=Source.=--_Old Parliamentary History._ Vol. xx., p. 248.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND,
AND THE DOMINIONS THEREUNTO BELONGING.
I. That the supreme legislative authority of the Commonwealth
of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the dominions thereunto
belonging, shall be and reside in one person, and the people
assembled in Parliament: the style of which person shall be the Lord
Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
II. That the exercise of the chief magistracy and the administration
of the government over the said countries and dominions, and the
people thereof, shall be in the Lord Protector, assisted with a
council, the number whereof shall not exceed twenty-one, nor be less
than thirteen.
* * * * *
IV. That the Lord Protector, the Parliament sitting, shall dispose
and order the militia and forces, both by sea and land, for the peace
and good of the three nations, by consent of Parliament; and that the
Lord Protector, with the advice and consent of the major part of the
council, shall dispose and order the militia for the ends aforesaid
in the intervals of Parliament.
V. That the Lord Protector, by the advice aforesaid, shall direct
in all things concerning the keeping and holding of a good
correspondency with foreign kings, princes, and states; and also,
with the consent of the major part of the council, have the power of
war and peace.
VI. That the laws shall not be altered, suspended, abrogated, or
repealed, nor any new law made, nor any tax, charge, or imposition
laid upon the people, but by common consent in Parliament, save only
as is expressed in the thirtieth article.
VII. That there shall be a Parliament summoned to meet at Westminster
upon the third day of September, 1654, and that successively a
Parliament shall be summoned once in every third year, to be
accounted from the dissolution of the present Parliament.
VIII. That neither the Parliament to be next summoned, nor any
successive Parliaments, shall, during the time of five months, to
be accounted from the day of their first meeting, be adjourned,
prorogued, or dissolved, without their own consent.
IX. That as well the next as all other successive Parliaments shall
be summoned and elected in manner hereafter expressed; that is to
say, the persons to be chosen within England, Wales, the Isles of
Jersey, Guernsey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, to sit and
serve in Parliament, shall be, and not exceed, the number of four
hundred. The persons to be chosen within Scotland, to sit and serve
in Parliament, shall be, and not exceed, the number of thirty; and
the persons to be chosen to sit in Parliament for Ireland shall be,
and not exceed, the number of thirty.
[Here follows a detailed schedule of redistribution.]
XIV. That all and every person and persons, who have aided, advised,
assisted, or abetted in any war against the Parliament, since the
first day of January, 1641 (unless they have been since in the
service of the Parliament, and given signal testimony of their good
affection thereunto), shall be disabled and incapable to be elected;
or to give any vote in the election of any members to serve in the
next Parliament, or in the three succeeding Triennial Parliaments.
* * * * *
XVII. That the persons who shall be elected to serve in Parliament,
shall be such (and no other than such) as are persons of known
integrity, fearing God, and of good conversation, and being of the
age of twenty-one years.
XVIII. That all and every person and persons seised or possessed to
his own use, of any estate, real or personal, to the value of £200,
and not within the aforesaid exceptions, shall be capable to elect
members to serve in Parliament for counties.
* * * * *
XX. That in case writs be not issued out, as is before expressed,
but that there be a neglect therein, fifteen days after the time
wherein the same ought to be issued out by the Chancellor, Keeper,
or Commissioners of the Great Seal; that then the Parliament shall,
as often as such failure shall happen, assemble and be held at
Westminster, in the usual place, at the times prefixed.
* * * * *
XXIV. That all Bills agreed unto by the Parliament, shall be
presented to the Lord Protector for his consent; and in case he shall
not give his consent thereto within twenty days after they shall be
presented to him, or give satisfaction to the Parliament within the
time limited, that then, upon declaration of the Parliament that
the Lord Protector hath not consented nor given satisfaction, such
Bills shall pass into and become laws, although he shall not give
his consent thereunto; provided such Bills contain nothing in them
contrary to the matters contained in these presents.
* * * * *
XXVII. That a constant yearly revenue shall be raised, settled, and
established for maintaining of 10,000 horse and dragoons, and 20,000
foot, in England, Scotland and Ireland, for the defence and security
thereof, and also for a convenient number of ships for guarding
of the seas; besides £200,000 per annum for defraying the other
necessary charges of administration of justice, and other expenses
of the Government, which revenue shall be raised by the customs,
and such other ways and means as shall be agreed upon by the Lord
Protector and the Council, and shall not be taken away or diminished,
nor the way agreed upon for raising the same altered, but by the
consent of the Lord Protector and the Parliament.
* * * * *
XXXII. That the office of Lord Protector over these nations shall
be elective and not hereditary; and upon the death of the Lord
Protector, another fit person shall be forthwith elected to succeed
him in the Government; which election shall be by the Council, who,
immediately upon the death of the Lord Protector, shall assemble in
the Chamber where they usually sit in Council; and, having given
notice to all their members of the cause of their assembling, shall,
being thirteen at least present, proceed to the election; and, before
they depart, the said Chamber shall elect a fit person to succeed
in the Government, and forthwith cause proclamation thereof to be
made in all the three nations as shall be requisite; and the persons
that they, or the major part of them, shall elect as aforesaid,
shall be, and shall be taken to be, Lord Protector over these
nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the dominions thereto
belonging. Provided that none of the children of the late King, nor
any of his line or family, be elected to be Lord Protector or other
Chief Magistrate over these nations, or any the dominions thereto
belonging. And until the aforesaid election be past, the Council
shall take care of the Government, and administer in all things as
fully as the Lord Protector, or the Lord Protector and Council are
enabled to do.
XXXIII. That Oliver Cromwell, Captain-General of the forces of
England, Scotland and Ireland, shall be, and is hereby declared to
be, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and
Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, for his life.
* * * * *
XXXVII. That such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ (though
differing in judgment from the doctrine, worship or discipline
publicly held forth) shall not be restrained from, but shall be
protected in, the profession of the faith and exercise of their
religion; so as they abuse not this liberty to the civil injury of
others and to the actual disturbance of the public peace on their
parts: provided this liberty be not extended to Popery or Prelacy,
nor to such as, under the profession of Christ, hold forth and
practise licentiousness.