Act anent conventions and publict meitings

The estates of parliament, considering that the mantenance of his majesties' authority and royall prerogative, in and concerning the makeing of leagues and the convention of the subjects, is not only a necessary duety of the people but of singular advantage to their happines and peace, and that their predicessours, wiselie foreseeing the good and benefite therof, and the prejudices and miseries that inevitably did accompanie the neglect of the same, did therfor, by many severall acts and lawes, assert the king's prerogative and authority therein, and particularlie by the hundreth and threttie one act of the eight parliament of King James the sext, it is statute and ordained that none of his highnes' subjects of whatsoever quality, state or function, presume to convocat, conveen or assemble themselffs for holding of councills, conventions or assemblies, to treat, consult and determine in any matter of state, civill or eccleiastick (except in the ordinary judgements) without his majesties' speciall command or expresse licence, had and obtained therto, wnder the paines made against such as unlawfullie convocats the king's leidges; and by the tuelff act of the tenth parliament holden the tent of December 1585 it is by his majestie, with advice of his three estates, statute and ordained that no leagues nor bands be made among his subjects of any degree, upon whatsoever culour or pretence, without his majestie or his successors' privacie and consent had and obtained therunto, vnder the paine to be holden and execute as movers of sedition to the breach of the peace. And now finding that the due observeance of these lawes might have contribute much to the preventing of these confusions and troubles, which in these later times have almost ruined both the king's majestie and all his loyall subjects, thairfor his majestie, with advice and consent of his estates of parliament, doth revive, renew, ratifie and approve these acts above mentioned, and ordane the same to be punctually obayed in all time comeing, conforme to the tenor therof and under the paines therin contained,† and declares that any explanation or glosse, that dureing these late troubles hath been put vpon these acts, as that they are not to be extendit against any leagues, councills, conventions, assemblies or meitings, made, holden or keept by the subjects for preservation of the king's majestie, the religion, lawes and liberties of the kingdome, or for the publict good either of kirk or kingdome, are false and disloyall and contrare to the true and genuine meaning of these acts, and therfore his majestie with advice forsaid doth discharge and for ever annull the same, and all acts and practises that have been in pursueance therof.

  1. NAS. PA2/26, 13-14. Back
  2. The clause which follows stands as follows in the original warrant, dated January 16 1661: 'And wheras the 29 act of the 2d parliament of King Charles I doth explane these aformentioned acts, and declare that these lawes and acts are not nor cannot be extendit against any leagues, councells, conventions, assemblies, committies or meitings made, holden and keept be the subjects for preservation of the king's majestie, the religion, lawes and libertie of the kingdome, or for the publict good either of kirk and kingdome; his maiestie, with advice forsaid, finding this explanation to be contrare to the true and genuine meaning of these acts, doe therfor, of certane knowledge, discharge and annull for ever the explanation contained in the said act as being inconsistent with the meaning or intent therof, and as to the later parte of the said act ratifieing and approveing the bands made and conventions keept in this kingdome since the beginning of the troubles, his majestie, with advice forsaid, doth rescind and annull the same, and all other acts of that nature and declares them to be of no force in tyme comeing'. The alteration in the record was made by an act/order of parliament of 9 July 1661 entitled, act anent the amendment of some of the acts of parliament. See footnote in APS. Back