[1641/8/188]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, considering that this long time bygone the registers and records of parliament have not been reviewed so that some of the ancient records might have been abstracted, vitiated or disordered, therefore our sovereign lord and estates foresaid give full power and commission to the persons following, namely: [John Campbell, lord Loudoun], lord chancellor, [Archibald Campbell], earl of Argyll, [John Maitland], earl of Lauderdale and [Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie], clerk register, to meet when the lord chancellor shall appoint, to take inspection and to revise and look over all the whole registers and records of parliament, as well those that are in the castle as those that are in other men's custody, and to call for the old inventories thereof and compare them with the registers, and to make two new authentic inventories thereof without copying the said registers and records, which inventories shall be subscribed by the most part of the visitors, the one whereof shall be delivered to the clerk register to be kept by him, the other inventory shall be laid up either with the honours or some other lockfast place whereof the lord chancellor for the time shall keep the key. And to cause make chests, boxes, receptacles or other necessaries fitting for keeping the said registers and records, and also to consider of the place and house where the said registers lie, and to advise and appoint the best ways and means for preserving and sure custody of the said registers and records. With power also to them to mark and observe any defects and wants in the said registers and records and the visitations thereof if any be, and also to mark, number and put in perfect order the said registers and records. With power also to make a perfect index of all the unprinted acts of parliament which do not concern particularly private persons, but such as import and concern only generally the whole lieges. And also give full power to the persons foresaid to lay up the principal late treaty amongst the said records and registers, and generally to do all and sundry other things whereby the said registers and records may be preserved and their perfections or imperfections may be notified, and ordain them to make report of their faithful and exact diligence herein at the next parliament. And our sovereign lord and estates foresaid declare this commission to be in no way prejudicial to the clerk register of receiving, keeping and using the said registers and keys thereof in the meantime, according to his right and place.
[1641/8/189]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, has given and granted, and by tenor hereof gives and grants, full power and commission to those persons who shall be nominated by the lords of secret council, to whom his majesty and estates of parliament remit and refer the nomination of the commissioners to the effect after-specified, or any five of the said commissioners to be nominated by the said lords of secret council as said is, for ordering the commissaries' jurisdiction and clearing the bounds and limits thereof, that there be no occasion of question between them and other inferior judges. With power to the said commissioners to regulate their judicatories and set down prices upon the seals, testaments, summons, acts, decreets and all other writes concerning that office, to be taken by commissaries, their clerk or procurator fiscal, all quots of testaments being specially discharged to be exacted in any time coming, and to settle and establish the fees of the commissaries of Edinburgh; and for that effect to meet and convene at Edinburgh the [...] day of [...], with power to them to appoint diets as often as they shall think fit until the said commission take effect regarding the particulars foresaid. And whatsoever the said commissioners or their quorum shall determine and conclude relating thereto, our sovereign lord, with advice foresaid, ratifies and approves and ordains the same to have the strength, force and authority of an act of parliament.