Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 2.djvu/378

340

'TO the King our Sovereign Lord, in most humble wise shewn unto your excellent Majesty, the In- habitants of your Grace's County Palatine of Chester, That where the said County Palatine of Chester is and hath been always hitherto exempt, excluded and separated out and from your High Court of Parliament, to have any Knights and Burgesses within the said Court; by reason whereof the said In- habitants have hitherto sustained manifold Disherisons, Losses and Damages, as well in their Lands, Goods and Bodies, as in the good, civil and politick Governance and Maintenance of the Commonwealth of their said Country:(2) And forasmuch as the said Inhabitants have always hitherto been bound by the Acts and Statutes made and ordained by your said Highness, and your most noble Progenitors, by Autho- rity of the said Court, as far forth as other Counties, Cities and Boroughs have been, that have had their Knights and Burgesses within your said Court of Parliament, and yet have had neither Knight ne Burgess there for the said County Palatine, the said Inhabitants, for lack thereof, have been oftentimes touched and grieved with Acts and Statutes made within the said Court, as well derogatory unto the most ancient Jurisdictions, Liberties and Privileges of your said County Palatine, as prejudicial unto the commonwealth, Quietness, Rest and Peace of your Grace's most bounden Subjects inhabiting within the same: (3) For Remedy whereof, it may please your said Highness, that it may be enacted, with the Assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,

and by the Authority of the same, That from the End of this present Session the said County Palatine Chester shall have two Knights for the said County Palatine, and likewise two Citizens to be Burgesses of the City of Chester, to be elected and chosen by Process to be awarded by the Chancellor of England unto the Chamberlain of Chester, his Lieutenant or Deputy for the Time being; (4) and also like Process to be made by the said Chamberlain, his Lieutenant or Deputy, to the Sheriff of the said County of Chester; (5) and the same Election to be made under like Manner and Form, to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes, as is used within the County Palatine of Lancaster, or any other County and City within this Realm of England: (6) which said Knights and Burgesses, and every of them so elected and chosen, shall be returned by the said Sheriff into the Chancery of England in due Form, and upon like Pains as it is ordained that the Sheriff or Sheriffs of any other County within this Realm mould make their Return in like Case; (7) and which said Knights and Burgesses, and every of them so elected and returned, shall be Knights and Burgesses of the Court of Parliament, and have like Voice and Authority to all Intents and Purposes as any other the Knights and Burgesses of the said Court of Par- liament have, use and enjoy; (8) and in like wise shall and may take all and every such like Liberties, Advantages, Dignities, Privileges, Wages, Fees and Commodities concerning this said Court of Parlia- ment, to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes, as any other the Knights and Burgesses of the said Court shall, may, or ought to have, take or enjoy.

'II. And also where it is and hath been used within the said County Palatine, that upon the Suggestion of any Person that is or hath been indebted to any other Person or Persons coming to the Exchequer within the said County Palatine, and there taking a corporal Oath, that he or they shall pay his or their Creditors at such Time as he or they shall be able thereto, the Officers of the said Exchequer have used without Warrant to grant out of the same Exchequer a Writ in Nature of a Protection, whereby the said Creditors have been and be greatly delayed, and in a Manner defrauded of their said Debts, to the great Impoverishment and Undoing of the said Creditors:' (2) For Reformation whereof, it may also please your said Highness that it be enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no such Writ or Course without a special Warrant from your said Highness, your Heirs or Successors, containing any such Pro- tection, be from the first Day of October which shall be in the Year of our Lord God 1543, granted; but that all and every such Writs of Course after the said Day to be granted, to be void and of none Effect; any Custom, Use or Privilege to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.

For farther Provisions concerning Chester, see 2 & 3 Ed. 6. c. 28 & 31. 43 El. c. 15. 26 Geo. 2. c. 46. and 26 Geo. 2. c. 34.

{{ruffhead/chapter|c=14|m=14&15Hen8|t=An Act for a Certificate of Convicts to be made into the King's Bench.

{{LR sidenote|3 Inst. 215. 12 Co. 31, 103}} 'WHERE before this Time divers Persons have been indicted, arraigned and attainted, and some of them Clerks convict, and some of them Clerks attainted, and some of them outlawed for Murder, Burglary, Robbery and other Felonies, before Justices of the Peace, Justices of Gaol-delivery and Jus- tices of Oyer and Determiner, within divers Cities, Counties, Franchises and Liberties within this Realm, {{continues|'the}} {{sidenotes end}}