I. COncealments from the Crown are various , as of Crown-lands , Debts justly due and owing to the Crown , from Receivers of the Revenue , or from Sheriffs , and others who have not made up their Accounts , and payed in what is due thereupon ; or from Treasurers , and Receivers of the Excise , Customs , &c. Or in Concealing the King's Stores , and many such like things , which ( without doubt ) are and have been unjustly and wrongfully Detained , Concealed , and Smugled from the Crown , the which is an apparent Detriment to the Crown , as well as to the Subject .

II . Now this Bill for quieting the Subject against all pretences of Concealment whatsoever , seems to strike at the whole , and under the specious pretence of quieting the Subject , is nothing less than to wrong the Crown .

III . With humble Submission , as to Land Concealed from the Crown , the Case is thus , most or all of these Lands , were in Possession of the Crown , in the Reign of the late King Charles I. and most or all of the Rents received thereupon , were ( then ) duly Answered and Payed for the same , as by the Ministerial Accounts , in his said Majesties Reign appears ; but it so happened , that the Civil Wars in England ensued , and then the Rights of the Crown were totally Invaded , and at his late Majesty King Charles II . his Restauration , and Accession to the Crown , these Lands or most of them , were then given in Charge to the respective Receivers , ( among other the Revenue of the Crown ) to Levy and Collect .

IV . That about the 14th Year of the Reign of his said late Majesty King Charles II . when Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was President of the Council , and Chancellour of the Exchequer ; a Petition was then Presented to the ( then ) King in Council , by the ( then ) Auditors and Receivers of the said Revenue , suggesting that the Receivers Accounts of the Land Revenue were very long , and that the Supers were very many , and that they were most or all of them lost , and past finding out , and were a needless burthen upon the Receivers Accounts ; and praying that for some such Reasons , these Lands and Rents might for the future be struck out of the Receivers Accounts ; it was Ordered accordingly , and the same Lands and Rents , were supered in certain Books , in each respective Auditors Office , Entituled Liber ' Arrerag ' , whereby from that time to this , the same have lain Dormant , and by that means are become Concealments : whereas had they been given in Charge to the Messengers to Levy and Collect , The same , or the greatest part of them , might have been Recovered and Received , they being the same , and as equally the Right of the Crown , as the other Rents and Estates pertaining to the Crown are , and all payable out of visible Lands and Estates , which cannot be removed but ( perchance ) by this long Delay and Neglect , not so easily found out as the others are , they being all Estates either Granted from the Crown , by long Leases ; or under certain Fee-Farm , or other Rents , which is presumed , were not Sold away from the Crown , when the Fee-Farm Rents were Sold , for that they were supered in these Books , long before the Sale of the Fee-Farm Rents ; and indeed , the Fee-Farm Rents are the least of these Concealments . This is Plain and Matter of Fact .

That by the Promoters of the Bill , their own shewing there are Concealments ; and if so , why should not the Crown have its Right , as well as the Subjects theirs ? and with most humble Submission , it is humbly Conceived , that Crown Lands were ever intended for the Support of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown , as well as for Defraying the Charges of the Civil List , as other Accidental and Contingent Charges . And to Diminish the Revenue , under the specious pretence of Quieting the Subject , with humble Submission is a pretty kind of Contrivance of the Promoters of this Bill , who may reasonably be supposed , to have part of these Concealments in their Hands , and so would quiet the Possession in their own Hands , by Wronging and Defrauding the Crown of its just Right .

V. That besides these Concealments , there are other Concealed Estates , which of Right pertain to the Crown , as Direlict Lands , and Lands Escheated and Forfeited to the Crown , by Attainder for high Treason , and otherwise ; and with most Humble Submission , their Estates ought likewise to be Inspected into , so that the Crown therein ought to have its Right ; and then if the Crown had its Right herein , and the Receivers of the Land Revenue , Sheriffs and others , who have not made up their Accounts , and fully payed what is Due thereupon , and the Treasurers , and Receivers of the Customs , and Excise , &c. likewise make up their Accounts , and fully pay what is Due thereupon , and the Concealments of his Majesties Stores , and the Debts due to the Crown , be Accounted for and payed , and the Revenue in General be Inspected into , then with most humble Submission it is Conceived , the Crown would not want so much Money as now it doth , to Support its Grandure , nor need the Subjects be so grievously Taxed as now they are .

VI . That in the glorious and Memorable Reign of Queen Elizabeth , the Government was tormented and perplexed with Plottings , open Violences , and Rebellions , besides a formidable Invasion , from the swelling Greatness and Power of Spain ; and yet She overcame them with the Charge of a few Subsidies , Tenths , and Fifteenths upon the Subjects : but had the Revenues of the Crown in those Days been Smugled and Concealed as now they are , which had its Original Beginning and Foundation from the late unhappy Civil Wars in England , upon the Mangling and Dividing the Crown Lands , into the Hands of Private Persons , as a Reward for their Rebellion , which hath never since been thorowly Examined , and lookt into , the Charge and Burthen of those Times must have been more Severe upon the Subject ; and it is Natural to Mankind , to desire Preservation , and Protection to themselves , and their Religion , Liberty , and Property , with as little Charge as may be : And any Government is the most Complacent , and Delightful to a People , wherein they are not overwhelmed with Taxes , and were the Smuglings and Concealments of the Crown Revenues , and the Fraudulent , and Secret Trusts of Lands , for Maintenance of Jesuits , Popish Priests , and Romish Seminaries , and other Superstitious Uses , which by the Laws of the Land are Forfeited to the Crown , Inspected into , the Crown would not only Flourish , and be Advanced to its Antient Gradure , and Dignity ; but the Publick Debts of the Nation soon payed , and in time some Duties laid upon the Subjects , to make good the Defects of the Revenues of the Crown , by such Concealments might be laid aside and Suspended .

That the Subjects Complain of heavy Taxes , though extreamly Necessary , in respect to the Charges of an Expensive War , which had the Crown its Due , that Burthen would in a great Measure be taken off ; besides all which , there are several other Abuses of great Value , done to the Revenue of the Crown , by the Managers thereof ; which if Inspected into , would manifestly appear .

That the Taxes de Anno in Annum Raised for Maintaining the War against France , were not properly a Gift to the Crown , but are laid out for Defraying the Charges of the War , and therefore that should be no Argument whereby to take away or Diminish these Concealed Estates , which are part of the Flower of the Crown .

Now upon the whole , it is most humbly Propounded and Submitted , since these Concealments were so lately in Charge , as in the Reign of King Charles II . That instead of Leave to be given , to bring in a Bill for Quieting the Subject , against all pretences of Concealment whatsoever ; That a Bill should be brought in , to Inspect the said Concealments , and all other Abuses , and Wrongs done to the Crown , whereby its Right is any ways Diminished or Lessened , and to Nominate Commissioners to Inspect the same , and that the said Commissioners have Power to send for Books , Papers , and Writings , relating to the Discovery thereof , and to Summon in , and Examine Persons before them , touching the same ; and to give Premiums , and Incouragements , to such of his Majesties Subjects as shall Discover the same , according to each Persons Respective Discovery : And to do this in a Parliamentary way , will take away all Clamours , and is but Common Right , done between the Subject and the Crown .