n. Cromwell was frequently absent
from its meetings, but the council, though designed constitutionally to
be a check upon his powers, was in reality his ally and answerable to
him alone, particularly after the dissolution of Parliament in January,
1655. The council provided for in _The Humble Petition and Advice_ was
but a continuation of the Protector's Council, so that from December,
1653, until May, 1659, the Protector's Council, representing Cromwell
policy and interest, continued to exist. After the abdication of Richard
Cromwell and the restoration of the Rump Parliament, the Protector's
Council came to an end, and a new council, the eighth, was chosen on May
13, 14, 15, 1659.[17] This body contained ten members not of Parliament
and lasted until December 31, when a new Council of State was chosen
for three months; but on February 21 the council was suspended, and two
days afterward the tenth and last council was chosen.[18] On May 21,
1660, this council was declared "not in being," and formally came to
an end on May 27, when Charles II, who had had his Privy Council more
or less continuously since 1649, named at Canterbury Monck, Southampton,
Morrice, and Ashley as privy councillors. The first meeting at Whitehall
was held May 31.[19]

The Council of State itself acted as a board of trade and plantations
and directly transacted a large amount of business in the interest of
manufactures, trade, commerce, and the colonies. It initiated important
measures, received petitions, remonstrances, and complaints, either at
first hand or through Parliament, from which it also received special
orders, entered into debate upon all questions arising therefrom,
summoned before it any one who might be able to furnish information
or to offer advice, and then drew up its reply, embodied in an order
despatched to government officials, private individuals, adventurers,
merchant and trading companies, colonial governments in particular
or in general. For example, it ordered letters to be written to the
plantations, giving them notice of the change of government in 1649,
sending them papers necessary for their information, and requiring them
to be obedient if they expected the protection which the Republic was
prepared to extend to them. Until March 2, 1650, it does not appear to
have organized itself especially for this purpose, but on that date it
authorized the whole council, or any five members, to sit as a special
committee for t