The humble PETITION OF The Lord Major, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London, In Common-Councel assembled, PRESENTED To the Right Honourable, The LORDS and COMMONS in Parliament assembled.  
WITH THE ANSWER OF The Commons to the said Petition.  
Die Mercurii, 9 Augusti, 1648.  
ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, That the City Petition, and the Answer thereunto, be forthwith printed and published.  
H: Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com.  
London, Printed for Edward Husband, Printer to the Honourable House of Commons, August 12. 1648.   


To the Right Honourable, The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled:  
The humble Petition of the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled;  
SHOWETHS,  
THat your Petitioners being deeply sensible of the sad, miserable and deplorable condition of the King, Parliament and Kingdom, by the long continuance of a bloody and unnatural War (whereof they had great hopes to be freed) after the common Enemy was subdued, the Army of our Brethren of Scotland withdrawn, and the King's Majesty placed at Holdenby, by consent of both Kingdoms (in order to a happy composure of all differences both in Church and State) But contrary to expectation, your Petitioners, to the great grief and sorrow of their Souls, do find the Government of the Church to be still unsettled, Blasphemy, Heresy, Schism and Profaneness increased, The relief of bleeding Ireland obstructed, The War (to their great astonishment) again renewed, The People of England thereby miserably impoverished and oppressed, The blood of our fellow Subjects (spilt like water upon the ground) Our Brethren of Scotland (now entered this Kingdom) in a Hostile manner, His Highness the Prince of Wales commanding at Sea a considerable part of the Navy, and other ships under His power, having already made stay of many English Ships, with Merchandizes and Provisions to a very great value; by reason whereof, Navigation will be destroyed Seamen desert us, Merchants enforced to leave off reading, clothing and other manufactures of this Kingdom fall to the ground, Wool, which is the staple commodity of the Land remain unsold, The Mint stand still, Customs and other Profits by Merchandizing will be very much abated, if not utterly destroyed; Corn, Salt, Cole, Fish, Butter, Cheese, and all other provisions brought by Sea to this City and Kingdom stopped, The innumerable number of the poorer sort depending only upon manufactures, wanting work and bread (as is greatly feared) will in a very short time become tumultuous in all parts of the Kingdom, And many enforced to remove themselves and families into foreign parts, and there settle the manufactures of this Kingdom never to be regained; all which will unavoidably (in a very short time) totally ruin the people of this Kingdom.  
Your Petitioners humbly conceive, no visible way can prevent the apparent ruin of these Kingdoms, but the speedy freeing of His Majesty from that restraint wherein He now remains, and by a Personal Treaty, restoring to the King His just Rights, to the Parliament their undoubted Privileges, to the People their Native Freedoms and Benefit of the Laws (being the Birthright of every Subject) and by the due attendance of the Members of Parliament, in discharge of their trust to the Kingdom, and in observing the self denying Ordinance.  
The●● remises considered, your Petitioners do humbly pray, That the King's Majesty may be speedily freed from that restraint wherein he now remains, and humbly invited unto a Personal Treaty, for the settling of a safe and well grounded Peace; And that therein the Union between the two Kingdoms may be preserved; That in the interim, all acts of hostility both by Sea and Land may by command of King and Parliament cease, And Trade free without interruption, That the Government of the Church may be speedily settled according to the Covenant, Distressed Ireland relieved, The People of the Land (by disbanding all Armies) may be eased of their intolerable burdens, The Liberty of the Subject restored, The Laws of the Land established, The Members of this Honourable House enjoined to attend the service of the Kingdom, That the selfdenying Ordinance may be effectually observed: And that this Honourable House would be pleased, speedily to take into their serious consideration the sad condition of such Merchants, whose ships and goods are under that Fleet, which is now with His Highness the Prince of Wales, and suddenly to find some expedient for their releasement.  
And your Petitioners shall daily pray, etc.   

9 Augusti, 1648.  
THe House of Commons have considered of the Petition of the Lord Major, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common-Councel assembled, presented to them August 8. And upon serious Debate had thereupon, they have thought fit to acquaint the Common-Councel,  
That they have passed an Ordinance for the settling of Presbyterian Government; and therein (upon review of all their former Ordinances) they have perfected and compiled the same in one entire body.  
And for the obtaining a safe and well-grounded Peace, They have resolved upon a Treaty with the King in the Isle of Wight, upon the Propositions formerly agreed upon and presented to the King at Hampton-Court, and for taking away of Wards and Liveries; and also upon such other Propositions as shall be propounded either by His Majesty or both Houses of Parliament: And that the King make choice of what place He pleaseth in that Island, to be there with Freedom, Honour and Safety, to Treat personally with the Commissioners of Parliament; And the Committee which they have sent to present this offer, are now with His Majesty.  
Concerning the seizing of the Ships and Goods of the Merchants of the City of London, and the decay and obstruction of the Trade of the Kingdom by the Revolted Ships that lie in the Downs, The House is deeply sensible thereof, and have done what lies in them for reducing those Ships to their due obedience to the Parliament, by offering them Indemnity for their Offence, and payment of the Mariners Arrears upon their submission; and by sending the Earl of Warwick, Lord Admiral, with power to command the rest of the Navy to reduce those Ships by force, if they refuse the pardon offered them; which might have proved an effectual means before this time, to have prevented the loss already suffered, and to have secured the Trade of the Kingdom, had not the going out of the Fleet been retarded by the backwardness and treachery of divers who have secretly complied with the late defection of the Navy. And that the House may manifest their earnest Desires to entertain any further means for the more speedy and certain effecting of this work, of so necessary importance to the Honour and Welfare of this Nation, They have appointed a Committee to Treat with the Merchants (that are most concerned therein) to receive their Advice, and to know what aids they will contribute to the clearing of the Seas; and their readiness therein, as it will return abundantly to their own advantage, so it will be embraced (as a most acceptable Service to the whole Kingdom) by this House.  
As to the Scotish Army which have in Hostile manner invaded this Kingdom, are possessed of Barwick and Carlisle, contrary to the Treaties betwixt the Kingdoms, and do join themselves with the Popish and Malignant party in the North, The House of Commons have Declared them Enemies to this Kingdom; and that all those English or Irish as voluntarily adhere to them, are Traitors and Rebels, and to be proceeded with accordingly. And they resolve (by God's assistance) to adhere to and prosecute this their Resolution; and upon the just and necessary grounds thereof, They do expect the hearty concurrence and assistance of this City of London, as of the rest of the Kingdom, Notwithstanding all the secret Plots and Endeavours of the Scots Emissaries, or the Agents of the Popish and Malignant party of this Kingdom to the contrary.  
H: Elsing, Cler. Parl. D Com.   
FINIS.