To the Supreme Authority, the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England. The Humble Address and Congratulation of many thousands of Watermen belonging to the River of Thames.  
Most Renowned and Worthy Patriots,  
THe various changes and troubles that this Nation of late years hath been involved into (the oppressions and miseries thereby entering into the doors of every private person) hath made us sensible of the misgovernment and maladministration of public affairs; and though we are not exercised in matters of Rule, but wholly subjected to the several Usurping Powers that have been over us, yet are we thereby (though to our sad and woeful experience) taught the reasons of our growing miseries and strange alterations in Government, (unhinging and moving the Nation from the firm foundations of all safety and peace) and we cannot expect any remedy, but a further addition of confusion and misery, until the Original Cause and Root of those evils be clean taken ●way, all that is of personal and private Constitution (whether of ancient or latter date) weeded out, and the Public secured and centred upon the grounds of common Concernment, equal and impartial to all. Of old time indeed our Parliaments have been intermixed and clogged with Kingship and Peerage, and though owned and of long continuance, yet were they of great abuse and violation to the just Rights of the People, (a mere Family-Interest, and in perpetual opposition to the whole) neither King nor Lords being any part of the true Parliaments of England, but an imposed power upon them from the Interest of the Old Norman Sword; a true Parliament being the Representative of the People, their chosen Deputies in Council, neither King nor Lords being chosen or representing either County, City, or Burrough, but merely as unnatural Wens and Bunches upon that Authority, the evils whereof this Nation hath felt through all succession of times, the Overbalance of those Families proving fatal to the whole, multiplying miseries and calamities upon us at mere will and pleasure, till the same at last (extending too far) broke forth into an absolute war, the Parliament taking up arms against the King in the just vindication and defence of our Laws and Liberties; and after many sharp and bloody battles, it pleased God to give the People in Parliament Conquest over these Prerogative Powers.  
But after the first War was over, and God had delivered the King (the Capital and Grand Author of our Troubles) into your hands, desperate Combinations and Endeavours were then used by the now secluded Members to render that Conquest fruitless and in vain; which the better to effect, a malignant tumult of Apprentices and rude people was procured to come up to Westminster, who put the first grand Disturbance and Force upon the Parliament, that the Speaker and those Members who had not forfeited their right of Session in Parliament, were forced to fly from the House for shelter to their Army, while the apostate Members in their absence chose themselves a new Speaker, raised the City, and proceeded to the forming of an Army under Poynze and Massey, admitting the impeached Members to sit in the House, and Vote as formerly, when they had been expelled by this House in full Parliament from their Session there, for the treasonable Engagement in the City of London 1647. and drawing the Scots to invade this Nation.  
And now the Old Enemy again (under a pretended Right from the first Election of the said impeached and confederate Members) endeavoureth their re-admittance in Parliament, on purpose to reinforce our old bondage of Monarchy again upon us, putting the Ambition of a single Family in competition with the Republic of England; this being the apparent design of the now secluded Members against us. But as your Honours have upon just grounds declared and adjudged their Exclusion lawful, So we will with our lives and fortunes stand by you therein.  
Now after your Honours had passed over this first grand Interruption, and were freed in your Counsels from the said traitorous Confederates, and so entered upon the free exercise of your Trust again, cut off the King, and were settling the Government in the way of a Free State, without Kingship, Peerage and Persecution, wholly paid off your Armies and Navies, and even brought us to the Harbour of Freedom and Safety, another Interruption succeedeth by that Apostate and Tyrant Oliver, who introduceth a more absolute Monarchy then before. And being thus removed from the Freedom of a Commonwealth to a Family-Interest again, horrible and innumerable were the Evils which naturally followed: Peace made with the Dutch upon dishonourable terms, when by your Navies they were almost subdued; the Act of this Parliament for the increase of Navigation and Trade totally neglected, an unnecessary and destructive War with Spain contracted, Taxes and Impositions exacted without consent in Parliament, all Law and Justice overawed at pleasure, the great Treasure of the Nation left by this Parliament in Bank wholly spent, new vast Sums raised, and an unparallelled Debt contracted, multitude of Shipping lost, and thousands of the free People of England destroyed in Jamaica and Flanders, all Trade ruined, and Beggary and Confusion brought upon us; no other being the Issues to be expected from Kingship or Single Person.  
But it having pleased God to take this Tyrant from us, and to blast the designs of that Family, and once again to make way for your Return, whereby the hearts of your most cordial Friends were made glad and revived with fresh hopes of an happy settlement by your hands, and in that little respite of time you had you gave an honourable beginning to that happy Work; but the ambition and private interest of the Great Officers of the Army not being able to endure the same, you received another Interruption, which carried the face of a more universal and fatal Calamity to the Nation than all that went before; this Parliament, our Laws, and all future Parliaments seeming thereby to be extinguished, (the blow being aimed thereat) and all Civil Authority dissolved. In which time of public Confusion, your Servants (the Watermen) most of us gave in our names to Colonel William Wetton and his Officers (being by them much animated thereunto) with full resolution to venture our lives under his Command, for Restauration of this Parliament again, against all Enemies and Opposers thereof.  
And now it having pleased Almighty God, by a most wonderful and no less than miraculous appearance to bring you together again in great honour and freedom, we do render all due praise and acknowledgements to God for the same, and do hearty congratulate your most happy Return, owning this Parliament to be the Natural Head of our Country, the Supreme Authority of the Commonwealth of England, and do humbly present our Obedience to your Honour's Command in the justification and defence of your Persons and Authority against all Enemies whatsoever; hoping you will now clearly free us from all personal and private Faction, (God hitherto blasting all the Counsels and Undertake of such) and safely settle us upon the speedy succession of Equal Representatives, wherein (according to your late Declaration) our Laws and Liberties may be preserved, all Arbitrary Powers prevented, Trade and Navigation encouraged, Division and Differences ended, and the whole People quieted in the common Brotherhood of Unity, Freedom and Peace; that not only this Age, but the Generations to come may be happy therein, and call you Blessed; which is the hearty Prayer of  
Right Honourable, Your dutiful and most obedient Servants.   

Tuesday, January 31. 1659.  
THe House being informed that divers Petitioners were at the Door, they were called in; and being come to the Bar, one of the Petitioners (in the behalf of himself and the rest of the Petitioners) did humbly desire the House to take into consideration the humble Address of the Watermen, and thereupon withdrew. After the Petitioners were withdrawn, their Address, Entitled The Humble Address and Congratulation of many thousands of Watermen belonging to the River of Thames, was read.  
Resolved by the Parliament, That the Petitioners have the hearty thanks of the Parliament.  
The Petitioners being again called in, Mr Speaker gave them this Answer.  

Gentlemen,  
THe House have read your Petition, and they have weighed it, and find in it much more matter and substance than could have been expected, and much faithfulness in you to the good and safety of this Commonwealth; They find also much of truth set forth therein; They also take notice of your good affections, who are their Neighbours; as ye have always had, so now you have manifested your good affections to the Parliament. Upon all these Considerations, the Parliament have commanded me to give you hearty thanks, and in their names I do give you hearty thanks accordingly.   
REsolved by the Parliament, That this Humble Address and Congratulatuion of the Watermen be printed and published.  
Thomas St Nicholas, Clerk of the Parliament.   

LONDON, Printed by John Streater, and John Macock, Printers to the Parliament. 1659.