To the supreme Authority of this Nation, the Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND.  
The humble Petition and Appeal of Josiah primate of London, Leatherseller  
Showeth,  
THat your Petitioner by his under Tenants, George Lilburn, Esq and George Gray the younger Gentleman both of the County of Durham, being in the years 1647, 1648. and 1649. in a just and quiet possession of the Collieries, or Seams of Cole in Harraton in the County aforesaid, called the 5 quarter and 9 quarter Cole, (& having spent near 2000l. to win the same,) which lay drowned & lost from 1642. to 1647. Sir Arthur Haslerig in September 1649. procuring Col. Francis Wren, one of the Committee of that County, and Col. George Fenwick to join with him, made an Order (against which the rest of the said Committee present protested) to Sequester the said Collieries, under colour of an untrue suggestion that Sir William Armyn had sequestered the same in 1644. as belonging to one Thomas Wray, a Papist Delinquent, and thereupon the said Sir Arthur violently dispossessed your Petitioners Tenants, and seized their goods, and Let the said Collieries to Col. Francis Hacker, and several of the Officers of his own Regiment.  
That your Petitioner hath Petitioned to the Commissioners for Compounding, for relief; but by the power and influence of the said Sir Arthur, upon most of the said Commissioners, your Petitioner hath been delayed and denied the ordinary course of proceedings in all Courts of Justice; and at last coming to hearing, the said Sir Arthur appeared every day of the hearing, and took upon him, not only to plead against your Petitioner (which is humbly conceived to be contrary to Law, he being a Member of the supreme Authority) but also Authoritatively to prejudge your Petitioners Case, and to direct the said Commissioners what to judge therein, and by his power and influence upon the said Commissioners, he overawed most of them, and after full hearing, judgement being respited from day to day, the said Sir Arthur kept private correspondence with some of the said Commissioners, about finding some new colour or pretences to detain your Petitioners Possession from him, whereupon he produced new pretended Evidence after full hearing; and thereupon the major part of the said Commissioners, not daring (as is humbly conceived) to oppose the will and pleasure of the said Sir Arthur, have contrary to clear Evidence before them for your Petitioner, refused to relieve him, and have punctually pursued in their Judgement, the directions publicly given by the said Sir Arthur.  
That the said Commissioners being the only persons Authorized by the Parliament to hear and determine all Cases about sequestered Estates; your Petitioner cannot be relieved from the oppression and Tyranny of the said Sir Arthur, save by the Parliament or their special Order and Directions, and your Petitioner hath been kept from his Possession above two years, and the said Sir Arthur hath declared the said Collieries to be worth at least 5000l. per annum.  
May it therefore please the Parliament, in respect to the public Justice of the Commonwealth, to cause the truth of the Premises to be speedily examined, and to provide for your Petitioners relief from the oppression and tyranny of the said Sir Arthur Haslerig, and for the dispensation of Justice without fear or favour, as to your Wisdoms shall seem most just.  
And your Petitioner shall pray, &c. Josiah Primatt.