the said court, to stay in the court and put the question; both which they contemptuously refused, and left the court sitting likewise. Whereupon, in discharge of our Trust, and in our tender care of the common good of the city and Kingdom, we did stay and remain a court, wherein was thrice read, debated and voted (Nemine contradicente) the Petition hereunto annexed, to be as this day presented to this Honourable House.  
Having given this Honourable House this brief, but true Narrative of part of our sufferings for eight hours at least, in the breach (as we conceive) of our undoubted Rights and Privileges; and conceiving the like obstructions would render our meetings in council altogether fruitless; for public benefit and service for the future, We are forced to appeal to this Honourable House, for such considerations hereof, and directions herein, as may make the Commons of London, in Common council assembled, useful to the ends for which they were chosen.  
Which Petition and Narrative, after the Petitioners were with-drawn, were read, and were Entitled, The humble Petition of the Commons of the City of London in Common-Councel Assembled: A Narrative of the proceed of the court of Common council held in Guild hall London, the 13 of January, 1648. Humbly presented by the Order of the said Court, to the Honourable, the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament.   

Die Lunae, 15 januarii, 1648.  
REsolved upon the question by the Commons in Parliament assembled, That the Commons of England in Parliament assembled do Declare, That the Petition this day presented to the House, and Entitled, The humble Petition of the Commons of the City of London in Common council assembled; together with a Narrative thereunto annexed, of the proceeding of the Court of Common council held in Guild hall London, 13 January 1648.  
And presented by the Order of the said Court, to this House, may, and of Right, aught to be entered in the Books, and among the Acts of the Common Council there.   

The Petitioners being again called in, Mr. Speaker by command of this House gave them this Answer, The House hath read your Petition and Narrative, and commanded me to return you this Answer, as to the Common-Councel of the City of London, and so owned by this House.  
They take notice of the extraordinary good affections, long sense, and often expressed by many particular persons, if not by every Member of your present Body; especially of that true & public Principle, which carried you on to the framing of this Petition, and to your going through with it, notwithstanding the opposition and withdrawing of your Major and Aldermen.  
I am withal to tell you, That the House doth fully approve of your Acting and Resolving by yourselves, as a Common Council in case of absence or dissent in the Major, or Aldermen, or both together: and they do give you very hearty Thanks for your free and cheerful tender of your Assistance to this House: And you may assure yourselves, That the Service you offer here, shall always, by God's grace, be made use of to the advantage of the English Nation, and therein of the City of London: In order whereunto, they have Resolved to take the several Contents of your Petition, and of your Narrative, into serious and speedy Consideration; and have appointed a Committee for that purpose.   
FINIS.