And further, to prevent the Cities good Intentions for the Restoration of the King and Ancient Government, the Parliament finding the Common Council of London to be against them, ordered, it should be discontinued, and an Act brought in to constitute a new Common Council. Yet notwithstanding the City brought their Counsels to bear soon after: And a Free Parliament was proclaimed in London, which voted in the King: Wherein, (as we see) the City had a prevailing Hand.

And further, after the Restoration, the Citizens, to shew their Abhorrence of the arbitrary Doings of those Times, formally made an Act of Common Council, Anno 1683, Sir William Pritchard, Maior, for Repealing the Treasonable and Disloyal Acts and Proceedings of that Court in the Time of the late Rebellion; a certain Number of Eminent Citizens, Aldermen, and Commoners, having been appointed diligently to look over all past Acts of Common Council made in those Times; and to report them. As appears more at large by the said Act of Common Council, viz.

"The 6th of June, 1683, at a Common Council. This Day a Report was brought into this Court, by the Committee appointed to inspect the Acts and Proceedings entred into the Journal of this Court, in the Times of Usurpation, or at any Time before or since, that might be fit to be Explained or Repealed: The Tenor of which Report is as followeth, that is to say: "

" To the Right Honourable the Lord Maior, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London. Whereas by a late Order of this Honourable Court it was referred unto them, whose Names are Subscribed, [these were Sir William Turner, Sir James Edwards, Sir John Moor, Sir Henry Tulse, Sir Thomas Langham, Francis Griffith, Nathaniel Hawes, Henry Loads, Peter Ailworth, Nicholas Charleton, Thomas Vernon,] to inspect the Acts, and other Proceedings entred in the Journal of this Court, in the Times of Usurpation, or at any Times, &c. that may be thought fit to be explained or repealed, they did humbly certify, that in Pursuance of the said Order, they had perused and examined those Journals; wherein they found not only many Innovations and Irregularities brought into that Court and the Government of the City, but also most pernicious and abominable Proceedings, in abetting and carrying on those wicked and unnatural Divisions then raised in the Kingdom, and serving the Usurpations of those Times. All, or most of which, they persuaded themselves could never have had Place in this Court, had not Violence been offered to the Government of the City. The Lord Maior first arrested and imprisoned, divers Loyal Aldermen and Commoners were, some imprisoned, others displaced, and all Loyal Citizens generally discountenanced and discouraged; and others of factious, and unquiet, and turbulent Spirits, got themselves into the Common Council, and made up the greater Number therein. That all these Actions and Proceedings might (as they deserved) be obliterated and wholly expunged, that no Remembrance thereof might be transmitted to Posterity, to the Shame and Dishonour of this Court and City; but that other Matters were therewithal intermixed, which (for the Substance of them) were in their Opinion inoffensive, useful and fit to be continued. That several Committees had been appointed formerly by this Court, to obliterate the said unjust Proceedings, and there were Lines crossed over divers of them, which they presumed were made by the said Committees: But not being thereby obliterated, but still remaining in the Books of the Acts and Proceedings of this Court, and never having been particularly disclaimed and repealed by any Vote or Act of this Court that they had observed; they thought it very fitting, that the said, and all other like disloyal and irregular Proceedings, should, by an express Act of this Council, be renounced, repealed, and made absolutely null and void. Which Proceedings, or the most of them, they set down, and presented to this Court for that Purpose: And desired that some few of them might be openly read; to beget in this Court, as it had done in them, a just Aborrence and Detestation of such Proceedings."

And then follow a Catalogue of them, from the Year 1641, and so yearly down to the Year 1657.

"All which Particulars (as the said Committee did proceed) being highly disloyal, and favouring of the Faction and Usurpation of those unhappy Times, they thought fit should by Act of this Court be disclaimed, revoked, abrogated and repealed, to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever: Both to demonstrate the Love to, and good Affection of the present Members of this Court to his Majesty, and the established Government, and to vindicate them from all Imputation of the like pernicious Principles and Practices, and express their Dislike of all factious Innovations. So also it will prevent any ill Use that may be made in Time to come, of the said irregular Actions."

After the reading of which Reports openly in the Court, they were approved of and agreed to and confirmed. And it was Enacted by the Lord Maior, Aldermen, and Commons, in that Common Council Assembled, that all the several Acts, Orders and Proceedings therein propounded to be Disclaimed and Repealed, be Repealed and made Void. And they, and every of them, were by the Authority of this Court, Disclaimed, Repealed, and made Null and Void.

The City is thus Loyal to their Princes; but yet jealous of the Invasion of their Religion and Liberty. This was the Cause the Citizens so readily received the Prince of Orange, An. 1688. as appears by their Address, which was to this Tenor:

"MAY it please your Highness. We taking into Consideration your Highness's fervent Zeal for the Protestant Religion, manifested to the World in your many and hazardous Enterprizes, in which it hath pleased Almighty God to bless you with miraculous Success: We render our deepest Thanks to the Divine Majesty for the same: And beg leave to present our most humble Thanks to your Highness, particularly for your appearing in Arms in this Kingdom, to carry on and perfect your glorious Design, to rescue England, Scotland, and Ireland, from Slavery and Popery; "