[A1705/6/22]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lady, considering how much this kingdom is exhausted of great sums of money that are yearly carried out of it by those who wait and depend at court for places and pensions in this kingdom, does, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, statute and ordain that in all time coming no peer, officer of state (the two secretaries excepted), nor any privy councillor of this kingdom shall go into the kingdom of England without leave given by the lords of her majesty's privy council, nor remain there above two months in the space of one year, under the penalty of forfeiting to the informer, who shall prove the same before the lords of session, 100 merks a day for every day they shall continue in England longer than the aforesaid time; and if six of the aforesaid persons shall be absent in England by licence from the privy council, the said privy council can give no more licences until one of the six be returned, or otherwise the person who obtains the licence shall be liable for 100 merks a day until one of the six return, to be paid to the informer as said is. From this act are excepted all such persons as shall be employed as commissioners in any treaty with England, and all peers of Scotland who have no estate in Scotland nor any pension or advantage from there, and such peers of Scotland whose estates in England can maintain them there.