[1703/5/191]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lady, considering that by the acts of parliament following, viz. the act James first, parliament second, cap. fourty third, intituled, leesing makers tines life and goods; act James fifth, parliament sixth, cap. eighty third, of leesing makers; act James sixth, parliament eight, cap. one hundred and thirty fourth, anent slanderers of the king, his progenitors and realm; act James sixth, parliament tenth, cap. tenth, intituled, authors of slanderous papers† or writs should be punished to the death; act James sixth, parliament fourteenth, cap. two hundred and fifth, anent leesing makers and authors of slanders, and act James sixth, parliament twentieth, cap. ninth, intituled, act against scandalous speeches and lybells, the crimes therein mentioned are made capital and punishable by death and confiscation, and that the said laws have been lyable to streatches, and that in respect of their generality and the various construction which the same may admit, they may be as to the foresaid capital punishment of dangerous consequence, doth, therefore, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, abrogate and discharge in all time comeing the foresaid sanction and pain of death and confiscation contained in the said acts, and statutes and ordains that the punishment of the crimes therein mentioned shall for hereafter only be arbitrary according to the demerit of the transgression, that is by fineing, imprisonment or banishment, or if the party offender be poor and not able to pay a fine, then to be punished in his body (life and limb alwayes preserved).