AN ORDINANCE OF THE Lords and Commons, Assembled in PARLIAMENT, FOR THE MAKING OF saltpeter, Within the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, for the Preservation and safety of the Kingdom.  

Ordered by the Commons in Parliament, that this Ordinance be forthwith printed and published.  
Hen. elsing, clear. Parl. D. come.   
Printed for Edward Husbands, April 5. 1644.   

An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, for the making of saltpeter, &c.  
WHereas the great expense of Gunpowder, occasioned by the present war ●●●●in His Majesties Dominions, hath well near ●●nsumed the old store, and doth exhaust the ●agazines so fast, that without a larger supply, 〈◇〉 navy, Forts, and the land-Arms, cannot be furnished; And whereas foreign saltpeter is not equal in goodness with that of our own country, and the foreign Gunpowder far worse conditioned, and less forcible then that which is made in England; And whereas divers foreign Estates have of late prohibited the exportation of saltpeter and Gunpowder, out of their own Dominions and countries; so that there can be little hope of future expectation of any Peter or Powder, to be brought into this Kingdom as in former times, which will enforce us to make use of our own materials; It is held most necessary, that ●he digging of saltpeter, and making of Gunpowder, should by all fit means be encouraged at this time, when it so much concerns the public safety: nevertheless, to prevent the reviving of those oppres●ions and vexations, exercised upon the people under the colourable Authority of Commissions granted to saltpeter men; which burden hath been eased since the sitting of this Parliament; And to the end that there may not be any pretence to interrupt the work, It is Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That such persons as shall be nominated and allowed by the Committee of Lords and Commons for the safety of the Kingdom, or any five of them, their Factors, Workmen and Servants, shall have Power and Authority by this present Ordinance, to search and dig for saltpeter in all Pigeon-houses, Stables, Cellars, Vaults, empty Warehouses,& other Out houses, Yards and places likely to afford that Earth, at fit seasons, from half an hour after Sun-rising in the morning, till an hour before Sun-setting; and in Pigeon-houses likely to afford that Earth, at fit seasons, from nine of the clock in the morning, till three of the clock in the afternoon; The said saltpeter men at their own cost and charges leveling the ground, and repairing any damage which shall be done by them, wherein if the said saltpeter men do fail to give satisfaction, to the contentment of the Owners, upon complaint made by the parties grieved, unto the Deputy Lieutenants, Justices of Peace, Committees of Parliament, or any one or more of them, and they or any one of them shall have power to compel the said saltpeter men, to lay the ground in as good order, as before the breaking up( working onely excepted) and likewise to give such reasonable satisfaction for the damage, as he or they in his or their discretion shall think fit, which not being obeied, the name and offence of such person or persons refusing, shall be returned to the said Committee of Lords and Commons for the safety of the Kingdom, or any five of them; And forasmuch as the saltpeter men for the provision of the State, are to bring in a proportion of saltpeter weekly, which they can bee in no ways able to do, in case they should be desired to dig and work for saltpeter, It is therefore Ordered, That in case any person whatsoever shall refuse to suffer saltpeter men, allowed by the Committee of Lords and Commons for the safety of the Kingdom, or any five of them, to dig and work for saltpeter, according to the Rules and Limitations before mentioned, upon complaint thereof made to the Deputy Lieutenants, Justices of Peace, Committees of Parliament, or any one or more of them, then they or any one of them shall hereby have power to enforce the obedience of the parties so refusing, or to certify their offence, and names of the offenders, to the Committees of the Lords and Commons for the safety of the Kingdom, to be proceeded against according to their demerits. And it is likewise Ordained, That the said saltpeter men for the carriage of the liquour, vessells, and other utensils from place to place, and delivering of the saltpeter where the same shall be made into Gunpowder, It shall be lawful for the said saltpeter men, to demand and take carts by the known Officers, so as the Lading shall not exceed Twenty hundred weight, and the Journey not exceed Ten miles by common estimation for carriage, whereof the Owner shall be paid after the rate of Eight pence the mile; And the empty vessells are to be recarryed gratis, and the said saltpeter men are likewise to be freed from all Taxes and Tolls, demandable for any of their carriages used about their said works; And in case any person whatsoever shall refuse to suffer the said saltpeter men to dig, or to do any other thing in pursuance of this Ordinance, according to the limitations and directions hereby given, then the saltpeter men shall return the names of such persons so refusing, to the Committee of Lords& Commons for the safety of the Kingdom, or any five of them, to bee proceeded against according to their demerits. By which means the work of making Powder in this kingdom( which else will be let fall in this time of danger) may be continued and cherished, and the Subjects may have the benefit of Powder at far easier Rates then now it is sold for; For which purpose, It is lastly Ordained, that the said committee of Lords and Commons for the safety of the Kingdom, shall by virtue of this Ordinance, have power and Authority to put this Ordinance in execution, and to do and perform all such thing and things as to them shall seem expedient, for the better effecting of this service.  
And it is further ordained, that such saltpeter men as shall bee allowed as aforesaid, shall take such Out-houses for their Work-houses to set their Vessells and utensils in, as shall be fit, and may be reasonably spared; And to have, take, and draw water fit for their said works, they giving satisfaction to the contentment of the Owners thereof; Or if they shall not agree of such satisfaction, that then they appeal to Deputy Lieutenants, Iustices of Peace, or committees of Parliament, or any one or more of them, who may make such Order therein, as to him or them shall seem fit, which Order shall bind both parties.  
This Ordinance of Parliament to continue for two yeers from the five and twentieth day of March. 1644.  
H: elsing, clear. Parl. D. come.  
FINIS.