^42 C. 20. Anno decimo fexto Caroli I. A. D. 1640. paying only fuch Fee or Fees for fuch Allowance, as by the Statute or Statutes, or by antlent Cuftom, are in that Behalf formerly provided and allowed, and no more, that then the faid Clerk of the Market] Mayor and other Officer or Officers of fuch City, Borough or Town, and the faid Lord and Lords of Li- berty or Liberties and his and their Deputy and Deputies and Agents refpe^tively, (liall forfeit for every fuch Offence live Poinds, to be levied as ^forefaid to the Ufe of the Poor of the Parifli v«here fuch Of- fence is or (hall be committed. Forfeiture for V. And be it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid, That if the Clerk of the Market, his Deputy ^'"S unlawful ^y Deputies, or Agents within the Verge aforefaid, or any Mayor, or any other Officer or Officers of any City or Town, or any Lord or Lords of Liberties, his or their Deputy or Deputies, Agents or Af- figns refpeClively, Ihall take or receive of .any of his Majerty's Subjects, by Colour of the faid Office, any common Fine or Fines, or any Fees, other than are formerly allowed by the Statute or Statutes, or ancient Cuftom in that Behalf made or ufed: (?) fliall take any Fee or Fees, or other Sum of Money, Reward or Confideration, for the Making, Signing or Examination of any Weights or Meafures which have been formerly marked or fealed ; (3) or ihall impofe or aJTefs, or caufe to be impofed or alTefTed, any Fine or Amerciament, Fines or Amerciaments, without a due and legal Trial of the Offences for which the faid Fine or Fines, Amerciameiat or Anierciaments, »re impofed or aflefled : (4) or fliall other- wife mifdemean himfelf in the Execution of his faid OiSce, and be thereof lawfully convidfed ; (5) he fliall forfeit for the firfi: Offence whereof he (hall be fo lawfully .convi6ted, five Pounds^ (6) And for the fecond Offence, ten Pounds ; (7) And for the third Offence, and every other Offence afterwards, twenty Pounds ; to be levied as aforefeid to the Ufe of the Poor of the Parilh where fuch Offence fliall be committed. 13R.S. Stat. I. VL And be it enabled. That whofoever fliall be fined or amerced by Virtue of this Aft (hall not be Perfons fined hy ^g^" fified or amerced for the fame Offence, by Virtue of any former Law or Statute. tWs Afl, not to VIL Provided always. That this A6t or Statute fhall not extend to the Rents of Farms or Lands, or be fined upon any Corn or Grain due or payable to any Lord or Lords, or any Colleges, Houfes or other Societies, by lUnMof^Com" V"'*'^^ of ^'^v Leafe or Leafes, or other Covenant or Agreement, but that the fame, during the Continua- excepted. tion of fuch Leafe, Leafes or other Agreements, ihall be paid, delivered and performed, in fuch Meafure Water-meafure« and Form as the fame hath been paid, delivered and performed before the Making of this A& : (z) And Repealled"""© ^^^^^ ^^^^ A'leafure, that is commonly called Water-Meafure, in any Ports, Maritime Towns or other icorn and Saithy Places, (hall be ftill ufed and continued as formerly the fame hath been j any Thing in this Statute con- =2 Car. 2. c. 8. tained to the contrary hereof in any wife notwithftanding. T^e General VIIL Provided alfo. That no Juftice or Juftices of the Peace, Mayor, Bailiff or other Head Officer, liruemiybe Churchwardens, Overfeers, or any other authorized by this Statute for the due Execution thereof in any |tleaded. Point, fliall be fued, impleaded or otherwife impeached for doing or executing their faid Offices refpefl- ively : (2 j And if any Suit pr Suits hereafter fliall be commenced againft them or any of them, their Agents ,or Affiftants, touching the Premifes ; That then it fliall and may be lawful for them and every of them fo fued or troubled in any Court or Courts whatfoever, to plead the General Iffu.e, Not guilty, and to give this Statute in Evidence, or any other fpecial Matter in Evidence. Trehle Cofis for IX. And in Cafe by or upon this Law they or any of them fhall be found Not guilty, or the Plaintiff unjuftVexation. be nonfuited, the Defendant or D.efendants flttU recover treble Cofts againft the Plaintiff for his unjuft VexatioA. CAP. XX. An A& for the Prevention of vexatious Proceedings touching the Order of Knighthood.
- [T 7HEREAS upon the Pretext of an ancient Cuftom or Ufage of this Reabn of England, That
compelled to* ' W Men of full Age, being not Knights, and being feifed of Lands or Rents of the yearly Value of take the Order ' forty Pounds or more (efpeciaily if their Seifin had fo continued by the Space of three Years next part) of Knighthood, c might be compelled by the King's Writ, to receive or take upon them the Order or Dignity of Knight- .^ . .^ , ' hood, or elfe to make Fine for the Difcharge or Refpite of the fame ; feveral Writs about the Begin- Perfonstotake ' "'"g of his Majefty's Reign iflued out of the Court of Chancery, for Proclamations to be made in the Order of ' every County to that Purpofe, and for certifying the Names of all fuch Perfons, and for fummoning Knighthood. « them perfonally to appear in the King's Prefence before a certain Day, to be there ready to receive the ' faid Order or Dignity : (2) Upon Return of which Writs,, and tranfmitting the fame with their Returns Dinringas. ' '"^^o the Court of Exchequer, and upon other Writs for further Inquiry of the Names of fuch Perfons, ' iffuing out of the faid Court of Exchequer, Procefs by Dijlringas was thence made againft a very great ' Number of Perfons, many of which were altogether unfit, in regard either of Eftate or Quality, to re- pines, ' ceive the faid Order or Dignity, and very many were put to grievous Fines and other Vexations for the : . ' fame, although in Truth it were not fufficiently known how or in what Sort or where they or any of t
- them fhould or might have addreffed themfelves for the receiving the faid Order or Dignity, and for 1
' faving themfelves thereby from the faid Fines, Procefs and Vexations : (3) And whereas it is moft ap- ' parent, that all and every fuch Proceeding in regard of the Matter therein pretended, is altogether ufe- ' Ief§ and unreafonable ;' May it therefore pleafe yourjxioft exceflent Majefty, that it be by Authority of 'ij Parliament declared and ena<5ted ; ' _ IL And be it declared and enabled by the King's moft excellent Majefty, and the Lords and Com^ becompdjfd to mons, in this Parliament affembled, and by the Authority qf the fame. That from henceforth no Perfoa takeonhifti the or Perfons, of what Condition, Quality, Eftate or Degree foever, fliall at any Time be diftrained, or OrderofKnigiit- otherways compelled by any Writ or Procefs of the Court of Chancery or Court of Exchequer, or other- go°anV"Ffne"for'^'"wi'*^'^X ^'^^ Means whatfoever, to receive or take upon him or them refpeflively, the Order or DignitiT that Caufe. pf Knighthood ; (zJLnor fliall fuffer or undergo any Fine, Trouble or Moleftation whafoever, by Rea- fon I
