| Title: | Extract In Hartlib'S Hand, Benjamin Worsley? To ? |
|---|---|
| Dating: | Undated [Autumn 1649?] |
| Ref: | 33/2/20A-21B: 21B BLANK |
[33/2/20A]
An Extract of Mr W. Letter
Concerning Commissioners
For the 4th Commissioner j had much rather others should name him then j. It is no matter if hee were an Alderman Andrew's, so hee stood affected to it. Hee cannot bee too Active too Publick, too much Related to Merchants, or too Vnderstanding a Man, no more then hee can bee fit if hee wanting in these or in leisure to attend it. And whether wee need (by reason it will require attendance and a little care somwhat) more then one or 2. Parliament-men, or any Parliament-men at all (necessarily) Provided wee had sound Citizens, men that were cordial and of estates, and had good relation in City and Parliament. I freely leave you and our friends and Mr D. with whom else you yourself thinke fit to consider. nor doe j peremtorily insist on Mr Willoughby, if Persons that are judged more Eminent and fit, may beside him bee thought on, as not willing by any meanes to prefer my privat gratitude or affection to any before Publick Service and Concernment
And truly the choice of Commissioners is the maine hinge and will bee the great strenght of the thing. For if they bee not men well interessed and related well affected to the imploiment, and such as will vpon occasion attend it, whatsoeuer wee build may fall or come
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or come to nothing. For men active j haue sometimes thought of Corselles Maurice Thompson Penoyer and one Nowel a Scrivener in Bread-Street, a notable man, a great Plantation and Parliament-man: But how they may otherwise bee qualified j know not; and heere indeed in this very thing j want some information myselfe and the wisdome and advice of others to instruct mee.
Concerning the Secretary to the Coun- try or Plantation.
One thing more j shall now vpon some late Motives desire you and our friends to consider, which is, that if it bee encouraged and goe forward, whither it will not bee most convenient and secure every way to haue the Secretaries place by Act of Parliament which though j was shye of moving at first, as doubting whither it might bee so feasible. yet seeing it hath now beene already moved to Sir [Henry Vane?] by Mr Strickland, j thinke it no absurdity or imprudence to insist vpon it, though j valew not herein my owne judgment, but would haue your judgment and the judgment of our friends about it.
The Reasons that sollicite it are these
One. j heare that the last Secretary though at first hee was put in and had his dependence on the pleasure of the Governour, yet afterward hee got a Grant of
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of the king for it; so that j intrench[altered from entrench] vpon no Priviledge claimeable by the Governour or Country.
Another. If j haue this place by an Act of Parliament and vnder the broad seale of the Commonwealth it will so much the more strengthen mee perhap when there and perhap advantage in case any of the Commissioners should not bee as wee would.
The Objections on the other side are Whither it may not stir vp the greater æmulation or giue some suspicion or occasion of offence to them who are Commissioners of Parliament and haue the Act for the full Goverment of it, and placing Deputies vnder them: and whether they may not thinke my having another Act by itself for Secretary, will not bee a little ill fauoured.