The Kings lMJJESTIE'S LETT E R; To his P A R L I A M E N T of S C O T L A N D, in the year 1663. Concerning the x_/ttT; of Billetting. CHARLES R. My Lords and Gentlemen. S W E E have juft caufe to account it one of the great bkffings of Almighty God, upon Our Perfon, and Government, that You the Members of Our Parliament of that Our Ancient Kingdom of Scotland, Have fo unanimouflie Joined in refcind- ing all pretended Parliaments, and Acts derogatory to Our Authority, and in making fo many laudable Laws , whereby the Church and State are now again fet- tled , upon their proper, and folide foundations ; Peace and Order eftablifhed ; Laws reftored to their former luftre, and vigour, Our Authority and the RoyaU Prerogatives of Our Crown, tranfmitted to Us fromfo many Anceftours, now fully afferted, and clearly vindicated , and the feeds of Rebellion rooted out. By all which, Truth, and Righteoufnefs , Peace , and Plenty , are by Gods bleffing, like to be the lading fruits of your labours : So Wee have thought it fit at the beginning of this Seffion of Our Parliament, again to fignifie unto you, Our juft efteem of that eminent Pietie , Loyalty, Prudence, and Affection, to Our Perfon, Crown, and Dignity , which you have by thefe excellent publick Acts , manifefted to the World. And Therefore Wee doe again return Our moft hearty thanks . which Wee doe defire may be recorded to Pofterity . Wee fhall not enumerat the particulars , for that were to recite all the Laws of general concern enacted in the firft Seffion of this prefent Parliament , and fome in the laft Seffion. Only Wee fhall let you know, that Wee have obferved all along in the framing of thefe Laws, a moft obfequious compliance with whatfoever hath been reprefented to you by Our laft Commiffioner to be Our intention , or what might be acceptable to Us , and that to a degree , that could not but proceed from an unparalelled affection to Our Perfon, and Service, and an intire deferency to Our Judgment in every point. Info much that although fome few things hath been carried on, and even paft, and Our confent given to them, without Our know- ledge, and very farre from Our intention, which upon deliberat confideration , Wee find to be of quite another (train , then thefe other excellent Laws , which Wee fo defervedly applaud : Yet Wee cannot attri- but your concurrance therein to any thing, but that affection and deferency Wee have mentioned, though in the contrivance , and promoting of them, fome finiftrous and giddie courfeshath been taken, whereby the Loyal intentions of well meaning Perfons have been led into absurdities, which if not redrefled, may prove a pernicious example of dangerous confequence, as tending to the difhonour of Our Parliament, andtothe fubverfion of all Juftice , and good Government of this nature. And indeed the rhing Wee mainly infift on , was that ftrange Act for incapacitating Twelve tranfmitted to Us fealed, (And which Wee have fo ordered that it fhall never more come to light ,) and the yet ftranger way of voting it, even by Billets A way never before practifed under Monarchy , nor ever heard of under any Government , as to punifhments of fuch a nature as this was , where the Perfons concerned , were fo farre from being accufed , heard , or upon evi- dence condemned , that their names were never made known to your felves who fo fentenced them. But be- caufc the confent Wee gave to the incapacitating fome few , feems to have been made ufe of as the ground of this , with which Wee are with fo much reafon moft unfatisfled : We fhall let you know clearly how both Wee and you were abufed in this particular. Before the laft Seffion of Parliament , Wee did by Our Inftruc- tions to Our laft Commiffioner declare Our pleafure concerning fines to be impofed by Our Parliament , both as to the crimes for which Wee did allow fining , and as to the proportions : And this moderat way of railing fines ( which Wee intended to Imploy only for the relief of Our good SubjectS'who had been great Sufferers) was the only punifhment Wee gave warrand for. Wee alfo commanded the Act of Pardon , and Oblivion to be tranfmitted to Us , before Our Royall aflent was given to the fame , becaufe Wee were defirous Our felf to fee Our grace extended as large as Wee intended ic:In obedience to which command Our Commiffioner dif- patched to Us laft Summer, A Gentleman, wirha letter of Credit; He brought to Us two draughts of an Act of Pardon and Oblivion : The One excepted only as to fines , the other excepted alfo as to incapacity from publick truft. A nd this laft he owned to be the defire of Our Parliament , ( though Wee are fince fuffici- cntly informed that incapacitating was never fo much as heard of in Our Parliament till his return. ) He like- wife preft in name of Our Parliament, Our confent to the incapacitating fome few of the moft guilty, not
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