Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large, 1763.djvu/584

 53'* C. 4. Anno fexto Henrici VI. A. D. 1 4.27. CAP. IV. The Sheriffs Traverfe to an Inqueft found touching returning Knights of Shires for the Parliament. A Rehearfal of the Statute of 7 H. 4. c. 15. touching the Form of choofing of Knights for the Parliament. By the Stat, of II H. 4. c. I. Juftices of Affife ihall inquire of undue Returns of Knights of the Parliament. The Knigh's chofen for the Parliament, and Sheriff's of Counties, may have their Tra- vrrfe of an Of- fice found againft them. ITEM, Where it was ordained and eftablifhed in the Seventh Year of Kin^ Henry the Fourth, Grandfather of our Lord the King that now is, that Knights of Shires for the Parliament fliould be chofen in the Manner and Form following ; that is to fay, at the next County to be holden after the Delivery of the Writ of the Parliament, Proclamation ihall be made in the full County of the Day and Place of the Parliament, (2) and that all they which be prefent there, as well Suitors duly fummoned for this Caufe, as other, ihall attend to the Election of their Knights for the Parliament ; (3) and then in full County they ihall proceed to the Election freely and indifferently, notwithftanding any Requeft or Commandment to the contrary ; (4) and that after they be chofen, whether fuch Perfons chofen be prefent or abfent, theirNames ihall be written in Indentures, under the Seals of all the Choofers, and annexed to the (aid Writ of Pa - liament, which Indenture, fo fealed and tacked, ihall be holden for the Return of the faid Writ, as to the Knights of the faid Shires : (5) And alfo in the Writs of the Parliament hereafter to be made, this Claufe ihall be put in the Manner as followeth : Et eledionem tuam in pleno comitatu tuo faclam diftincle & aperte fub figlllo tuo & Jig Mis eorum qui cleclioni illi interfuerint, nobis in cancellaria nqfira ad diem iff lo- cum in brevi contentos certifiers indilate. (6) And for that in the fame Statute no Pain was ordained, nor fpecially fet upon the Sheriffs of the County, if they make their Return contrary to the faid Statute, it was ordained and eftablifhed the Eleventh Year of the faid King Henry the Fourth, That the Juftices of Aflifes fhould have Power to inquire in their Sef- fions of Affifes of fuch Returns made ; (7) and if it be found by Inqueft and due Examination before the fame Juftices, that any fu:h Sheriff hath made, or hereafter ihall make, any Return contrary to the Te- nor of the faid Statute, that the fame Sheriff fhould incur the Pain of an hundred Pounds, to be paid to our faid Lord the King. (8) And moreover, that the Knigiits fo unduly returned ihall iofe their Wages of the Parliament in old Times accuftomed ; (9) to the great Mifchief of Sheriffs and Knights of the Shire, which be forebarred and put out of their An- fwer againft fuch Inquefts of Office taken before the faid Judges, becaufe of the Statute and Ordinance aforefaid;" ' (10) our Lord the King willing in this Cafe to provid.- Remedy, hath ordained and eftablifh'-d, That all the Knights of the Shires chofen for thi3 prefent Parliament, and the Sheriffs of the fame Counties againft whom any Inquefts or Offic.s of undue Election be found before the Juf- tices of Aflifes, ihall have their Anfwer and Tra- verfe to fuch Inquefts of Office taken ; (11) and alfo al) the Knights from henceforth fo to be chofen, and the Sheriffs that ihall make fuch Elections, ihall have their Anfwer and Traverfe to fuch Inquefts and Offices before any Juftices of Affifes hereafter to be taken ; (12) and the faid Knights and Sheriffs Ex Ret. in Turr. Land. ITEM comeordeigne foit & efta.lie Ian feptifane le Roy H. quart Aiel noftre Seig ur le Roy qoreft qe chivalers des coumees pur le parlemenc foient efluz en maner & fourme qenfuite ceftaffa- voir qe al prochein countee a tenir apres l.t livere de brief de parlement proclamation foit fait en plein countee del jour & lieu de parlement & qe toutz ceux qi illoeqes fount prefentes fibien feu- tours duement fummenez pur cell caufe come autres entendent a la election de lour chivalers pur le parlement & adonqes en plein- countee- alent a la eledfion liberalment & endiferement non obftant afcun prier ou commaundement a contrarie h apres qils foient efluz foient les perfonz eflieux prefentz ou abfentz foient lour nouns ef- criptz en endentures defoubz les feales de toutz ceux qi eux efiifount & tachez au dit brief de par- lement quele endenture iffint enfealez & tachez foit tenuz pur la retourne de dit brief qant as chivalers des countees et qe en brief de parlement affair en temps avenir foit mys cefte claufe Et eledionem tuam in pleno comitatu tuo faclam fub figillo tuo & figillis eorum qui eleclion'i illi inter- fuerint nobis n cancellaria v.ejlra ad diem cjf locum prediclos ccrtifi es irullate. Et pur tant qe en mefme leftatut null peine fuift ordinez ne mys en efpecial fur les vifcountz des countees fils facent' afcun retourne al contrarie du dit eftatut ordine fuift & eftablie Ian xj* le dit Roy Henry quart qe les Juftices as Affiles prendre eient poair den- querer en lour feffions des affifes de tielx retournes faitz & fi par enqueft & due examination trove foit devaunt mefmes les Juftices qe afcun tiel vif- count eit fait ou face en apres afcun retourne en- countre la tenure du dit eftatut qe mefme le vif- count encourge la peine de C li. apaiers au noftre dit Seignur le Roy. Et outre ceo qe les chivalers des countees enfi nient duement rctournez perdent lour gagez de parlement auncienment accuftumez a trefgraund. mefchief des vifcountz & .chivalers des countees qi fount forbarrez & oufteez de lour refpounce encountre tielx enqueftes dofHce prifez devaunt les ditz Juftices a caufe de les ftatut & ordeignaunce fuifditz noftre Seignur le Roy voil- lant en ceo cas purvoir de remedie ad ordeigne & eftable qe toutz les chivalers des countees pur ceft prefent parlement efluz & les vifcountz di- celles countees envers queux afcuns enqueftes ou offices de noun due election font trovez devaunt les Juftices d.ifiifes aient lour refpounces & travers envers les ditz enqueftes & offices et auxi toutz les chivalers defore enavaunt iffint a eflierz & les vifcontz qi ferront tielx elections aient lour re 7 fpounce & travers envers tielx enqueftes & offices devaunt afcuns juftices des affifes defore appren- drez. Et ne foient les ditz chivalers & vif ountz endamages