Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 8.djvu/329

 A. D.I 757* Anno tricefimo primo Georgii If. C. 38. 295 ■Officers of fuch Bodies Politick, Corporate, Ecclefiaftical or Civil, or left at his, her or their re- fpeiftive Place or Places of Abode, or delivered to the Tenant or Tenants of the Premifles ; or iforftall be d! fabled from through any Difability by Nonage, Coverture, or Special Limitations in any Settlement or Settle- "^^""2> &C' ments, or by reafon of any other Impeditament, fuch Owners or Pcrfons caunot difpofe of their re- fpe6tive Properties or Interefts ; in every fuch Cafe the faid Commiflioners, or any five or more of WanantistobeifTued to them, may, and are hereby authorifed and required to ifTue forth their Warrant or Warrants, undei '^^ Sheriff for fummon- their Hands and Seals, to the Sheriff of the County of Petnhroke. thereby commanding him to im- nlfJ^L^fi? ^ ^^^ panel, fummon and return, before the faid Commimoners, or any nve or more or them, at lucn pence s Time and Place, or Times and Places, as fliall be appointed in fuch Warrant or Warrants, twen- ty-four Inhabitants of the faid County, qualified to ferve upon Juries, who upon their Oaths (which - Oaths the faid CommifTioners, or any two or more of them, are hereby impowered to adminifter) -Ihall inquire into, and by their Verdi6l, afcertain and aflefs the true and real Value of fuch Lands, •Tenements and Hereditaments, and of the refpe£tive Eftates and Interefts therein; and the faid Sheriffto return and fum- SherifF is hereby required to impanel, fummon and return fuch Number of Inhabitants as aforefaid, '"°" * J"'^y accordingly, ■ and at the Return of fuch Warrant or Warrants, to attend the faid Commifltoners with his Bailiffs LrrtTprove'th'^^Il or Officers, to prove, if neceffary, upon Oath (which Oath the faid Commiflioners, or any five or vice of fuch Summons^- * more of them are hereby impowered to adminifter) the Summons of the Jurors fo impanelled and returned refpeftively ; and in cafe the faid Sheriff {hall negledl or refufe (being duly ferved with fuch Warrant or Warrants fourteen Days or more before the Return thereof) to impanel, fummon and -return fuch Jury, or ftiall not attend the faid CommifTioners with his Bailiffs and Officers who fhall . have executed fuch Warrant or Warrants, then and in either of the faid Cafes the faid Commif- o" Penalty of forfeiting fjoners, or any five or more of them, are hereby authorifed and required to impofe a Fine upon fuch '}°^ exceeding 20I, nor ■ Sheriff, not exceeding twenty Pounds, nor lefs than ten Pounds, for any one Offence; and if any j^^^,^ negiedins his Du- Perfon fo to be impanelled, fummoned and returned, fhall not appear at the Return of fuch War- ty withoutkwiulExtuie, rant or Warrants, or appearing, fhall refufe to be fworn for the Purpofes aforefaid, or being fworn, fhall depart without the Licence of the faid CommifTioners, or any five or more of them, before the . Verdi6t is given, or fhall not give his Verdi£t, or in any other Manner negledl his Duty in the Pre- mifles ; in every fuch Cafe, the major Part of the CommifTioners then affembled may and are here- by impowered to fet a Fine upon each Perfon fo offending, and not having lawful Excufe (to be liable to be fined not allowed by fuch CommifTioners) not exceeding the Sum of ten Pounds upon any one Perfon for ^""^ding lol. , any one Offence ; all which Fines, the faid Commiflioners, or any five or more of them, are here- Fines to be eftreated into by authorifed and required to eftreat into his Majefty's Court of Exchequer^ to be levied to the Ufe '^* Exchequer, of his Majefty. VI. And be it ena6Ved by the Authority aforefaid, That in cafe a fufficient Jury fhall not appear A fufHcicnt Jury not at* upon the Return of the faid Warrant or Warrants, to take the Inqueft, it fhall be lawful for the te'"^'^g. the Jnqueft to faid CommifTioners, or any five or more of them, from time to time, to adjourn the Inqueft to any ^ ^'^journedj - future Day, not exceeding fourteen Days, nor lefs than four Days, from the Adjournment thereof; I'of Jurors equal to the Number of Jurors making Default, to attend fuch Commiflioners at fuch ^^'•^'^ ^<»r returning a fuf- adjourned Meeting, together with the Jurors before returned by the faid Sheriff, or at any future y^^.^^"^^""'^ °^ Meeting or Meetings to be held by Adjournment or Adjournments, which the faid CommifTioners J"""* are hereby authorifed to make from time to time. VII. Provided always. That twelve good and lawful Men fhall be fufficient to take the Inqueft Twelve to make a Jury} aforefaid ; and that in cafe twelve or more (not exceeding twenty-three in the Whole) fhall appear J""*' "P°" th-^ir being and be fworn to take fuch Inqueft, then and in fuch Cafe, the faid CommifTioners fliall continue [^^"^i^f.hriT^ur^^^^^^ and fit from Day to Day, until the faid Inqueft fhall be taken; and the Judgments and Decrees taken, and Judgment fhall be made thereon by the faid Commiflioners, or any five or more of them. given thereon. VIII. And be it further ena6ted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Commiflioners, or any Commiflioners may fum- Nfl^ve or more of them, may and are hereby impowered to fummon, by Writing under their Hands, ""^ ^"<* examine Wit- •any Perfon or Perfons to attend any Meeting or Meetings of the faid CommifTioners, which ftiall "'"" "poaOath, '^ be appointed for hearing and determining any fuch Titles, Claims and Controverfies, or to attend any Jury to be fummoned by virtue of this A(51:, and to examine fuch Perfon or Perfons upon Oath, m relation to the Matters in Queftion ; and to oblige any fuch Perfon or Perfons to produce upon '"^ ""!"^ *''^ Evidencsj Oath all Deeds and Writings in his, her or their Cuftody, relating to the Premiffes ; (all which nSri^bTprLuced Oaths the faid CommifTioners,. or any two or more of them are hereby impowered to adminifter.) IX. And^be it further enabled by the Authority aforefaid. That five or more of the faid Com- 3° ^aj^ Notice to bi mifTioners fliall caufe Notice to be given in Writing of the holding every Meeting for hearing and ||omm°i(r^LS'dftef determining fuch Titles, Claims and Controverfies as aforefaid, thirty Days at the leaft before every mt^n^'cTalms ;°anrof' fuch Meeting is held ; and alfo the like Notice of the Days appointed for the Meetings of fuch Ju- die Meetings of the lies as aforefaid ; which Notices fliall be affixed upon the refpecfive Tov/n Halls of Pembroke and Juries. HaverfordJVeJi^ and publiflied in the London Gazette: And if any Perfon or Perfons fo fummoned Perfons fummoned, re- to attend the faid CommifTioners or Jury, fliall not appear, or appearing, fliall refufe to fliew his, ^^'tZc^^V^t^'iZcT^oi her or their Deeds ox Writings relating to the PremilTes; that then the faid CommifTioners, and thei ^Eftates •^' alfo the faid Jury, fiiaH proceecl and determine upon the bell Information they can then procure or ob-: tain; and if any-Perfon fummoned to attend fuch CommifTioHsrs or Jury .as a Witnefs, fhall not'- appear, or appearing, refufe to be fworn, or to give Evidence, the major Part of the CommifTioners then affembled, may impofe ap'ine upon every Perfon fo offending, and not having lawful Excufe Ha'''* to be fined not (to be allowed by fuch CommifTioners) not exceeding five Pounds upon any one Perfon for any one exceeding 5I. Offence ;
 * and to iffue out their Warrant or Warrants for impanelling, fummoning and returning a Number and a new Warrant if-