[1609/4/34]¹

²Act ordaining letters of horning to be directed upon admirals' decreets

Forasmuch as by the act of parliament made at Perth in the month of July 1606, it was then statute and ordained in all time coming that all decreets given by sheriffs, commissaries, bailies of regalities, bailies of bailiaries and stewartries, should pass and have execution of horning upon 10 days' warning, as at more length is contained in the said act, wherein there was the time of the passing thereof omitted and not expressed therein the decreets to be given by the admiral of this realm and his deputes, which being a sovereign judicatory in itself and of its own nature importing summary execution, our sovereign lord and estates presently convened, in consideration that the insufficiency, corruption and defects which were in the deputes and members of those courts in former times, and whereby those judicatories were thought not worthy of that favour is now remedied and well amended by the planting of able, worthy and sufficient men in their places, have enacted, statute and ordained that also execution of horning pass upon all decreets to be given by the said great admiral and his deputes in time coming as upon any of the said sheriffs', commissaries' or other inferior judges' decreets according to the said act of parliament made relating thereto of before.