He, doubtless, desired that Parliament should adopt and continue it.

On the 7th of January, 1656-7, accordingly, there was read for the first time "a Bill for the continuing and assessing of a Tax for the paying and maintaining of the Militia forces in England and Wales," i.e.for prolonging Cromwell's Decimation Tax of 1655, and virtually the whole machinery of the Major-Generalships.

That there would be serious opposition in the House had been foreseen since Dec.

25, when there had been two divisions on the question of leave to bring in the Bill, and leave had been obtained only by eighty-eight votes to sixty-three.

Among the opponents were Whitlocke and the other lawyers, all those indeed who wanted to terminate the time of "arbitrariness," and objected to a tax now on old political delinquents as contrary to the Parliamentary Act of Oblivion of Feb.