IRE-LAND  coat of arms of the Commonwealth of England, circa 1653 .  
By the Commissioners of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND for the Affairs of IRELAND.  
WHEREAS the said Commissioners are informed, That many Officers and Souldiers who have faithfully served the Common-wealth in IRELAND are seduced( by the insinuations of covetous minded Persons who( for lucre sake) lie in wait to purchase the poor Souldiers dearly earned wages) to make Sale of their Debenturs, for very small and inconsiderable Sums of present Money, Whereby they deprive themselves of a future comfortable subsistence, and wholly frustrate the bountiful intentions of those that are in Authority towards them, who( to the end the Souldiers being Disbanded might have a comfortable livelihood) have Ordered Lands for their Arrears at very low Rates, which they would not have done at the said Rates but in tenderness, and respect to the soldiery, and in Order to Plant the country with those poor creatures whom the Lord hath preserved in hardships and dangers, that they might enjoy the fruits of their Labour. And having had experience of the great wrongs and prejudice, which the Common-wealth & the Souldiers suffered in England by Sale of Debenturs, whereby many Souldiers by their impatience to stay for satisfaction in Land were impoverished, whilst others in the same condition with them, having patience to tarry, had due satisfaction in Lands, whereby they now support themselves & Families. And it being in the intention of the said Commissioners, to put the Souldiers into Possession of the Lands due unto them for their Arrears with all possible expedition, and in the mean time to make the best provision they can for their present subsistence. And forasmuch as Debts and Claims of that nature, are not by Law transferrible without a special Act to Warrant the same, The said Commissioners therefore( by the advice and at the desire of the council of Officers on the behalf of the Souldiers) do hereby Order, That no Person or Persons who have served the Common-wealth in Ireland, and have or shall hereafter have their accounts Stated, and Debenturs given them by the Commissioners appointed by Parliament for Stating the accounts of the Souldiers in Ireland, for such Arrears as shall appear upon such accounts, or by Composition to be due unto them; shall from and after the Date hereof make Sale of, or Assign over his or their Debenturs, or any part thereof until the Parliament shall signify their pleasure touching the same. And if any Person or Persons shall from and after the date hereof buy any of the said Debenturs( the Parliaments pleasure being not signified as aforesaid) the said sale & bargains are hereby Declared to be Nul and voided, and the Debenturs so bought not to be valid to charge the Common-wealth, or purchase Lands in Ireland with the same; And whereas the said Commissioners are informed, That several Debenturs that have been given out by the said Commissioners for Stating the said accounts, have been of late sold at very low and inconsiderable Rates, to the impoverishing and abuse of the poor Souldiers that sold them, and disparagement of the public security, and satisfaction appointed the Soldiers for their faithful Service; But in regard the said Sales were made before any public warning, or Declaration was held forth to prohibit Sales: It is hereby further Ordered, That the said Debenturs so bought with the Assignments of the same, together with the respective Rates or Considerations given for them, shall within Twenty days after Publication hereof, be registered upon Oath with the Commissioners of the Revenue of the Precinct wherein the Persons that bought the same respectively reside;( which Oath the said Commissioners of the Revenue, or any two or more of them have hereby power to Administer) which Debenturs so sold, and registered as aforesaid, shall be held valid for so much onely as hath been really, and without fraud given for the same, and no more; And in case any collusion or fraud shall be used in making entry of false Rates or vallues paid for such Debenturs, such Debenturs shall be forfeited to the Common-wealth, the one moiety for the use of the Person that shall discover the said false Entry, and the other moiety for the relief of maimed Souldiers, and the poor Widdows and Orphans of Souldiers. And the Commissioners of the Revenue in every respective Precinct, are hereby required, to return all such Entries which shall be made with them as aforesaid unto Thomas Herbert Esquire Register of Debenturs at his Office at Dublin, within fifteen days after the said entry is so made. And the Commander in chief, and Commissioners of the Revenue in every respective Precinct are to cause this Declaration to be forthwith Published.  
DUBLIN 28. july, 1653. 

Charles Fleetwood.  
Edm. Ludlow.  
Miles Corbet.  
Jo. Jones.     

Ordered by the said Commissioners, That this Declaration be forthwith Printed and Published.  
Signed by Order, &c. jo. HUGHES.   

¶ DUBLIN, Printed by WILLIAM BLADEN Anno Dom. 1653.